Wednesday , 30th May 1973

Ngaruawahia Club Soccer

4th Division

Ngaruawahia travelled to Hamilton to meet Wanderers in the second round of the tournament. Ngaruawahia came close to scoring on numerous occasions nut could net only once to Wanderer’s 11 goals. However, the score does not give a picture of the standard of play amongst the visitors.  The presence of wind was used to better advantage by Wanderers than by Ngaruawahia.

Player of the Day was Jeffrey McLaughlin who held his team together and got through a power of work. A newcomer to the goalkeeping scene, Joey Wright, saved some good drives. Brian Jacobs got through a solid defensive role at fullback.

2nd Division

Without a win behind them, Ngaruawahia travelled to Otorohanga to meet the only team below them on the table. Ngaruawahia have had only one draw to gain points from and Otorohanga with no points. A crossfield wind, a “dead” pitch and a small-dimensioned playing area combined to completely put Ngaruawahia off their stride.

Bill Burston put Ngaruawahia in the lead with a chip from the right wing that drifted over the keeper into the net. Oto’s centre half proved the danger man with effective distribution of the ball to his forwards. He was partly cut out of the game in the second half when Ian Todd kept a close mark on him.

Rex Nightingale, keeper, was stretched twice in the first half to take fine drives from the Otorohanga forwards. The home team equalised in the 60th minute from a through ball and although they hammered the goal at every opportunity they could not get the ball past Nightingale.

Ngaruawahia failed in this half to get the ball forward to the front line adequately. In the dying stages of the game when Otorohanga had almost everything their way, Ngaruawahia came to life. A rolled ball from Nightingale to Todd in the centre circle was moved on to Young who fought out of a tackle to spear the ball towards the right upright of the goal. Neil Gorman beat the defence to push it home to give his team a 2-1 win.

Ngaruawahia has home games this Saturday. The 4th Division at 1 p.m. and the 2nd Division at 2.45 p.m. at Centennial Park.