The Huntly Press
Wednesday 12th July 1978
Four Ngaruawahia Sports Club Combining
Representatives of the Ngaruawahia League, Rugby, Soccer and Rowing clubs held a meeting recently and agreed to honour Alan Cotter at a special function in the Ngaruawahia League club hall on Saturday evening July 22, at 7 pm.
This presentation is also a recognition of his achievements in rowing since he began in 1967 with the Ngaruawahia Rowing club. In 1974/75 he was accepted as a member of the Waikato Rowing Club in order to broaden his experience in trials for the Olympics. Last year he was a member for six weeks of the N.Z. training squad at Wanganui and this year he gained the double distinction of N.Z. championship eight “Red Coat” and coxwain for the world rowing championships.
Alan Cotter played both league and soccer in Ngaruawahia, his brother Trevor played rugby for Ngaruawahia before joining Kerr’s Reach, Christchurch, in 1951.
Tickets for the presentation, to be made by the Mayor of Ngaruawahia, Mr Barakat. are available from Binga Haggie, Bruce McNicol, Alan Morse, Charlie Gorman and John Deacon.
Ngaruawahia Soccer
With all junior matches cancelled, attention focussed on the senior grades of soccer in Ngaruawahia. Two defaults resulted on the weekend. The High School 3rd form team were unable to locate transport to Huntly, giving Huntly an
automatic two points, and Tokoroa were unable to travel to Ngaruawahia to meet the third-division in the start of a new competition.
Northern League
With the Northern league title firmly in its grasp, Unicol came to Ngaruawahia to continue its underfeated run of matches. Previously Ngaruawahia-Affco United had drawn 1-1 with Unicol.
The pitch was slippery but the game was played at a fast clip with excellent ball-work from both teams. Unicol’s left wing caused some consternation in the United defense but it was a free kick from the right wing that found an unmarked Ray Powell and he first-timed a powerful volley into the net after 10 minutes. For twenty minutes Unicol had the best of the pressure but then the tide turned and United pushed hard, coming close on several occasions. Mike Liddle raked a lobbing cross to Mike Heappy to put away for the equaliser after 30 minutes and then United were awarded a penalty right on half-time. The shot was wide and Unicol went into the second spell even.
Hard grafting play entertained the excellent crowd for the last 45 minutes with Unicol’s Rocky Louden showing close-control ball skills in weaving his way through a packed defense to give Unicol what was to be their winning goal at 2-1. Ngaruawahia was by no means outplayed and many thought that Unicol were lucky to come off with their two points.
Grimes, Powell and Dixon had good games for Unicol with Liddle, Heappey, Brown, McLaughlin and Finn excelling for the home team.
First Division
Away to Cambridge, United improved ‘their record against the table leaders. Last, encounter went. 4-1 to Cambridge with this meeting going only 2-0 to them. An improved performance was obvious from Ngaruawahia and both teams gave a good exhibition of one-touch soccer. Play was even with Cambridge scoring once in each half, the first from a chip over the keeper and the second only minutes from the end of the game from a breakaway.
Although the pitch was muddy, good soccer displays were shown by keeper Ian Innes, David Bell, Phil Bullivant, Tony Armstrong and Jason (Power Pole) Cargo.
High School Girls
The Ngaruawahia High School girls soccer team continued their undefeated run of games by emerging victors over Fraser No 2 team by two goals to nil.
Play was generally scrappy from the local girls, with the only goal they scored in the first half being disallowed for a player in an off-side position. The Fraser keeper, a newcomer to the position, aquitted herself well and gave a competent display. Ngaruawahia’s Kathleen Maru came out of tackles well and kept the momentum of the game moving. Ngaruawahia tended to play “sardine” football (all players gravitating to the ball wherever it went), and will have to keep positions better if they hope to remain unbeaten.
Lynette Karina came on for Robin Harris in the second spell, and, playing in bare feet, had the run of the Fraser defense when ever she got the ball. However she had little support from her fellow-forwards. A right-wing cross lead to the first of Ngaruawahia’s goals when Lyn Karina challenged the keeper for the ball and it bounced loose for an own goal by Fraser. In the last few minutes it was Lyn Karina again as she snapped an acutely angled shot into the far netting to give Ngaruawahia a 2-0 win. Dianne Fairey had a quiet day in goal and other players to show out were Adrianna Kaui, Betsy Maxwell, Kathleen Maru.
So far the girls have played six games for five wins and a draw, scoring 22 goals and having 3 scored against them.
Ladies
The ‘A’ team defeated Huntly 2-1 and the ‘B’ team were unlucky to be beaten 0-1 by Unicol. The ‘A’ team look in ‘a good position to try to take the championship from Hamilton if they can amass a superior goal difference.