Difficult match for United

Press, 20 July 1979, Page 24

Difficult match for United

By

DAVID LEGGAT

A study of the points table shows that Trans Tours United should be capable of comfortably beating Manawatu United in its sixteenth Rothmans Soccer League match of the season at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Sunday. But a closer examination reveals that United might be faced with one of its I tougher league assignments ( of the 1979 competition. It! w’ill be without three first; choice players, including two: strikers. Frank McKay and; Steve Sumner will miss thej match through suspension and Richard Mulligan is unlikely to play because of a

I bad leg injury suffered last I week-end s; The first time these teams s met on June 24, the result i was a goal-less draw, pos- / sibly indicative of Manai watu’s strength in defence, s It has conceded only 21 Hgoals in 15 games, the same [.record as United. j Two players who have i;spent most of the season on lithe reserve bench, Barry • | Weymouth and Colin Curry, ; i will replace McKay and : ’ Sumner respectively and if : I Mulligan is unable to play > | lan Park will be pushed forl ward from left back and Paul .(Bradshaw will return to the defence. | While expressing confijdence in the players replacing i Sumner, McKay and Mulli-

gan, United’s manager (Mr Brian Hardman) pointed out that the Iqss of these players was a setback.

“When you lose players of this calibre they are not easy to replace. It just makes it a bit harder to get a result,” he said. Manawatu is the bottomplaced team in the league. It trails Blockhouse Bay by two points and only a dramatic change in fortunes can save it from relegation. Therefore it will undoubtedly approach the game with the attitude that it has nothing to lose and a lot to gain. AU three leading Midlands Coachlines League teams should have victories tomorrow. Rangers will play Green!

(Island in the early game at [Queen Elizabeth II Park No. 12; Caversham will face Papanui W.M.C. in Dunedin; and Wooiston W.M.C. will play Technical at Ensors Road.

The other two games are Western v. Shamrock, also on the No. 2 ground at Queen Elizabeth II Park, and North End United v. Cash-mere-Wanderers at Dunedin.

The crucial match in the qualifying league will be played tomorrow when New Brighton meets Halswell United at Halswell Domain. Brighton leads Halswell by two points and, if it can record its fourteenth win of the competition, will almost certainly take the title.