United playing for draw against defending champion

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 64

United playing for draw against defending champion

Christchurch Mogal United faces a tough assignment in meeting the defending champion, Wellington Diamond United, on its home turf in the Rothmans league soccer in Wellington tomorrow. Diamond, with six points in equal-sixth position in the league with United, has had handsome wins in its three home games to date. The best of these came two. weeks ago when the Barrie Truman-coached side showed a lot of class in downing Mount Wellington, 2-0. Two new- faces in Tru-

man's title-winning line-up this season, Malcolm Dunford and. Brent O’Neill, have each scored a couple of goals and could present problems to the United defence. Dun-, ford, aged 19, is a centreback who has played under- ; 19 and B international > soccer, while O’Neill is a I speedy striker who has > formerly represented » Manawatu. >. The United coach, Terry j Conley, is aiming for a point 1 from the game and expects ’ it to be a tight, defensive match. - “The battle will be in the

mid-field and they will be dangerous in the set pieces because of the height of some of their players,’’ he said. Mr Conley said there would be ho changes in his team from that which played last week-end. It will be a busy week-end for soccer in Christchurch, meanwhile, with the Hertz League continuing and the Adidas Chatham Cup (preliminary round). Sunday Soccer League and Canterbury women’s, competition all getting underway. The clash between

Rangers and the unbeaten Cashmere Wanderers at English Park at 1 p.m. should be a highlight of the fourthround Hertz matches. Both teams have been in impressive goal-scoring form With Cashmere’s Mark Smith having scored five from up front. Rangers. under the coaches, lan Marshall and John Souter, will need a win to draw level with their opponents on points, and that task won't be made any easier by having several players unavailable. The experienced striker,

Malcolm Parker, will be making a gradual return from a hamstring injury with the Rangers reserves, while Souter is. still recovering from an ankle injury. A midfielder, Rob Campfens; may be sidelined with about of influenza. Peter Wilson, a newlysigned striker, is the only fitness worry for the Cashmere coach, Nick Gatonyi. Wilson has a knee injury. Gatonyi said his side wanted two points from the game and would play accordingly. In the other Hertz

matches, to be played at 2.45 p.m., Woolslon should be too strong for South Canterbury at Garrick Park, while New Brighton and Western are set for an even tussle at Queen Elizabeth II Park. The feature of the Cup round will be the match between Jim Rea’s Shamrock team and Technical at English Park at 2.45 p.m. Shamrock is likely to have too much experience for Technical but the Alan Smithcoached side could rise to the occasion. Burndale United will play Baisweil United at Bumside Park in

the other main. Cup game, the other ties involving lower-grade sides. A fifth division has been added to the women’s competition, increasing the number of teams by eight. Matches will begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow in the first division, a possible feature being the clash between . the; defending champions. Rangers, and Western, at Rangers Park. The other matches, with the home sides named first, are: Nomads v Christchurch United A, Halswell v Avon-Hornby and University v Brighton A.

-The Umbro Internationalsponsored Sunday league will begin tomorrow, with numbers also boosted to 32 teams in four divisions. In the first division, the feature matches will see the defending champion, Avonhead A, against Mastagard.A, while the Bolam Cup holder, D. B. Gladstone, meets Foresters. The secondary schools' competition also begins today with increased entries in the boys’ and girls’ divisions. The pre-season favourites in the top division are St Bede’s and Shirley Boys’ High School.