United in quest of experience

Press, 12 March 1982, Page 15

United in quest of experience

By

ALISTAIR ARMSTRONG

For the second year .in succession, the Christchurch Mogal United soccer coach, Terry Conley, faces the task of re-building his national league team. When .the league kicks off this week-end, United, Christchurch's only Rothmans representive, will be a shadow of the side that finished sixth last year. Gone is the defensive back line-up that has traditionally allowed United to keep one of the best goal-against records in the league. lan Marshall has left for Dunedin City, and lan Park, Bobby Almond and James Margaritis for Invercargill Thistle. A World Cup goal-keeper, Barry Pickering, has returned to Wellington to play for National Mutual Miramar.

Two imported players from last season, Pat Shar-key-and David Jackson, have returned home. All that has left Conley very light on experience for this year’s league campaign. The players that have remained from last season will be expected to provide guiding roles 4or the influx of younger players that Conley has drafted in as replacements.

The 28-year-old front-man, Kees Doornenbal, is one such player and he will captain the side this year. Doornenbal, a Dutch-born former New Zealand junior representative, has been with United for all but two of the last 12 years. Another regular from last

year is the Canterbury representative defender, Alan South, who joined United from Rangers last season. Conley's new defensive setup will include two promising young goal-keepers, Michael Fulham, formerly of the Rangers Rothmans team, and Peter Moot, from Woolston. Conley has yet to decide which of the two will get the nod for the first team. The back four will feature a most exciting prospect in the New Zealand youth international, Ceri Evans. Evans, aged 18, went to Argentina with the national under-19 World Youth Cup side last year and also played for the senior side which went to the 1980 Merdeka tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

He comes to United from Wellington Diamond United and will be studying at Canterbury University. Joining Evans in the rearguard will be South, Michael Howard and lan France. France, aged 18, joined United last season but was kept in the reserves until the Gisborne City suspension episode.

The English centre back, Paul Wilkinson, is also likely to be included in the defence after the New Zealand Football Association’s decision to back United in its endeavours to keep him. Wilkinson wants to play for Invercargill Thistle, but Conley, who arranged for the Englishman to be flown to this country last August, is adamant that he should stick

to his two-year contract with United. The midfield will be taken up by lan Cowan, Graham Archer, Stuart Chalmers and Marcel Verweij, with Mike Cantin and Michael Poole joining Doornenbal up front. A Fijian World Cup player, Tony Kabakore, will also be joining the forwards. The 21-year-old Suva player was a member of the interdistricts team that Conley coached on a short stint in Fiji last j’ear and the coach feels he will do well if he can adapt to the change of conditions.

There is the possibility that further overseas players will be drafted into the United squad at the eleventh hour, but Conley prefers not to name anyone at this stage. In the meantime, he admits that his team, which has had mixed success in preseason games, will be happy with a middle-of-the-table place in the Rothmans league.

“There is no point being silly and saying we are going to go out and win because we haven’t got the ability or the experience,” he said. “But the squad has its enthusiasm and the lads have been working very hard." Conley said the team was by far the youngest he had ever had.

“It is very young and inexperienced,” he said. “That concerns me because if they get a bad start to the season it could be difficult to pull them out of it. I would love to have someone of experience, but the only way to get that is to play in the national league.” Conley hinted that his team might adopt a defensive approach to its league games until it became more settled. “There is no way you can overcome inexperience, but obviously it is always easier to defend and we will play it very tight defensively,” he said. “But I have always done that. United in the league has probably had fewer goals scored against it than anybody.” United's first challenge of the season will be an away game against the traditional

giants of the league. Mount Wellington. Conley said this would not be the best of starts.

“But we have got to play them sometime, so let’s get in now before they get into their stride. There will be no easy games, anyway,” he said.

John Houghton’s Mount Wellington squad is sure to be among the frontrunners in the league once again. Last year, despite losing the key central defenders, Glen Adam and Ricki Herbert, to the World Cup squad, the Mount chose to play its Rothmans games without interruption. It still managed to come third, only two points behind the leaders.

Herbert is away again this season, pressing his chances with Southampton in Eng-

land, but the side continues with a host of past or present national representatives in Billy McClure, Adam, Ron Armstrong, Sandy Davie, Warren Fleet and Keith Nelson. • Wellington Diamond United, the league champion, has lost four of last year’s side, in Derek Gibson-Smith, the veteran striker, Mike Simeonoff, Paul McLean and Wynton Rufer. However, with the back four intact and under the leadership of the goalkeeper, Bob Wilshire, the side, coached by Barrie Truman, should be up with the leaders. Truman has added two promising former central league players, Malcolm

Dunford and Sergio Ritossa (formerly of Stop Out) to his side.

The Hanimex North Shore Unite'd coach, Don Jones, has said he expects to be in the top three this year. The World Cup defender. Adrian Elrick, will be helping to back up Jones’ claim and the international mid-fielder, Duncan Cole, is also a possible signing once his contract is cleared up. Otherwise the Auckland side will be fielding the bulk of last year’s team.

Gisborne City, coached bv the World Cup star. Keveh Fallon, is in the process of lining up Grant Turner, who has been with South Melbourne, for a return to their ranks. Turner is understood to be unhappy with his Australian experience and keen to return to his former club.

The World Cup veteran, Brian Turner, has also been picked up by Fallon and he will join his national team comrades Keith Mac Kay. John Hill and Ken Cresswell in a possible league-winning team.

Dunedin City will be looking to consolidate on its excellent effort last season. The Chatham Cup winner, under coach Derek Daniels, has lost Terry Wilson to Scotland but gained Christchurch’s lan Marshall. National Mutual Miramar will have the dynamic Rufer brothers, Shane and Wynton, as well as the World Cup goal-keeper, Barry Pickering. The Norwich City midfielder, Peter Mendham, might rejoin the side later in the season.

The Manurewa manager, Russ Toyne, has drafted in the World Cup mid-fielder, Peter Simonson, and held on to his New Zealand team mate, Dave Bright. The Cup goal-keeper, Frank Van Hattum, will also be an asset. The three newcomers to the league, Invercargill Thistle, Napier City Rovers and East Coast Bays will be staking strong claims to stay in the league. The Invercargill coach, Fred Simpson, has hauled in an experienced brace of Christchurch players, including the World Cup defender, Bobby Almond, and kept two Scottish imports from last season, Mike O’Donnell and Harry McCulloch.