N.Z. kicks off soccer campaign with stylish 4-0 victory

Press, 4 May 1981, Page 36

N.Z. kicks off soccer campaign with stylish 4-0 victory

NZPA Nandi, Fiji The New Zealand soccer team started its World Cup qualifying away campaign in impressive fashion with a 4-0 win over Fiji at Ba’s Govind Stadium yesterday.

New Zealand took the initiative from the start and ran up a 3-0 lead by halftime, on a ground softened by recent rain. Although they found it hard to pierce the Fijian defence in the second spell, the New Zealanders at no stage lost their tight grip and the striker, Brian Turner, finished off the match with his third goal. The shortcomings in defence which had cost New Zealand a 3-3 Anzac Day draw against Australia became very much a memory as Ricki Herbert and Bobby Almond dominated aerial possession.

The New Zealand defence was never placed under the pressure which was applied by the Australians, and the goal-keeper, Richard Wilson, will remember the day as one in which most of the balls he collected came from back passes from composed defenders.

The game was only eight minutes old when New Zealand put its first ball into the Fijian net. After a number of promising raids, the dogged persistence of the mid-fielder, Keith Mackay, down the right flank, paid off when he

latched on to a poor clearance. Mckay’s pinpoint cross found Turner at the far post and his header proved too good for the Fijian goalkeeper, Savenaca Waga.

The New Zealanders maintained their dominance in the overcast conditions and after 20 minutes gained further reward with perhaps the best goal of the game. Intricate inter-passing between Turner,. the midfielder, Duncan Cole and Grant Turner, released Cole on the edge of the penalty area and his well-struck shot beat the diving goal-keeper. Mackay, who was perpetual motion personified be-

fore being replaced early in the second half, after taking a couple of heavy tackles, again teamed with Brian Turner for the third goal. His thirty-first-minute cross from the profitable right flank found Turner, who was confronted by the goal-keeper; As' Waga’s fist sank into his thigh, Turner rammed the ball into the net from close range before collapsing to the ground.

The start of the second half was marked by the onset of rain and with it the sting went out of the New Zealand attack.

New Zealand’s coach, Mr John Adshead, attributed the

change to a combination of high humidity and a relaxation because of the team’s three-goal advantage. But the Fijian defence and mid-field also looked more purposeful in the second half, although its attack rarely threatened the New Zealand goal.

In fact, the colourful 5000strong crowd had little to cheer about. Their team’s best scoring chance came in the sixteenth minute when the mid-fielder, Mohammed Salim, the pick of the Fijian players, dribbled past three defenders and shot just wide of the goal. Apart from that, the biggest cheers greeted the frequent mid-field clashes between Grant Turner and the Fijian captain, Abdul Manaan. After one incident Turner was shown his second yellow card in two games, for an over-vigorous tackle.

The fourth New Zealand goal came five minutes from full-time when Clive Campbell, who replaced Mackay, crossed from the right flank.

His ball found both the Turners with just the goalkeeper to beat and it was Brian Turner who nodded home the goal for his hattrick.