United draw with Bays

Press, 9 August 1982, Page 3

United draw with Bays

Special correspondent

Auckland

The Christchurch Mogal United coach. Terry Conley, achieved his ambition of reaching 18 Rothmans soccer league points this season, when- his side came from a goal down to draw 2-2 with Kenwood East Coast Bays at Mairangi Park yesterday. For United it was its tenth draw in 20 games this season, which justified Conleys after match comments of the need to play it tight at the back.

It was a game which never came alive on a muddy, uncertain surface, and with a strong end-to-end wind which stifled any attempt to play controlled football. From the time Christchurch striker. Brent Berry missed a gaping open goal early on. the die was cast. Only rarely did the goals come under serious threat.

Sam Malcolmson opened the scoring for Bays in the

16th minute when he got his head to a Stuart Clark chipped free kick to score his first league goal of the season.

Ten minutes later United .was back on terms when the referee ruled a penalty and Johan Verweij. scored, none too convincingly.

Just 90 seconds into the second-half. United took the lead when a Ceri Evans free kick was cleared by the defence, only as far as Tommy Sermani who fired a low shot back through a wall of legs, into the net.

Mid-way through the spell another Clark free kick was chipped into the penalty area and with Michael Fullham. in the United goal, caught on the six yard line. Peter Forde was well positioned to head over Fullham and into the net.

The remaining 20 minutes produced no clear-cut chances, and little excite-

ment as the teams played out time. Graham Archer was the pick of the United side, but it was too often a disjointed effort to seriously threaten a Bays defence which has had plenty of practice mopping up on its narrow ground. Only occasionally did established United players such as Kees Doornenbal. Berry and Verweij show up. At the back Evans was steady enough, but lacked his usual enthusiasm.

Duncan Martin, in goal for Bays, turned in another sound effort and pulled off a couple of saves which, had he failed, could have cost the home side clearly. Forde and Terry Gore were given a feast of ball by Clark, but found the combination of the ground, and the steady United defence, against them. As a prelude to next week's Adidas Chatham Cup semi-final it was a reasonable effort by United, who will obviously relish the under open spaces they are likely to encounter next time out.

At the back of Conley’s mind, with his league worries now firmly behind him, remains the fervent hope of a cup final clash with old rivals, Mount Wellington.