Exciting soccer round

Press, 21 May 1979, Page 30

Exciting soccer round

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Five players scored two goals each, four teams got three or more goals and a Dunedin City player was sent off during the Rothmans Soccer League matches played yesterday. Brian Turner scored twice as Mount Wellington crushed Courier Rangers, 4-0, to hold a six-point lead at the top of the points table. Turner’s goals give him a total of six for the competition. Also in Auckland, lan Ormond and Kerry Hales scored two each for Hanimex United in its 4-1 win over the struggling Eastern Suburbs team. On April 29, United beat Suburbs, 4-0, and its win yesterday completed an excellent double against the club which won the 1971 league title with a record of 51 goals. In an exciting game in Dunedin, the points were shared in a 3-3 draw between Dunedin City and Blockhouse Bay. Jack McGillivray and Peter Mazany scored twice each for City and Blockhouse respectively and the Dunedin team finished the match with only 10 men when Alex Kenworthy be-

came the third player this season to be ordered off. In Palmerston North, Manawatu United to.ok a valuable point in a 1-1 draw with Manurewa. Both teams had several scoring chances in the final few minutes but none were capitalised on. The Stop Out-Newmans Nelson United game at Lower Hutt ended on a thrilling note. One minute from time, Mark McNaughton gave Nelson what seemed a certain two points after a defensive error. Straight after, Derek Gibson-Smith snatched back a point for Stop Out with an injury time goal, his seventh of the competition. At Queen Elizabeth II Park, Trans Tours United and Wellington Diamond United drew 1-1 in an entertaining game. W.D.U. missed a penalty when Gary Paddison pushed his shot wide of the post. A glance at the points table reveals an interesting and possibly unique situation of three northern region teams occupying three of the bottom four places. The changes in fortunes for the Blockhouse manager (Mr Terry Conley has been par-

ticularly swift. Last year he parted company with T.T.U. after a very successful term of almost eight years. Now he finds himself in the middle of what looks likely to be a grim battle to avoid relegation for the first time in his coaching career. Results.— T.T.U. 1 (Steve Sumner), W.D.U. 1 (Gary Paddison). Halftime 1-1. Courier Rangers 0, Mount Wellington 4 (Brian Turner 2, Bill de Graaf, Billy McClure). Half-time 0-0. Manawatu United 1 (Brian Skelton). Manurewa I (Steve Lincoln). Half-time 0-1. Dunedin City 3 (Jack McGillivray 2, Steve Woodin), Blockhouse Bay 3 (Peter Mazany 2, Alex Melzer). Stop Out 2 (Sergio Ritossa, Derek Gibson-Smith), Newmans Nelson United 2 (Ken Cresswell. Mark McNaughton). Half-time 1-1. Eastern Suburbs 1 (Alf Stamp penalty), Hanimex United 4 (lan Ormond 2, Kerry Hales 2). ROTHMAN'S LEAGUE

p W D L F Pts Mt Wgtn 10 9 0 1 29 7 18 W.D.U. 8 5 2 1 11 7 12 Ilanimex 9 4 2 3 Hi 10 10 T.T.U. 9 4 2 3 17 13 10 Manurewa 9 3 3 3 9 9 9 Dn City 9 3 3 3 16 19 9 Stop Out 10 3 2 5 14 14 8 ■Nelson 7 3 2 2 7 8 8 Courier 9 3 2 4 14 21 8 B. Bay 9 2 2 5 11 16 6 Subs 9 2 2 5 11 20 6 Manawtu 10 1 2 7 6 17 4