Rangers need to tighten play to beat W.D.U.

Press, 18 April 1980, Page 24

Rangers need to tighten play to beat W.D.U.

By

DAVID LEGGAT

The Rangers coach, Mr lan Marshall, will wait until today before choosing his team to meet Wellington Diamond United in a Rothmans Soccer League match at Rangers Park on Sunday. The 'match is a vital one for Rangers,. which has won two of its six matches to date, but has lost the other four. The Wellington side has failed to really strike form this season, and has scored only eight goals from six matches, including five in the last two matches. W.D.U. had made 11 trips to Christchurch during its time in the league, has won four and lost six. It usually plays a fairly tight style of soccer and it will take a controlled, well organised performance from Rangers if they are to take points from the game.

There are no injuries in the Rangers squad to restrict Mr Marshall’s alternatives. The lest two matches have shown an improvement in the defensive play of Rangers, but it must still be a source of worry for Mr

Marshall that no other team in the league has conceded more goals than Rangers. Trans Tours United might be without its outstanding sweeper, Bobby Almond, for its key match with the league leader, Manurewa, in Auckland on Sunday. Almond suffered a leg injury in United’s match against Hanimex-North Shore 10 days ago and has not fully recovered. However, United’s coach (Mr Brian Hardman) is hopeful of Almond being fit enough to play. Manurewa was somewhat disappointing in its match with Rangers /kist week-end, especially considering both its position in the competition and the fact that it fielded six players with international experience. The match will give United its first trip to Auckland this season. United has, in the 10 seasons of the league, travelled 41 times to Auckland, for 17 wins and 15 losses, and its only other match against Manurewa resulted in a 2-1 win last season. '

Manurewa’s coach (Mr Doug Moore) is a very astute and perceptive thinker on the game and this, combined with his knowledge of United, gained during his time in Christchurch, should mean United will have a particularly tough battle on its hands.The remainder of the draw for Sunday is; Blockhouse Bay v. Hamilton at Hamilton, Gisborne City v. Hani-mex-North Shore at Gisborne, Stop Out v. Dunedin City at Lower Hutt and Newmans Nelson United v. Mount Wellington at Nelson.

Most of the attention in the third round of the Hertz League tomorrow will be focused on Western’s match with another unbeaten team, Halswell United, at English Park.

Other matches are New Brighton v. Northern Hearts at Queen Elizabeth II Park No. 2, Technical v. Shamrock at Ensors Road, Timaru City v. Cashmere-Wanderers at Timaru and Nomads United v. Woblston W:M.C., also at English Park.