Poor playing by Chch Utd

Press, 1 July 1985, Page 3

Poor playing by Chch Utd

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Christchurch Brother' United has given its share of poor performances in the Rothmans Soccer League this season, but it is difficult to recall one as bad as its display against National Mutual Miramar at English Park yesterday. Miramar scored three times in the first half and did more than enough in the second spell to thoroughly justify its 3-0 victory. After the match, the Miramar coach, David Farrington, suggested that his team, lying second from bottom in the national league table, needed the points more than United.

Miramar certainly played with more spirit and enterprise than United and not even the most stout-hearted United supporter could claim his team deserved any better than the final scoreline.

The Wellington side stuck to a plan, playing few high balls into the middle of United’s defence, and relying on breaking smartly from defence. Too often, the United flanks were left uncovered as Miramar’s attackers, David Chote, Costa Leonidas, Andy van den Ende and Stuart Jacobs, found room to move. When United attacked it was without conviction. It was rare for United, especially in the first half, to knit together positively when going forward. John Hanson battled hard up front, but lacked someone running off his work. The United coach, Laurie Blyth, left out the promising Gary Lund, and his goalkeeper, Steve Baker, was also missing. The versatile Alan Stroud, who has spent all season as a striker, was in goal. Within 14 minutes he had been beaten twice, but he was far from the worst of an unimpressive team.

In the tenth minute, van den Ende broke down the right, his low cross was not cleared and Leonidas, having muffed his first shot, had a second bite and pushed the ball beyond Stroud into the corner.

Then, Chote took off down the left flank. He pulled the ball back right into the path of the mid-fielder, Alec Hutcheon, whose superb drive from 20 metres flew into the net.

Hutcheon should have had a second goal from a marvellous cross by Peter Chote. Steaming in at the far post, Hutcheon pushed his free header wide. An indication of United’s ineffectual efforts going forward is that its first shot on goal did not come until the twenty-fifth minute, when Rudi Feitsma saved a firm, low shot from Hanson. Keith Braithwaite almost got one back for United, but pushed the ball wide from a George Caird shot which took' a deflection. Then, a minute from half-time, Miramar drove the final nail in when, from a quick free-kick, Leonidas went round the defence to nudge the ball into an open net. United did display more urgency in the second half, but still managed just one shot on goal. Graeme Archer’s volley was pushed away by Feitsma. The Miramar central defender, Phil Alexander, who, with Mike Simenoff had a solid match in the middle, did kick the ball off Miramar’s line, but too often United flattered to deceive. Miramar gave a workmanlike, solid display. There was nothing flamboyant or particularly inspiring about its performance, but there did not need to be against a flaccid United side. , Only once in the second half did Miramar come close, when Stroud did well tipping a fine Mark Cummings drive over the crossbar.

Bobby Almond won United’s man of the match award, but it will not be a day the veteran defender will remember for long. Neither will the referee, Lennox Sharp, although he had a good game. He booked two players, the United defender, Paul Hillis, for a foul tackle, and van den Ende for dissent. When David Chote limped off shortly before the finish, one United supporter remarked that the departure of four Miramar players would not alter the scoreline. With Russell Cotton, Archer and now Hillis in line for suspension, and the prospect of an uninviting Le Coq Sportif Chatham Cup tie in Dunedin next weekend, the 1985 season is rapidly falling apart for