College switches to Wanganui Soccer

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 386, 14 May 1991, Page 12

College switches to Wanganui Soccer

"By

Grampian"

Ruapehu College 1st XI soccer are playing in the much more competitive Wanganui Super League this year and are finding the standard of soccer a little better than they were used to in the Tongariro Ruapehu Press LeagUe. It was decided to move to the River City Radio Saturday competition because the local Tongariro League continues to play its games on Sundays, even after intense lobbying in the off-season. The disadvantages of travelling every second week to

Wanganui are outweighed by Saturday games and the better standard of play in this league. College are currently 8 th in a league of tem, but have improved markedly since their first game five weeks ago. With the nucleus of the team which won the Tongariro League last year, the team has had four creditable performances against higher ranked teams in the super league. College has lost 1 - 4 to City Old Guns and lost narrowly to HSOB and Wanganui High School 2 - 4. In two of the last four

games the College side has been in the lead, level at half-time, only to see wins slip from their grasp to second half goals. On Saturday 4 May, Ruapehu narrowly lost again, but this time by a margin of 2-3. Saturday 11 May however, it all came together for the local side beating the Wanganui Boys College team, 3 goals to 2. There were a few heart-stopping moments for coach and play er, John McCartney. "We were up by two goals to nil at half time... I think the team thought it was going to be an easy victory. The Wanganui team leveled

the game at 2 - 2 and that old feeling seeing a lead slip away came back. When they drew level, even some of our own players thought we were going to lose. to the credit of the locals though, they found an extra gear and Duane Dixon scored the winner late in the game. this is the college's first win of the season... the players were rapt. With the same level of commitment every week, more wins will come our way" On the 18 May College plays the lowly ranked City team at the college grounds at 2.30. Spectators are welcome - come and see local soccer at its best.