Confidence well placed for Dunedin Technical

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 21

Confidence well placed for Dunedin Technical

The banner-waving Dunedin Technical fans who paraded Rangers Park. Christchurch, singing. “We are on the wav to the national league, doo-da. dooda. before their team's soccer play-off against Rangers on Saturday were right. Technical will take its place in the national league next season after adding a 01 loss to the 2-0 win it gained in Dunedin earlier this month and thereby clinching the home-and-away series between the northern and southern zone Hertz league's top candidates. For Rangers Saturday's win was about being so near and yet so far. The Christchurch side was perhaps lucky not to be three goals down after several Technical forays in the first half but after John Boatwood found the back of the net mid-wav through the second spell it came within a fraction of scoring again and forcing at least an extra-lime play-off. Rangers dominated’ the game in the final quarter but the urgency in its game came too late. The Dunedin side, well marshalled at the back by its joint coach. Bill Chisholm stuck to its task well enough to prevent any avalanche of goals from Rangers.

An "elated" Technical manager. Bill Fleming, said his side had responded well to the Rangers challenge. "We had enough chances in the first half - one in the first few minutes and a couple later on — we could have put the issue beyond doubt." he said.

“But Rangers were a vast improvement on what they played in Dunedin. It was a shame that there had to be a loser."

Fleming said Technical had approached the game particularly keen not to concede two goals. "We came up with a job to do. But we didn't change our style from Dunedin, we just tried to slick to our guns and contest every 50-50 ball.

“The main thing for me was that. okay, if we got a goal down we would look for composure and make sure we just stuck to our guns." An obviously disappointed joint Rangers coach. lan Marshall, felt the result might have been different if Rangers had scored earlier. “The players exuded confidence after we scored — 1 think that was all we needed," he said.

"The whole game changed when that (goal) went in. At least we proved we could play football. I'm sure he (Fleming) felt quite fortunate."

Technical began the game confidently and after four minutes a move involving Mark Chidley and Steve Fleming resulted in the ball skidding dangerously across the Rangers goal area. Fortunately for the home side, no-one was on hand to knock it in.

Five minutes later there was drama in the Rangers goal area again as a defender. Mark Lanauze. saved a lob off the goal-line seconds after the 'keeper. Peter Hawker, had punched a Chisholm header clear.

In contrast. Rangers made little headway going forward and despite settling down on defence, almost found them-

selves trailing when the nippy Technical striker. Peter Ryder, drove a loose ball in the penalty area into the side netting in the thirtvsixth minute.

Ryder seemed certain to score nine minutes after the interval when with some nice skill, he beat a Rangers fullback. John Munday, only to shoot into the advancing Hawker. It was Technical's only chance in the second spell. The speedy Grant Hughes had earlier shot just wide for Rangers but it wasn't until a striker. Gordon Faichnie. narrowly missed from closein in the sixty-seventh minute that the home side picked up the tempo. A minute after Faichnie's effort Boatwood gave the agile Technical 'keeper. Neil Birch, no chance with a magnificent 30m snap drive that went just inside the upright. Hughes chimed in hard on the heels of Boatwood with a well-struck volley in the area that forced a great save from the diving Birch.

Hughes and Steve Welford. who substituted Stephen Dunn at half-time, came close with headers for Rangers in the last quarterhour as the home side poured on the pressure for another goal.