North Island teams share lead

Press, 12 April 1982, Page 15

North Island teams share lead

Gisborne City and Hanimex North Shore United share a twopoint lead at the top of the Rothmans national soccer league points table after fifth-round matches played on Saturday. Gisborne City drew level with the Aucklanders after its 1-0 away win over Invercargill Thistle and Shore's 0-0 draw with Christchurch Mogal United in Christchurch. Both teams have nine points — from four wins and a draw each — and will go into today's sixth round matches two points clear of Mount Wellington and National Mutual Miramar, who are third equal on seven points. The defending champions. Wellington Diamond United, provided the most surprising result on Saturday when they beat Mount Wellington. 2-0. in Lower Hutt. It was Diamond's second win only of the season. Try as they might, the Mount could not find a way through the Diamond defence and the Wellington side's back four of Ross Durant. Peter Brown, Paul van dec Breggan and Jeff Strom closed the Mount strikers’ down quickly. This’ forced the Aucklanders to shoot from long range and with W.D.U. goalkeeper. Bob Wilshire, again in fine form there was little likelihood of them beating him from far out. Diamond's first goal came in the thirty-eighth minute after Malcolm 'Dunford had won his side a left-wing corner. Gary Welch swung the kick to the near post where O'Neill and big centre-back. Paul van der Breggan. challenged for the ball with the Mount goalkeeper. Sandy Davie, and a defender. Glen Adam. Van der Breggan got the last touch to glance the ball past Davie and give W.D.U. the lead.

Five minutes later the home side went 2-0 up thanks to the determination of Strom. The fullback won possession in the midfield and laid the ball perfectly into the path of Welch who struck the ball firmly past Davie. National Mutual Miramar stretched its unbeaten league run to five games with a 2-2 awav draw against Manurewa. The game started sensationally when Shane Rufer fired in a’ longrange shot which gave the Manurewa 'keeper, Frank van Hattum. no chance. So. after a mere 23 seconds, the visitors were on the board. That lead was shortlived, however. Three minutes later, the former international. Greg Hough, fired home a long-range shot which again gave the Miramar 'keeper. Barry Pickering. little hope of saving. Gisborne City got two points from Thistle by virtue of a single goal 15 minutes into the first half when the City player-coach. Kevin Fallon, the.assistant coach of the New Zealand World Cup team, scored from a corner. A lapse in concentration by the Thistle defence gave the big defender the chance to slot the ball home from the middle of a packed goalmouth. It was the third loss in a row for the southern side. Dunedin City may be used to massed pipes and drums but thev had no answer to Napier City Rovers' massed defence, drawing 1-1 at home. City's ball possession produced only one goal and as frustration set in. Napier showed they had pace and understanding up front, where Peter Wainwright and Paul Halford did their best in splendid isolation. Meanwhile, a bleak winter faces East Coast Bays after its fifth straight loss, this time 1-2

at the hands of lowly Hamilton City. Results:— W.D.U. 2 (P. van der Breggan. G. Welch), Mount Wgtn 0; Invercargill 0, Gisborne 1 (K. Fallon); Christchurch Utd 0. H. North Shore 0; East Coast Bays 1 (D. Mclntosh). Hamilton 2 (K. Niederer. P. Hoebergen); Dunedin 1 (J. Russell). Napier 1 (P. Halford); Manurewa 2 (G. Hough. P. Simonsen). Miramar 2 (S. Rufer. C. Leonidas). League standings:— ROTHMANS LEAGUE

P W D L F A Pt Gisborne 0 5 4 1 12 3 9 Nth Shore 5 4 1 10 9 9 Ml Wgtn 5 3 1 8 3 7 Miramar 5 2 3 4 Dunedin 5 1 3 1 ( 7 5 Manurewa 5 2 1 9 6 7 5 Napier □ 9 1 2 6 5 W D.U. 5 2 0 3 6 5 4 Chch t'td 5 1 2 o 4 6 4 Thistle 5 1 1 3 0 6 3 Hamilton 5 1 4 5 11 2 E.C. Bavs 5 5 4 16 ' 0