United on course for double

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 25

United on course for double

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Two goals in three minutes midway through the second half carried Christchurch Brother United to a convincing 3-0 Rothmans Soccer League win over a disappointing N.Z. Permanent Gisborne team at Queen Elizabeth II Park yesterday. With a performance which improved the longer it lasted, United dashed Gisborne’s slender title hopes, and kept itself on course for a leagueChatham Cup double. Put alongside the other nineteenth round results yesterday, United's fate is now entirely in its own hands. Three wins in the last three matches will assure it of its fourth league championship triumph. Not that Its display yesterday was flawless. Gisborne settled quicker, tackled vigorously and generally looked sharper around the pitch in the opening 20 minutes. However, from the time of the first goal, United’s performance lifted markedly.

From Bobby Almond, who had a fine game at sweeper, through a midfield in which Chris Riley and Johan Verweij were particularly Impressive, and on to the front men, John Hanson and Brent Berry, United fought and grafted determinedly. The result was its best home performance for some time.

Hanson’s two goals put him level with two players, including Gisborne’s Andy Deeley, at the top of the individual scorers list this season. Despite Deeley having some dangerous moments, there was no question who was the better player yesterday. His first goal, eight minutes before half-time and just after Kevin Calder had kicked a Stan Morrell header off the United line, was an excellent solo effort. Surrounded by Gisborne de-

fenders in the six-yard box, tail Mdethefer potlm® sharp angle.

Berry rammed the ball against a post from 14m with a fine effort after clever play by Riley, but Gisborne, having given the United defence some awkward moments in the first half, slumped steadily in the second half. Brian Strutt's volley was plucked casually out of the air by the United goalkeeper, Alan Stroud; and later Ken Cresswell, who came into the game after a quiet first half, was just wide with a chip; and Deeley had a firm, low drive saved. But those efforts apart, there was little to cheer the Gisborne coach, Kevin Fallon, about his team’s second 45 minutes. At the other end. United had the ball in the net, but a player was ruled offside; Riley’s superb crossfield ball found an unmarked Keith Braithwaite, and his 16m shot beat the Gisborne goalkeeper, David Reynolds, and skimmed off a post. Berry got his reward for persistence in the seventyfirst minute. Hanson released Berry with a through pass, he beat Reynolds to the bouncing ball, and, from a difficult angle fired a hard low shot which was going In before being helped over the line by John Gillies.

Two minutes later, Gillies made an awful hash of a back pass. Berry scooted after the loose ball, slipped it square to an unmarked Hanson and, with Reynolds already committed, he sidefooted it Into an empty net :

Gisborne’s outstanding player was the international right back, Richard Mulligan, whose pace and delivery of the bail always demanded close attention. Mulligan apart, it was not a day for Gisborne to remember.