Few minutes of hope for Mr Adshead

Press, 17 June 1982, Page 18

Few minutes of hope for Mr Adshead

From DAVID LEGGAT For “five or 10 minutes" in the second half of its first World Cup final appearance, the New Zealand manager, Mr John Adshead, felt his team was on the verge of hauling itself level with Scotland, after trailing by three goals at the interval in Malaga yesterday. For that period, mid-way through the second half, after New Zealand had stunningly fought back to 2-3, he felt that Scotland was a worried team.

“I had every hope of getting a draw,” he said. “I think that the Scots learned that on the day, international football is 11 v 11; if you lose concentration, you get pun-, ished.

“Our first goal showed a bad lack of concentration (from Scotland). We are not here to be taken for granted.”

Mr Adshead was impressed with the Scottish performance, and does not think New Zealand will be pressured as much by either Brazil or by Russia as it was yesterday. ‘ He singled out the tiny red-haired Gordon Strachan as the key Scottish player. “He killed us in the first half,” he said. “Knowing what we know now, Strachan might not have had that much room, but try and show me a player in New Zealand who could have kept him quiet.”

Mr Adshead was especially pleased with the manner in which his players kept their heads up and battled on gallantly, even as Scotland produced some. excellent

soccer. “We said when we came to Spain that we were not here to be negative, that we wanted to play positive football, and we did that today — we could have come here and looked to defend with 10 men.”

In contrast to Mr Adsbead’s fulsome praise for a Scottish display which at times lacked the defensive authority which one could have expected from a top international side, the Scotland manager, Mr Jock Stein, offered only grudging praise for New Zealand — followed by an unnecessary back-hander.

“I think they can be quite proud of their performance; it was better than the last time I saw them,” he said, “but I think we assisted thenr in their improvement to-| night. We have one or twoS self-inflicted wounds. They*’ were two very bad goals tos lose at international level. "It was a very difficult"* game for us,” he added.| “Everyone was expecting us?, to win by plenty of goals. Ib thought we had a very goodt first half, but made it very} difficult for ourselves with? defensive mistakes.” | Mr Stein, whom one sensed? was bitter with;}his team’! having given away two goals} to a side of infinitely. less’ skill, but at least as much} character, also had a dig at ; those. who have criticised' him in the past for with a sweeper behind two} central defenders.

“If I had played like *haU tonight,” he said ungen-} erously, “we would not have’conceded those goals.” 7