United sounds a warning to rivals

Press, 25 August 1986, Page 27

United sounds a warning to rivals

By DAVID LEGGAT Christchurch Brother United delivered an emphatic message . to its Rothmans Soccer League championship rivals when it beat Majic Carpet Manurewa in the eighteenth round of matches in Auckland yesterday. After an indifferent first half in which it went a goal behind, United turned on an excellent second 45 minutes to win, 4-2, the second time it has beaten the struggling south Auckland club by that scoreline this season. With the two teams above it having 2-1 victories, United remains four points off the pace, but with matches against its two rivals, Masport Mount Wellington and National Mutual Miramar, coming up. Both those games are out of Christchurch and United’s away form this winter is excellent. It has won six and drawn one of its nine games, its four visits to Auckland alone having produced 13 goals.

One of those three teams will win the league, as both DB Wellington and N.Z. Permanent Gisborne are too many points adrift with only four rounds remaining. The central defender, Ceri Evans, equalised with a shot from the edge of the penalty area; John Hanson got the first of his two goals when a Johan Verweij header was

blocked, but not held, by the Manurewa goal-keeper; Chris Riley started and ended the movement which produced a fine third goal, capping a performance which earned him the player of the match award; and Hanson got the fourth just before the end. Miramar scored the winning goal at Gisborne six minutes from the end through the midfielder, Alec Hutcheon, just after two of the league’s sharpest strikers, Andy Deeley and Greg Brown, had muffed great chances at opposite ends of the pitch. In other games, Landbase Papatoetoe continues its outstanding recent form with its fifth win in the last six games; McKee Nelson United got its third win of the competition with a goal 15 minutes from the end; while Wellington walloped University Cowan in a match which produced the fifth 10-goal tally in the league’s 17-year history.

There were problems at the end of the match. The referee Matt Noon, was doused with a bucket of water in an incident involving the University coach, Dennis Tindall, and police were called to the ground.

Results: Majic Carpet Manurewa 2 (Steve Sumner, Sanjay Pra-

tap), Christchurch Brother United 4 (John Hanson 2, Ceri Evans, Chris Riley). Half-time 1-0. McKee Nelson United 2 (Simon Dwyer, Stuart Dunbar), Child Freighters United 1 (Jeremy Cutler). Half-time 0-1.

DB Wellington 7 (Bruce McLachlan 2, Malcolm Dunford 2, Steve O’Donoghue 2, Bill Harris), University Cowan 3 (Paul Rosser, own goal, Gary Hampson). Halftime 3-2.

Masport Mount Wellington 2 (Ricki Herbert, Peter Henry), Hanimex-North Shore 1 (Darren McClennan). Half-time 1-0. Wickliffe Press Dunedin City 1 (Barry White), Landbase Papatoetoe 3 (Tony Levy 2, Paul Wilkinson). Half-time 0-1. NZ Permanent Gisborne 1 (John Gillies), National Mutual Miramar 2 (David Chote, Alec Hutcheon). Halftime 0-1.

Rothmans League

P W D L F A Pt Miramar 18 11 5 2 40 23 38 Mt Wgtn 18 10 6 2 34 16 36 Chch Utd 18 10 4 4 34 20 34 Well 18 8 6 4 38 24 30 Gisborne 18 8 5 5 36 30 29 Papatoe 18 5 7 6 30 28 22 Dun. City 18 6 3 9 34 33 21 C.F.U. 18 5 4 9 25 37 19 Univ. 18 4 6 8 25 37 18 Nth Shore 18 4 6 8 31 46 18 Manurewa 18 4 3 11 23 37 15 Nelson 18 3 5 10 21 40 14