Halswell’s last minute goal gives it edge on league table

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 25

Halswell’s last minute goal gives it edge on league table

New Brighton was within a minute of outright leadership in the Hertz Soccer League on Saturday before the gods smiled kindly on Andas Halswell United at Timaru.

Having trailed South Canterbury United, 2-0, until the last 20 minutes, Halswell managed to score three times, including the winner in the ninetieth minute, to lead New Brighton on goal difference at the top of the table.

The Halswell coach, Murray Lawson, admitted that South • Canterbury fully deserved its halftime advantage; achieved through goals by Dean Hammond and Pat Collins in the first 20 minutes.

Although it had a solid measure of superiority after the interval the goals did not come for Halswell until the closing stages. Mike Cowen got the first goal, Danny Halligan scored the equaliser, and the desperately late winner came from Mike Doherty. “They gave us a real fright,” said a relieved Mr Lawson. At half-time he told his players that “now we’d see if they were as good as they’d been made out to be.”

Mr Lawson paid credit to South Canterbury’s spirited performance in a match liberally sprinkled with bookings. “They really had us stuffed at half-time, and they deserved that lead. Definitely our toughest game,” he said.

Classique Technical’s prospects against New Brighton suffered an early blow at Queen Elizabeth II Park No. 2 when it lost Adam Riley in the open-

ing minutes. He was sent off for striking an opponent in a scuffle. New Brighton, courtesy of a Keith Francis goal just before half-time, won, 1-0, but its coach, Terry Conley, believed the loss of Riley finned Technical’s resolve.

“It’s always the same when you play 10 men. They seem to lift their game. In the end I’d forgotten they only had 10 men on the field,” he said. Technical’s English striker, Paul Nicholls, caused some problems for New Brighton’s defence, particularly in the first half, but at the end of the match it had retained its 100 per cent record. For Mr Conley, New Brighton’s start in the competition has been very satisfying. "I’m pleased we’ve got a good start. In the pre-season matches we didn’t do that well, but we’ve still got work to do.”

Strangely, given a goodrecord to date, it is in the defensive area that Mr Conley feels he has greatest cause for concern.

Shamrock picked up a point with a late goal, in unusual circumstances, to draw, 1-1, with KLM Cashmere at Beckenham Park. Mark Smith had put Cashmere ahead in the first half of the match, which began 30 minutes late.

Shamrock’s playercoach, lain Marshall, got the equaliser shortly before the end. His curling left-wing corner flew over the head of the Cashmere goal-keeper, Kevin Nicholls, into the net.

Both teams had enough opportunities to win the match. Twice the Shamrock goal-keeper, Neville

Petrie, had to block shots in one-on-one situations 'While Johnny Boyle was the culprit at the other end, kneeing the ball on to a post when facing an open goal. But Marshall was angry at the lack of organisation at Beckenham, Park. He asserted that when the game was due to begin,, the ground had not been marked, the sidelines were not roped off, and the nets were substandard.

He felt the Cashmere club should, in some way, be penalised for its shod-, diness. “It makes the whole spectacle second rate,” he added.

Two first half goals were enough to give Budget House Rangers a flattering 2-0 win over Woolston W.M.C. at English Park. Woolston was punished for two bad pieces of defensive play by a Rangers side which only spasmodically played well.

The first goal, against the run of play, came 11 minutes before half-time. Robin Rutherford and his goal-keeper, Alastair McCosh, dithered badly in clearing a ball in their penalty area. The veteran Rangers striker, Malcolm Parker, nipped in and, from a sharp angle, took his chance expertly. Five minutes later, Rangers increased the lead. Woolston’s defence failed to clear the ball from around its penalty area. Rangers worked down the right flank, pressured the defence into error, the ball fell to Rob Campfens, who slipped it to the unmarked Geoff Blackburn, and the midfielder made no mistake.

Tempos boiled over towards tfe end of the first half. Thj Woolston striker, John Mitchell, fouled Rangersidefender, Paul Laffey, | 'and, after a scuffle, was booked. A mime later, Mitchell was fiitened by the captain, Alan South, lie Woolston midColin Curry, rushed ia and whacked South, the referee, Ron Ga|cn, amazingly did not everiproduce a yellow card. Nomabs United got its first pofcts of the winter with a 41 win over Sharp Copiers f Western in the early gar.e at English Park. Tailing, 2-1, at half-time, Nomads capitalised oi a Western defence whch went to sleep in the second half. Pat Forester put Western in font; Bruce Scott equalised in the seventeenth mhute with a good long ranje shot. But six minutes; later Forrester, who hasjoined Western from Noth End United, in Dunedn, had a significant hahi in putting his side aheai for the second time. ; i His firn shot hit a post and Steft Rhind was on hand topscore from the rebound, i- Had Kevin McGrath ] scored three minutes tefore the interval from a great position, Western; night have hung on in the second half. Forrester, who looks a good acqijsition for Western’s miifield, put the ball past a post early in the secotd half after a good move down the left. At the otter end, Logan Glass forced the Western goal-keeper, Eric Eicholtz,* to scramble a 22m drice away for a corner.

Three goals in 14 minutes put the match out of Western’s reach. Scott weaved through the middle of the pitch in the sixty-second minute before playing a ball forward into a huge hole for Alan Munro to score from eight metres. Five minutes later, Rhind had the ball skid off his head and loop over Eicholtz into his own goal. Paul Brown finished the scoring. He was left unmarked 10m out and, from a left-wing cross, took his chance well.

Moorhouse Mazda High School Old Boys pulled off. the upset result of the day in the third round of premier grade matches on Saturday. They beat Christchurch United, 2-1, to get their first points of the season. Burndale United, with a 2-0 win over Shamrock, and Western, 3-2 victors over Riccarton, share the lead in the competition. Rangers had the best win of the round, 4-1, over the bottom club, Nomads United, while Woolston and Cashmere played a scoreless draw.

HERTZ LEAGUE P W D L F A Pt Halswell 3 3 0 0 12 4 9 Brighton 3 3 0 0 4 0 9 Shamrock 3 2 1 0 9 1 7 Rangers 3 2 0 1 4 2 6 Cashmere 3 1 1 1 5 6 4 Woolston 3 1 0 2 6 6 3 Nomads 3 1 0 2 4 5 3 Tech. 3 0 1 2 1 4 1 Sth Canty 3 0 1 2 3 10 1 Western 3 0 0 3 4 14 0

PREMIER LEAGUE P W D L F A Pt Bumdale 3 3 0 0 4 0 9 Western 3 3 0 0 5 2 9 Chch Utd 3 2 0 1 12 4 6 Rangers 3 2 0 1 7 4 6 Cashmere 3 I 2 0 2 1 5 Rice. 3 1 0 2 7 8 3 H.S.O.B. 3 1 0 2 3 4 3 Shamrock 3 0 1 2 0 3 1 Woolston 3 0 1 2 0 4 1 Nomads 3 0 0 3 1 11 0