Soccer Rangers gains important points

Press, 15 July 1985, Page 25

Soccer Rangers gains important points

Hurricane Rangers gained an important five-point lead in the Hertz Soccer League’s northern zone with a 2-1 win over Nomads United on Saturday.

The Rangers coach, Mr Bill McDonald, agreed after the match at Rangers Park that the win was probably worth double the standard three points. Before the game, Nomads, the defending northern zone champion, had loomed as one of the tougher hurdles for Rangers to overcome.

Rangers scored the crucial opening goal just before halftime, by John Boatwood. Playing into the driving rain and wind in the second half,

Nomads had an uphill task. It did more than enough, how-

ever, to keep the Rangers defence busy. Luke Campfens scored with a good volley, but had the goal disallowed for offside.

Then Nomads did get level midway through the half, when the Rangers’ defence failed to clear the ball and Duncan Bean scored from a handy position. Rangers bounced straight back two minutes later in unusual circumstances. The mid-fielder, lan Cowan, whacked a long free-kick into the Nomads’ six-yard box. The Nomads goal-keeper, Eric Eicholtz, seemed to misjudge the flight of the ball and palmed it onto the cross-bar from where it bounced down

over the line. Eicholtz kept Nomads in the

game as Simon Myers, who got through a lot of work, and Boatwood had excellent scoring chances late in the match. Cockram Nissan Shamrock’s match with Western was eventually postponed, after it had been set down to be played at English Park, and then Malvern Park. Mr McDonald will also have been delighted at the outcome of Woolston W.M.C.’s match with KLM Cashmere. The erratic Woolston team could have stayed within four points of Rangers had it beaten Cashmere, but eventually had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Woolston had a let off when Tony Orpwood put Cashmere ahead, only for the goal to be ruled out. Then Woolston took the lead with a penalty, when a Cashmere defender was adjudged to have handled the ball. Rab Brown, the experienced mid-fielder, scored from the penalty spot. Cashmere got a share of the points when Stu Gambles scored from close range near the end of the match. Christchurch United’s reserves had a good 3-1 win over New Brighton at Queen Elizabeth II Park No. 2; to lift it off the bottom of the points

table. Western now lies on the bottom, but with a match in hand. The New Brighton coach, Mr Joe Kemp, admitted to being “disappointed” that the match was played on a pitch which had large sections of one half under water. At half-time, Brighton, having defended the wet half, was down, 2-0, after goals by Kees Doornenbal and Steve Wooddin. Carl Bout pulled one goal back for Brighton, before Dominic Robinson got the decisive goal for United. It was a good day for Frucci Halswell United, which now has three teams below it on the points table. United went to Timaru and came away with an excellent 1-0 result over South Canterbury United. The vital goal was scored by Allan Carville, the third time he has won the match for Halswell since joining midway through the season.

Technical had a good win in the premier division, beating Shamrock, 3-0. Cashmere edged out Burndale United, 1-0, while Riccarton beat New Brighton by the same scoreline. The other two matches were postponed. PREMIER LEAGUE

HERTZ LEAGUE P W D L F A Pt Rangers 11 8 1 2 23 10 25 Shamrock 11 6 2 3 23 11 20 Nomads 11 6 2 3 22 16 20 Woolston 12 6 1 5 15 9 19 Cashmere 12 5 3 4 14 15 18 Sth Canty 12 4 4 4 14 18 16 Halswell 12 4 1 7 16 25 13 'Cheh Utd 12 2 5 5 12 15 11 Brighton 12 3 2 7 14 19 11 Western 11 2 3 6 11 26 9

P W D L F A Pt Tech. 13 9 1 3 38 12 28 Woolston 13 9 1 3 25 11 28 Cashmere 14 7 2 5 24 23 23 Bumdale 11 7 0 4 29 13 21 Rangers 13 7 0 6 26 27 21 Shamrock 13 5 2 6 17 23 17 H.S.O.B. 12 5 1 6 21 31 16 Riccarton 14 4 0 10 16 25 12 Brighton 13 3 3 7 12 22 12 Western 12 2 2 8 13 34 8