United wins slow cup match

Press, 14 July 1980, Page 21

United wins slow cup match

Special correspondent ; ?' Invercargill The Christchurch Rothmans League .soccer team. Trans Tours United, beat Invercargill’s Tliistle, 3-1, in a closely: { contested fourthround.Adidas Chatham Cup matCxi at Surrey Park, Invercargill, on Saturday. The gregsy surface’ of . the muddy.. pitch • slowed the pace of; the game -. to good, solid heavy-weather football which kept the crowd of nearly lODO attentive for the entire match. Thistle's former Scottish junior league plaver. Harrv McCulloch, showed his skills, early in the game, carrving the ball up the midfield’and'

'Outfoxing United defenders. I The ball was crossed to Trevor Neilson who drove at - die goal, just missing the .;outside post. -I United appeared a little i : shaken, perhaps not expeering such tough opposi- > tion, and took no chances’ -(against the ever-pressuring; (Thistle side. i Sevel times United built ‘.up strong attacks that were ,■ thwarted in last-minute ef- ■ I forts by Thistle’s defence or : the goal-keeper. Wayne Ray-, i ner. After only 20 minutes the i Thistle coach. Peter Dick.. \took Mike Kernaghan off the ; field and substituted him ; with Bruce Halder. Earlier I in the day there had been'

some doubt whether Kernaghan was match fit, and Dick was not going to take risks against such a highly rated team. The New Zealand squac member. Steve Sumner, scored the first goal midway through the first half when a basic snap shot from the edge of the box reached the back of the net. A second goal for United looked a certainty when Rayner was drawn out of goal, but the Thistle’ captain. Lance Howley, headed the ball off the goal-line to prevent what should have been a goal. Howley was a great asset in the Thistle defence with his vast experience. Tliistle equalised after 35

;- minutes when Gerald Mathk ieson set John Kolk up for a •s fine run down the left, pened (rating United’s defence. Kolk stopped to the left of' d the goal and carefully placed r,.;thf ball into the net behind; y: Neville Petrie. United's goal--n ’ keeper. i e Five minutes from halfe rime United regained the lead when Mike Glubb beat d Rayner to a ball from rhe n left and headed.in. 'f Early in the second half i. This-tie broke through the e United defence many times. - ofly io be stopped’by rhe a exceptional ’keeping of Pett rie. e Glubb scored his second goal when he hit a hard,’ 5 fast shot past Rayner, catch-

ing him off guard, to give United a 3-1 lead shortly before full-time. Frank McKay was instrumental in setting up both Glubb’s goals. Colin 'Chisholm, at left back, also played a good game for United, keeping the defence right. United’s manager Brian Hardman, was full of praise for Thistle, and admired theInvercargill team for trying, to play" football from the back in spite of the heavy conditions. He saia that. United took Thistle as a serious threat from the start, but felt that it should have ’’killed the game earl-j ier.” :