Rangers bring title close

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 8

Rangers bring title close

Hurricane Rangers moved to within one victory of securing the Hertz Soccer League’s northern zone title with a 2-0 win over Christchurch United reserves at English Park last evening. In a generally uninspiring game, Rangers got the points with two goals in the second half, which owed more to defensive mismanagement than attacking inspiration. After an hour, the United goal-keeper, David van Voorst, failed to take the ball on his goal-line from a right wing corner, and Brent Berry got in to nudge the ball over the line. Six minutes from the end, Paul Hillis gave the ball away to John Boatwood, and the aggressive Rangers striker took it past van Voorst for an easy goal. United created few chances in the match, in .spite of some good work from Steve Wooddin and Kurt Jacques. Boatwood, Gordon Faichnie and Simon Myers, who again did well in attack, all had opportunities for a Rangers team which battled solidly. On the bleaker side, however, was the injury which forced their captain, lan

Cowan, to come off midway through the first half, and the booking Boatwood incurred, which pushes him close to the penalty point limit. In the early match, Nomads United held off a determined bid by Frucci Halswell United to win an entertaining contest, 3-2. Four goals were scored in a hectic 10-minute spell in the first half. Duncan Bean put Nomads ahead, after a bad back pass from a Halswell player in the thirteenth minute; two minutes later, Allan Carville equalised with a good header. Halswell went ahead soon after through a Rod Withers penalty, but Bean levelled things for Nomads with an acrobatic overhead shot. The decisive goal was scored with a low shot 18 minutes from the end by Danny Halligan, his seventh in the league this season. Rod Renfrew ensured Nomads of victory with two sharp saves late in the match as Halswell pressed for an equaliser. Rangers now have 35 points, Nomads and KLM Cashmere 27, Cockram Nissan Shamrock and Woolston W.M.C. 26.