North Shore leads

Press, 13 April 1982, Page 3

North Shore leads

A 1-1 away draw with Invercargill Thistle was enough to give Hanimex North Shore United a onepoint lead in the Rothmans soccer league after yesterday’s sixth round matches. Gisborne City lost its share of the No 1 position with a surprise 0-1 loss to the Chatham Cup holders, Dunedin City, while in another surprise result. National Mutual Miramar gave first points of the season to East Coast Bays when it lost, 1-2, in Auckland. In the remaining matches, Christchurch Mogal United, Wellington Diamond United and Mount Wellington all had comfortable wins. It was a rampant Dunedin City side that dealt Gisborne its first loss of the season, in an incident-ridden match at the University Oval, in Dunedin.

Gisborne lost its competi-

tion points, lost its interi national striker Grant ; Turner with severe concussion, and lost a midfielder Martin Ryan who was sent off with 15 minutes to go. Exactly on the half hour, I Pat Berry reduced the game

to a two-man duel as he burst through the defence at pace, into the box with the ball on his left foot, forcing a tackle from the recovering Gisborne defender John Hill — which produced a penalty. Berry scored from the spot to put City in the lead.

The tactical mistake of allowing an injured Arthur Brown to take a vital firsthalf penalty almost certainly cost National Mutual Miramar a point and possibly two in its match against East Coast Bays at Mairangi Bay. Brown, injured when he badly gashed his forehead in a collision with Sam Malcolmson’s elbow, had just returned to the field with his head heavily bandaged when he stepped up to take the spot kick which could have put the visitors 2-0 ahead. is kick never looked likely to find the net and as it soared well over the crossbar East Coast Bays counted its good fortune and stormed back to take the game 2-1 with goals from Terry Gore and Peter Forde. Thistle's hopes of taking two upset points from North

Shore were upset by a penalty scored by substitute Kevin Weymouth, at Surrey Park, Invercargill. Weymouth rocketed a long drive well outside the pen-, alty area into the Thistle goal. That made the final score 1-1 after Thistle took the lead in the twelfth minute when Robbie Larter scored from the penalty spot. Christchurch Mogal United were impressive in downing Napier City Rovers, 3-0, while Mount Wellington had an unexpectedly convincing f 4-0 win over Manurewa. ,

Wellington Diamond United beat Hamilton City. 31. despite looking a little jaded at times.

LEAGUE STANDINGS AFTER SIX ROUNDS:

P W D L F A Pt N Shore 6 4 9 — 11 3 10 Mt Wgtn 6 4 1 1 12 3 9 Gisborne b 4 1 1 12 4 9 Miramar 6 2 3 1 8 6 7 Dunedin 6 2 3 1 8 7 y WDU 6 3 — 3 9 6 6 United 6 2 9 o 6 6 Manur 6 2 1 3 6 11 5 Napier 6 2 .1 3 5 9 5 Thistle 6 1 9 3 3 7 4 Hamilton 6 1 — 5 6 14 2 E.C.Bavs 6 1 — 5 6 17 2