Christchurch United edges out Napier

Press, 27 May 1985, Page 3

Christchurch United edges out Napier

Christchurch Brother United’s visit to Napier last year produced nine goals, of which United’s share was four. Yesterday’s Rothmans Soccer League encounter produced just one, but it was enough to give the visitors victory. David Jackson’s last appearance for United was in its remarkable 1-0 win at Gisborne on Anzac Day. He scored the decisive goal on that occasion and yesterday was responsible for the solitary goal by which United got its first points in the national league since the eighth round on April 28. United was well worth the win against an unimpressive Napier City Rovers team, and had the added burden of having to play the last 67 minutes with only 10 men after its captain, Keith Braithwaite, was sent off for using foul and abusive language. The result keeps Napier firmly entrenched at the bottom of the points table, seven adrift of National Mutual Miramar, which has lost four of its last five matches, and has failed to record a win since the second round, back on March 24.

N.Z. Permanent Gisborne and Hanimex-North Shore are handling top place in the national league like a hot potato. It changed hands between the two for the fourth time in five weeks yesterday as Gisborne edged home, 4-3, away to Landbase Papatoetoe with a controversial winning goal, while North Shore, having led at half-time, went down to the rapidly improving McKee Nelson United in Nelson.

Peter Simonsen’s third

goal for Gisborne, scored after the ball had bounced off a stanchion behind the Papatoetoe goal back into play, enabled the defending champion to sneak home. Nelson’s seventh win in the last eight matches pushes it into third place, level on points with North Shore. Southmall Manurewa had its best result of an otherwise disappointing season, beating 4XO Dunedin City in Dunedin. The result gives Dunedin City four losses in the last five games. DB Wellington dropped back into fourth place, after being held to a share of the points by Masport Mount Wellington. Results: 4XO Dunedin City 2 (Andy Deeley 2, including a penalty), Southmall Manurewa 4 (Steve Sumner, John Price 2 penalties, Barry Walsh). Half-time 0-1.

Napier City Rovers 0, Christchurch Brother United 1 (David Jackson). Half-time 0-1. McKee Nelson United 2 (Paul Brydon, Darren Cunningham), Hanimex-North Shore 1 (Peter Henry). Half-time 0-1. University Cowan 2 (Nigel Somerville, Alastair Elder), National Mutual Miramar 1 (Alec Hutchison). Half-time 0-0. Landbase Papatoetoe 3 (Steve Tasker, Neville Konz 2), N.Z. Permanent Gisborne 4 (Peter Simonsen 3, Kevin Birch). Half-time 2-1. DB Wellington 0, Masport Mount Wellington 0.

ROTHMANS LEAGUE P W D L F A Pt Gisborne 11 7 3 1 27 11 24 NthShore 11 7 1 3 25 15 22 Nelson 12 7 1 4 23 25 22 Well. 12 6 3 3 27 21 21 Papatoe. 12 6 0 6 23 21 18 Chch Utd. 12 5 2 5 12 11 17 Mt Wgtn 12 3 5 4 14 12 14 Manurewa 11 3 5 3 16 18 14 Dun. City 12 4 2 6 17 20 14 Univ. 11 4 2 5 16 24 14 Miramar 12 2 5 5 15 21 11 Napier 12 1 1 10 13 29 4