City Almost Certain Of Third Soccer Title

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31108, 11 July 1966, Page 15

City Almost Certain Of Third Soccer Title

Christchurch City is virtually certain of winning the ■ Hurley Shield for the third successive year; New Brighton will j be back in the first division next season; Shirley-Nomads ; probably will now retain its place in the top division; Rangers I and Waterside remain in the danger zone to fight out the battle : to find the club to go down.

These were the outcomes of a big programme of matches at the week-end in which the top and bottom clubs were vitally concerned.

Improved Nomads

Vernon and Wardle scored for Technical and T. Butterworth for Waterside. Referee: Mr C. Anderson.

The failure to take advantage of a strong following wind in the first half proved costly to Rangers when they went down. 1-2, in a vital relegation match at McFarlane Park. However, a vastly Improved Shirley-Nomads scored a well deserved win and the club's luck seems to have turned to the good at the right time.

Evans’ Hat-Trick

For 75 minutes at Rangers! Park yesterday Waterside turned the Hurley Shield competition unside down when it led City, 3-2. and threatened to hold on for the rest of the game. But In the final 15 minutes Waterside's luck ran out. The centre-half, J. Price, was carried off Injured, and City's centre-half, G. Evans, moved into the attack. City cracked home five quick goals. Evans getting three of them, with two magnificent headers and a searing 15-yard shot. The Waterside bubble had burst and the club's hopes of avoiding relegation took a downward plunge But until Evans picked up his three goals anything might have happened. City had led 2-1 at half-time but Waterside came out after the Interval determined to go down fighting to the last. This they did. although It was a tired and finally dispirited side that walked off at the final whistle. For City, Evans (three) J. Logue. J. le Poldevin, A. Gowans and R. Taylor scored: W. Rodger, J. Butterworth and A. Watson replied for Waterside. Long Run Ends Shirley-Nomads’ long run of unbeaten games, which has taken the club almost to safety in the first division, ended at Western Park yesterday. Western. leading 2-0, hung on to take both points, although Shirley reduced the deficit second* before halftime and fought tooth and nail for the equaliser in the second .half. After a soft opening goal, when A. Treadwell’s header went between the legs of Shirley's goal-keeper two fine goals followed T Haydon put Western two ahead when he met a cross on the volley from 30 yards and beat H Westernberg with a great shot. But Shirley matched It without time to kick-off before halftime. D. Ennis put a long kick into the middle and the insideleft R. Dean, brilliantly turned the ball into the net with a flying header. Shirley had failed to take full advantage of a strong wind in the first half, and seemed likely to come under even greater firessure tn the scond. But, nstead. It had an equal amount of the play and had a goal disallowed when the ball, goalkeeper. a defender and a forward all ended in' a tangle at the back of the net.

City took mother four points with victories over High School Old Boys and Waterside, and with three matches remaining has a fivepoint lead over Western, which has moved up to second place on goal average, and Technical.

Once again the Shirley centrehalf, G Donaldson, rallied and led his forces magnificently and the speedy Rangers attack rarely found a way through this co-ordinated defence. Shirley' went ahead when the right-wing G. Cooper sent a good cross sliding oft a post and J. Walton was on the spot to turn the ball into the net Twenty-five minutes in the second half Shirley scored again, D Ennis bundling the ball into the net after a corner kick. Seconds later. Rangers retaliated through E Bennett, and for the last 20 minutes both teams went at each other hammer and tongs. Shirley had most of the : play during this period and the Rangers goal survived a torrid battering. Referee: Mr L. J. Tolnton. Depleted Team Playing with only nine men I for all but the first 25 minutes, i waterside went down narrowly |to Technical at Ensors road, jN. Robinson and T. WIL j son were sent off within five minutes of each other, with the score at 1-1. and desperate rearguard actions only just failed to prevent Technical from taking both points. Had it retained a full team Waterside would probably have won. for the depleted team had just as many chances as did Technical for the rest- of the 1 game. Technical’s play was dlsap- | pointing, its good mid-field work I being spoilt by poor passing and excellent anticipation by i the Waterside defenders. W Logan. A. Vernon and A. Wardle played good football for Technical in the first half but later on were unable to reproduce this form I. Graham was the pick of the Technical defence, i which drifted through good and I bad patches. Waterside kept Technical at bay with tigerish defence in i the second half and counterattacked strongly with the three j remaining forwards. F. Nicol. [on the right-wing, several I times pierced the Technical defence and with an ounce of luck could have saved his side I a much-needed point. However. | a lack of supporting players I prevented hie efforts from being I rewarded.

Brighton completed its second division programme with sweeping wins of 5-0 and 10-0 and kept a 100 per cent record, with a total of 90 goals for and only seven against. Shirley-Nomads won its important game with Rangers, to put a three-point gap between them and Waterside. However, its defeat by Western on Sunday ended Shirley’s unbeaten run after seven matches.

Rangers are one point ahead of Waterside but has cot one more game to play. A vital match next week-end is that between Shirley and Waterside while Rangers have two games, against Technical and City. Results:

City S. H. 5.0.8. 0. Western 3. Shamreck 0. Shirley-Nomads 2. Rangers 1. Technical 2. Waterside 1.

City 7. Waterside 3. Western 2. Shirley 1

Petty Squabbles Western can point to a 3-0 win I ■nd two points comfortably | gathered, but neither it nor t shamrock could have gained any real satisfaction from the main; match they played at English I Park on Saturday. Prima donna tantrums and petty internal squabbles caused Western far more trouble than: Shamrock s forwards, and until these outbreaks are squashed Western’s Chatham Cup hopes appear very dim. They greatly affected Western's play against Shamrock, particularly in the: forwards, and the match lurched! along like a snail suffering from hiccoughs. Shamrocks defence was solidly : constructed but its forwards were so badlt out of touch that ■ the defenders were given very* little rest. Under such continu? «us pressure they were forced) in concede goals, even to for-. wards as sadly at sixes and, sevens with themselves and each I other as Western’s were on the day Shamrock was magnificently served in goal by E. Brown, who made some daring and unorthodox saves, and. also, by the whole defence. Western’s; strength stemmed from the right: flank defence of T. Haydon and P. Frost, who rose above the petty squabbling going on directly in front of them. Western’s goals were scored by A. Treadwell <2) and Frost. Referee: Mr J. Sheffield. H. 5.0.8. \ sadly-disorganised H. 5.0.8 team which fed passes more consistently to an opposing player than it did to a colleague finally proved no match for Christchurch City tn the earlv game at English Park. There was a time, earlier »n the season, when the Old Boys would have relished a challenge from City and would have accepted it with both hands. But since then their standard has gradually slipped back wards, and it was close to rock bottom on Saturday Even so there were a few occasions in the first half when H. 5.0.8.. with a little more care, could have prevented City tak mg over complete control, as the champion club assumed in the second half. Twice O. Nuttridge brought off great saves, three times good chances of scoring were frittered away. But afterwards H. 5.0.8. almost drifted into oblivion.

The City forwards, with R Taylor switched to the leftwing. and J. le Poidevin at tn-side-left, were a better striking unit than in some earlier games, and coals from K. Pahl <2l. J. Logue <2) and le Pou devin emphasised the team’s superiority, especially in the •econd half Referee. Mr A. Coulson.

p W D L F A Pts City 11 9 0 37 11 20 West 11 6 2 •• 28 10 15 Tech. 11 7 1 3 19 16 15 HSOB 12 5 2 4 25 21 13 Sham. 12 4 •> 6 20 30 10 Shi. 12 •» 4 6 12 17 S Rang. 11 o 16 28 6 Wat. 12 z i 9 16 40 5