Mt Wellington beats Chch

Press, 23 October 1989, Page 21

Mt Wellington beats Chch

PA Auckland Mt Wellington, who scored twice in the first nine minutes, beat Christchurch United 2-1 in a national soccer league game at Bill McKinlay Park yesterday. Both goals were from leftwing corners. United goalkeeper Alan Stroud, competent and reliable all season, made a muddle of an Eddie Gavigan corner after five minutes. The swirling wind caused him to half-punch the ball into his own net. Three minutes later, when reluctant to move out of his goal, Martin Jennison scored with a fine header. In the first 20 minutes United had more chances than Mount Wellington. John Verweij had one in the first minute, while Danny Halligan, Mike McGarry and Keith Braithwaite missed relatively simple chances. United’s man of the match had to be former All White skipper Steve Sumner who was drafted into centreback to bolster a defence hit by injuries to Gary Lund, Laurie Fitzpatrick and the suspension of Paul Hillis.

Sumner’s anticipation allowed him to eliminate David Witteveen as a scoring threat and to mop up many times at the back.

Midway through the first half Braithwaite was. on the spot after Halligan and McGarry worked a short corner, and his header put

United right back in the game.

In the second spell United had the main chances as the Mount midfield, like that of United, stuttered. Rodger Gray, Michael Ridenton and Barkley, plus the Mount back four, were in good form, but United created the chances. In the last five minutes Mount goalkeeper Martin Milicich made some great saves from McGarry and Braithwaite. The United strikers, notably lacking in pace, were unable to use the wind well, but their close work was efficient. Scores.— Mt Wellington 2 (E. Gavigan, M. Jennison), Christchurch 1 (K. Braithwaite). Half-time 2-1. • North Shore outclassed Columbus Waterside Karori 5-2 in an Air New Zealand League soccer match at Newtown Park in Wellington yesterday. • Mount Maunganui went back to the top of the Air New Zealand Soccer League with a 1-0 win over Miramar today, but the team will be kicking itself at the number of goal scoring chances it missed. While Mount Maunganui deserved its win it eventually came simply because Miramar was as poor as its opposites in front of goal. With there being every chance of the title being

decided on goal difference the Mount was keen to chalk up as many goals as it could today but had to be content with one. • Waitakere handed Manurewa a soccer lesson in coasting to a 5-0 win in a national league match at Gallaher Park yesterday. • Papatoetoe came close to getting the win it desperately needed in its national soccer league bottom-of-the-table clash with Gisborne, but finally had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

• Hutt Valley’s top five play-off hopes took a big dive after a 4-1 hammering by a rampant Waikato United in a national league soccer match. Waikato took a firm grip on a game played in terrible conditions. The home side played some attractive soccer that belied the state of the Muir Park pitch and with only a slight lapse mid-way through the second half never let Hutt Valley into the game.

P W D L F A Pt Napier 24 15 6 3 53 33 51 Mt Maung. 25 16 6 3 38 18 54 Mt Wgtn 25 15 4 6 59 28 49 Waitakere 25 14 5 6 49 34 47 Chch 25 12 6 7 47 31 42 Ht Valley 25 12 4 9 42 37 40 Wellington 24 12 3 9 38 33 39 Manurewa 25 8 6 10 34 40 30 Waikato 25 7 11 7 29 30 32 Nth Shore 25 7 4 14 44 56 25 Miramar 25 4 8 13 37 41 20 Watersider 24 5 5 14 36 52 20 Gisborne 24 5 7 14 24 63 16 Papatoetoe 25 3 5 17 25 59 14