Brave goal-keeping fails to stop Christchurch

Press, 29 June 1987, Page 22

Brave goal-keeping fails to stop Christchurch

Some brave goal-keeping by Caversham’s Blair Myles deprived Brent Berry of a hat-trick, but could not save his team from being beaten by Christchurch, 2-0, in a Hertz southern soccer league match at English Park on Saturday. The two goals netted by Berry, and his attempts to get a third, were the highlight of an otherwise disappointing match.

Christchurch will be pleased enough with the three points it gained from the victory because it kept alive its chances of winning some prize-money as the league enters its final two rounds.

Christchurch took control of the match from the start and, apart from a brief spell towards the end of the first half, totally dominated Caversham.

Any spectators who might have been expecting a repeat of the Dunedin team’s giantkilling performance of last week, when it beat Rangers,

would have wondered if the same team was on the field as it bumbled its way through the game.

Caversham adopted a very defensive pattern and its front runners, Colin Thompson and Terry Broad, suffered badly through lack of support. Alan and Neil Wright made up a father-son combination at the back for Caversham but that was not the only reason why its goal mouth looked like the venue for a family reunion. It was frequently cluttered with nine players there to help on defence.

In spite of the wall of defenders, Christchurch always looked like scoring. It had its first chance in the seventh minute, when Stephen Adams ran onto a good pass, but his shot was well blocked by Myles. Thompson put a shot wide for Caversham 10 minutes later but Christchurch, coun-ter-attacking quickly, had the Dunedin team stretched. Adams broke down the right

and crossed. Caversham failed to clear, and the ball fell to Berry who turned and hit it strongly at the goal.

His shot struck the goalkeeper and went over his head. Though Myles recovered to fist the ball way, the linesman was on the spot to rule it had crossed the line and the goal was awarded.

Christchurch went close again before the end of the half when Greg Glass deflected a low free-kick just wide of the post. Caversham finally got men forward and had two shots at the Christchurch goal before the break. Both were struck wide.

Mike Fullen had a classy game on defence for Christchurch and the understanding he developed with Rab Brown pressured Caversham into attempting long range shots.

Brown used every opportunity to push forward on attack and his influence was a telling factor in the match. He was there to chest down a comer in the seventeenth minute of the second half, turn and hammer a fearsome volley at the goal. The shot was blocked by a defender

but fell only as far as Berry, who made no mistake in putting it into the net. From the kick-off, Christchurch attacked again and Brown was there to pass to Berry at the far post. Berry scrambled the ball into the goal for the third time, but the referee had blown his whistle for Berry’s challenge. Minutes later Stephen Whitehead hit the post with a fine long-distance shot as Christchurch continued to apply pressure. It could not increase its lead, however, in spite of two more shots from Berry, which drew great saves from Myles. In other matches, Rangers beat South Canterbury, 2-0, with goals to Jeff Blackburn and Mike Cowans, and Oamaru accounted for Western, 1-0. Results:

Second division. — New Brighton 3, Riccarton 0; Halswell 1, Nomads 2; Technical 2, Shamrock 1; Woolston 3, Burndale 0; Cashmere 2, University 3.

Third division. — Christchurch 4, St Albans Shirley 2; Rangiora 5, H. 5.0.8. 1; Burwood 1, Kaiapoi 1; Western 4, Ashburton 1.