United seeks Cup final spot

Press, 14 August 1982, Page 60

United seeks Cup final spot

Complacency is the enemy for the Christchurch Mogal United soccer coach, Terry Conley, as his team prepares to meet national Mutual Miramar in the Adidas Chatham Cup semi-final in Wellington tomorrow. United’s unbeaten record in national league and cup games over the last two months has helped fuel what. Mr Conley feels is a false sense of security about its chances of reaching the final at the expense of Miramar. Club officials, supporters and even some players are

wrongly taking a win against the • Wellingtonians for granted. “People have got to understand that Cup semi-finals are never easy,” he said. “You can’t forget that Miramar beat ’ us 2-1 in Christchurch at the start of the season and there is no way that playing in front of its home crowd, it is going to throw the towel in, in the semi-final. “So many people, including those in our club are talking in terms of booking seats for the final, and in this game, it’s that sort of attitude, and

expectation that leads to teams getting thumped. I’m speaking from experience,” said Mr Conley. In sp;*' 1 of his worries about over-confidence creeping in, the 38-year-old coach, who steered United to four Cup titles in the mid-19705, is pleased with his team’s 1 present form. United’s last 1 defeat was against Hanimex North Shore in Auckland on June 5 and since then the Christchurch side has had some notable performances, ina 5-1 win over the defending Cup champion, Dunedin City, and a 3-0 vic-

tory against Miramar in the capital. “If you had asked me at the beginning of the season or half-way through whether we hoped to reach the semifinal, the answer would have been ‘no’,” said Mr Conley. ( “But we have gone undefeated for 10 games and scored a few goals and I think the lads feel that they are able to take any team in the country.” Looking to tomorrow’s game, Mr Conley says United will be aiming to pressure Miramar’s suspect defence. “They are’ not very strong at . the back at all and that is

where we have got to hit them—they are not good markers.” Miramar will be without John Fashanu, the Norwich City import who has returned to England for preseason work, but still has some dangermen in the strikers, Arther Brown and Costa Leonidas. However, united’s strength midfield should give it the edge against Miramar, the 1966 Cup champion. “If we can -break quickly and concentrate on what we are doing in the box we must be in with a good chance of winning it,” Mr Conley said.