Plenty to play for on the local front

Press, 10 May 1980, Page 60

Plenty to play for on the local front

By

DAVID LEGGAT

This week-end’s Rothmans Soccer League matches will give top Christchurch players ■>; final chance to win selection in the southern region team to play New Zealand next Friday. The southern region selectors (Messrs Alan a’Court and Terry- Mann) will announce their squad after Rangers play Dunedin City at Rangers Park tomorrow. •Trans Tours • United’s match against bottom-placed Newmans Nelson United at Queen Elizabeth II Park has been brought forward to today, and United must win to regain the momentum it had before losing at Gisborne a fortnight ago. United was unable to break through against a packed Blockhouse Bay defence last week-end, and in the second half of the competition will find more teams only too willing to stack their defence and settle for a point. The United squad has been bolstered by the return of Peter Bennie, who spent the first part of the season in Wellington on a work transfer. Steve Sumner has recovered from a groin strain and should be fit to play, leaving Bennie a likely substitute. Graeme Archer, who had several games earlier in the season, was sent off last week-end and will automatically miss all soccer this week-end. Bobby Almond, who did not play last Sunday, is available for selection, having recovered from his leg injury. Rangers’ loss to Hanimex-

North Shore last Sunday was a disappointment, coming after the fine work of Anzac week-end. They will meet a Dunedin City team which has not lost since April 7. In its last two matches, Dunedin City has iscored 11 times and conceded only one goal. 1 Mr lan Marshall. the 'Rangers coach, has kept an lunchanged team and ; the match seems certain to be a highly entertaining one; both sides have an enterprising, positive attitude to the game. The first round proper of jthe Adidas Chatham, Cup will be a counter-attraction Ito the United-Nelson match today. Six Hertz League teams have been paired tbs gether, with the two games at English Park being particularly interesting. The second round matches will be played over Queen’s Birthday week-end. Other Rothmans League matches over the week-end are Mount Wellington v. Hamilton at Auckland, Wellington Diamond United v. Hanimex-North Shore at Wellington (both today). Blockhouse Bay v. Stop Out at Auckland and Gisborne City v. Manurewa at Gisborne (both tomorrow). The full draw for the Adidas Chatham Cup today is: Nomads United v. Technical at Tullett Park, Shamrock v. High School Old Boys at Riccarton Domain, Cashmere - Wanderers v. Universitv at Somerfield Park, Woolston W.M.C. v. Western and Halsweli United v. New Brighton, both at English Park.