Poor defence costs United win

Press, 11 May 1981, Page 24

Poor defence costs United win

A disorganised defence cost Christchurch Mogal United ; two points when it was beaten. 2-0. by Hanimex-North Shore in a Rotli-mans-Soccer League game at English Park on Saturday. United’s defence, for so long the cornerstone of its tremendous record of success in the national competition, let it down against a North Shore team which improved as the game progressed. At the other end of the pitch, United failed to * capitalise on a string of chances which should have been enough to guarantee it at least one point. Only David Jackson, however, was able to create openings in the North Shore defence, which was very strong in the air and played with few frills on the ground. United had nine good scoring opportunities in the match, and took none; North Shore had seven and scored from two. They were not classic goals, coming rather from some lazy defensive play by United than from any startling teamwork from the Auckland side. The finising of United's attackers was poor. They were not quick

enough to grasp chances, and were taught a lesson by the sharp, energetic and purposeful approach of the North Shore players.

Shore should have scored twice in two minutes midway through the first half. Brian McKeown, its central striker, cleverly volleyed the ball across the face of an open United goal but no one was on hand to touch it into the net. • Then Kevin Weymouth, who battled hard throughout, flicked a corner on to an unmarked Hales. But the usually efficient winger completely missed the ball from right in front of the goal. The warning bells should then have sounded for the reshuffled United defence, without its international sweeper. Bobby Almond. But in the thirty-third minute, in an almost identical situation, North Shore went ahead. Nigel Grantham crossed the ball from the right, Weymouth back-headed it for Keith Hobbs to easily volley past a stationary United defence from close range. Five minutes earlier, United should have gone ahead, but Gordon Faichnie flicked the ball over the head of Alan Gilgrist, North Shore’s goal-keeper, into the sidenetting, after intercepting a back pass. Then the hard working midfielder, Peter Bennie, drove the ball narrowly past the post from 25 metres, with Gilgrist beaten, and Graham Archer had his Shot saved after a flurry of concerted attack by United. 'Kees Doornenbal. who had a disappointing match, headed the ball wide from an lain Marshall frce-kick shortly before the interval. Later in the' match he wasted a tremendous chance, after, the same

player had done well to set Doornenbal up, but he was too slow to react and his shot, which should have gone in, was blocked. Marshall was brought down right on the edge of the penalty area in the fifty-second minute,' and the referee (Mr Arthur Edwards) signalled a penalty. After a brief check with his linesman, he changed his decision and awarded a free-kick marginally outside the area, and Doornenbal drove the ball over the cross-bar. North Shore began to lift itself in the early stages of the second half, and Kevin Stratful, who had a strong defensive game, was unmarked and, seemingly unnoticed on one occasion at the far post, but. headed the ball into the sidenetting. After an hour, McKeown scored the second goal for North Shore which, effectively, decided the match. Hales crossed to the nuggety little midfielder, Ted Edwards. who played as well as anybody. Edwards went through the defence to the byline and pulled the ball back past the outstretched hands of Barry Pickering. United's goal-keeper, for McKeown to tap into an empty net. ' Still the chances came at the other end. Bennie crossed the ball behind the North Shore defence, but Mike Cantin, who came on for Faichnie, could not reach the ball and Marshall could only nudge it wide. Then Alan South headed the ball high from a flick on by Cantin, and right at the end,. Doornenbal could not quite .peach a through pass by Marshall.

The win lifts North Shore to the top of the league table, but it was far from a perfect performance. Instead, it, was a match United threw away.