Superb Goal Gives Western Cup Win

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31096, 27 June 1966, Page 15

Superb Goal Gives Western Cup Win

. The last club to bring the Chatham Cup to Christchurch will be the next to try again.

Western, which won New Zealand’s major soccer trophy’ 11 years ago, came from behind at half-time with two second half goals to beat Christchurch City, the holder, 2-1, in the Canterbury final of the competition at English Park on Saturday.

And there was a family link in Western’s victory on Saturday and Western’s victory over the Auckland club, Eastern Suburbs, in 1955.

The magnificent winning goal that ended City’s cup hopes was scored 11 minutes from the end by T. J. Haydon; the captain of Western’s team in 1955 was his father, F. J. H. Haydon.

Western wtl] now go forward to meet Nelson Rangers at Nelson in the South Island semi-finals. If it wins—as it should do—its opponent in the South Island final will probably be St Kilda, the Dunedin club that beat City, 1-0, at the same stage of the competition last year. This season, however, Western will have the advantage of meeting St Kilda in Christchurch. Rags To Riches Saturday's final was rich with all that gives soccer its magic and appeal. On paper and on the results of the previous week, City was an overwhelming favourite. While City had outplayed Technical in a match that probably decided the Hurley Shield championship, Western collapsed dramatically against the lowly Rangers. But from the depths of a aoccer mire Western hauled *tself up with an exciting brand of cup-fighting football to cnatch victory from a City which had been presented with the bonus of a gift goal within three minutes of the final starting. The Western backs, P. Frost and T. Mann, and the goalkeeper. D. Spraggs. got themselves into a terrible muddle when boots and hands failed to make clean contact with the ball. Hovering around them, the persistent J. Logue pushed the loose ball into the goal and it went across the line before K. Pahi added the finishing touch. This was a gift from the gods, but what the gods gave with one hand they took back with the other six minutes after the start of the second half. Incredible Goal From five yards outside the penalty area A. Brooks scored fin incredible equaliser for Western. The ball ran loose to him after a corner and from Brooks’ quickly-taken shot the ball screwed itself between a huddle of eight or nine players and finallly into the net past an unsighted 0. Nuttridge. Now the two teams were back on even terms again and the battle was really on. And u’hat a battle it became. So tightlyconstructed were the two defences, so determined were they not to give away the slightest advantage, that it bebecame patently obvious the next goal would also be the winner. City was desperately unlucky not to get a goal—a fraction of

an inch saved Western. From a goalmouth tussle the ball went to R. Taylor »ix yards out. His header looked a certain goal but the roar of delight died in the City supporters' throats as the Western left-back. T. Mann, went up to deSect the ball with his head on to the underneath of the bar. The ball rebounded into play, was scrambled away and Spraggs completed Western's dramatic recovery by brilliantly saving from A. Gowans. While Mann was being congratulated by his relieved, delighted fellow defenders, it was ironical to remember that two years ago he was a City player. By Instinct City escaped in equally dramatic circumstances 14 minutes later. The Canterbury rightwing, C. Martin, bore into the middle and drove for the corner. Again It looked a certain goal—until Nuttridge, with the instinctive action of a great goal-keeper, lunged out a foot and turned the ball around the post for a corner. Once more the fates had evened thing* out, but the end was near. And this time fortune took no part. This was a goal to remember, for Haydon to bore his grandchildren with in the years to come.

From the corner that followed Nuttridge's great save, the ball went out to Haydon. The City defence was open, the moment of truth had come. And Haydon took It like a thoroughbred. He breasted the ball down and drove it on the half-volley. The ball crashed into the back of the net before a City defender could raise a finger in protest. The crowd erupted, Haydon did a leap Into the air that would have made a Russian ballet dancer blush in envy, his colleagues converged in a mass to shower on him their congratulations and the final was won. Human Barrier True, there were still another 11 minutes to go. and City rushed up all its big guns, mounting onslaught after onslaught on the Western defences. But as the City players went up, the Western players dropped back to set up a human barrier

against which waves of attackers battered unsuccessfully. The referee, Mr W. Robinson, finally blew the cease-fire, but not before he had taken the name of the Western captain, M. Clements, for holding up play when City was awarded a free-kick, just outside the penalty area. But this was not the time nor the place to give an opponent any advantage—it was a battle to be fought and won, and, for Western, won it was. This was a great team effort on the part of Western, for where weaknesses became apparent there were players to plug them. Haydon was outstanding, in defence, in mid-field and in attack. And. above all, In the goal he scored. He shaded Gowans in an area of play which proved decisive, for Gowans was needed far more in defence and was not allowed to exploit to the full his own undoubted attacking qualities. Sharp Triangle The right-wing triangle of Martin, Clements and Haydon was the greatest source of danger to City, in the first half, particularly. Brooks at inside-left, covered a tremendous amount of ground and his goal tipped the match back Into the melting pot at a time when City was seeking and threatening to gain control. Western’s defenders were ruthlessly efficient in their tackling and speed to the loose ball, but the greatest weakness was never exploited to the full by City. The huge gap between Western’s two backs left an avenue for City to mount its most positive attacks but there was not the resourcefulness among the City forwards to find a Clear way through. After his initial mishandling Spraggs made several good saves but he was not tested to the full.

City gave little away In defence and Nuttridge was In brilliant form. W. McKenna came under constant fire at left-back and G. Evans closed the path through the centre for the greater part of the game. Although the final break went to Western it was not undeserved. Over-all, Western, on the day, was one goal better—and a better one goal to win the match ha* seldom been seen.