Relegation Battle Still Wide Open

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

Relegation Battle Still Wide Open

The relegation battle in the soccer first division was heightened after Saturday’s games. The two prominent candidates, Waterside and Shirley-Nomads, were involved in the only league matches played and each took a point from drawn games.

Waterside shared six goals with Shamrock and Shirley and High School Old Boys drew, 1-1. Shirley stayed on the bottom rung with four points, having drawn its last four competition games, while Waterside is one place ahead, with five. Rangers, the third club in the danger zone, is third from bottom with six points. The league table is: Goal*

WATERSIDE UNLUCKY Three times Waterside went ahead and three times Shamrock managed to draw level, and that was the way their match ended at Barrington Park. But Waterside was a shade unlucky not to win because for most of the game It looked the better side by the way It handled the greasy conditions and its superior ball control. In its last two league games the Waterseders have shown they are capable of producing a good brand of football once they cut out excessive talking

on the field. As against H. 5.0.8. the previous week they took fuH opporftunity of opponent's mistakes as well as narrowly missing several other times. Their goal-keeper, J. Burrows, brought off a number of fine saves and in front of him hits co-defenders played well. But ft was their centre-forward, N. Robinson, who was the man of the match. As well as scoring two goals, he roamed Intelligently and was always a thorn in Shamrock’s side. Shamrock made things hard for themselves by giving away possession almost as soon as it had been won. This brought considerable pressure on the defence and once again E. Brown, In goal, saved his side. In the last 20 minutes. however, Shamrock played excellent football to score the final equaliser, but could not manage the winI ner. W. Yates (2) and B. Clark scored for Shamrock: Robinson (2) and W. Rodger for Waterside. SHIRLEY DENIED WIN The vagaries of an Insensitive fate snatched victory from Shirley-Nomads in the dying minutes of the game at McFarlane Park. A scramble goal by H. 5.0.8., completely against the run of play, enabled them to salvage one point and deny Shirley the win it desperately needed to break Clear of the bottom rung. Although the result Is all that counts it is impossible not to feel sympathy for ShirleyNomads who had tolled hard for the 90 minutes and held an advantage for most of this time. If the game never rose to great heights the ball certainly did. Some of the wild first-time kicks even reached Sputnik proportions. The value of this as a tactical stratagem was questionable. Ten minues after half-time the Shirley left-wing, M. Mann, blocked a clearance, worked his way cleverly to the dead-ball line and then chipped a perfect pass to the opposite winger, G. Cooper, who scored with a firsttime shot. Shirley now dominated play and did everything but score again several times. Then disaster struck the side with seconds remaining. From a goalmouth scramble, after a corner, C. Hicks, who had worked hard trying to find a way past the almost Inpenetrable defence of G. Donaldson, slammed the ball into the net to put paid to Shirley'* hopes.

p W D L F A Pts City 8 6 2 0 18 6 14 Tech. 9 6 1 17 13 13 H.S.O.B. 10 4 3 3 22 14 11 Sham. 10 4 2 4 18 20 10 Rang. 9 2 2 5 13 23 6 Wat. 9 2 1 6 12 27 5 Shir. 9 0 4 5 7 14 4