United draws with Auckland side

Press, 26 April 1982, Page 20

United draws with Auckland side

By ALISTAIR ARMSTRONG Christchurch Mogal United extended its unbeaten run in Rothmans league soccer to six games when it drew’, 0-0, in a see-sawing encounter with Manurewa at English Park yesterday. The home side created more chances than Manurewa but most of them fizzled before they came within striking range. The front men. Johan Verweij and Kees Doornenbal. often found themselves struggling to latch on to balls delivered under pressure from the midfield.

Manurewa pressured United with close marking and the home team's mtdfteldefs, Graeme Archer.

Keith Braithwaite and Stuart Chalmers, found little room to move.

It was an evenly-fought match but after battling to find form the Christchurch team would have been unluckv to have lost.

Manurewa began the match at a cracking pace and the former New Zealand representative striker, Mark Armstrong, almost put it ahead in the second minute with a short-range volley that the United goalkeeper, Mike Fulham, was just in position to rescue. It was one of several tidy saves Fulham made in the match. The visitors went close again in the ninth minute when Armstrong hammered a through ball over the top hut after a shaky beginning, the United defence rallied and kept Manurewa well out for the rest of the half. In the meantime. Braithwaite came close to scoring when he headed a byeline pass wide in the thirtysecond minute from close in. Michael Poole had a soft chance for United just after when he got an overhead kick to a corner cross, but the volley went to Manurewa's' World Cup 'keeper. Frank Van Hatturn. Van Hat ium's cup colleague. Peter Simonsen, bad the closest chance in the spell wnen he hit the upright with a powerhouse 30m drive on the stroke of half-time. United came out after the break looking more determined but after early efforts from Archer and Verweij the Manurewa midfield once again clamped down on its opponents.

Greg Hough was impressive here and he clearlv got the better of United’s Stuart Chalmers, who was replaced by Brent Berry after 20 minutes. Poole w’as also subslitued up front by Michael Cantin.

Poole found the going tough up front and he faltered a little in one instance when Verweij sent a low cross into the area that might have been converted.

Manurewa substituted Kevin Birch for the injured David Huss up front in the sixty-fourth minute and Birch's speed made him a constant danger. The nimble striker almost scored in tne thirty-seventh minute when he sent a left-footer just wide at an acute angle across the goalmouth. The Dunedin referee. Mr Ron Patterson, came in for some loud barracking from the crowd when he issued a yellow’ card for Braithwaite in the seventy-fifth minute. Braithwaite had pulled up with an injury and after being consulted by Mr Patterson, was penalised for wasting time.

Mr conley later said his team's performance had been its worst this season, but admitted that his players had come in for some close attention from the opposition.

"We tried to play too quickly," he said. "We were rushing our passing and passing from one player under pressure to the next so it was a chain reaction.

"We were lucky to have got a point playing like that."