Wednesday, July 11th 1973

Notched Four Goals

Jeffrey McLaughlin notched up four goals on Saturday, three for his 4th Division team and one for the 2nd Division side, in soccer matches against Ngaruawahia Red at Hamilton.

The curtain-raiser at Centennial Park at 1.oo p.m. was between Ngaruawahia Red and Ngaruawahia Green, both 4th Division sides. Red, being the B team, successfully kept the Greens out for the first 25 minutes due to some solid defence work by Greg Kelly at fullback. Jeffrey McLaughlin opened the scoring with the first of his side’s seven goals, to be followed by goals from Brian Jacobs, Pita Dean and Kerry Barakat. Chris Duffull had an exceptional game in goal for the Reds.

Players to stand out for Green were McLaughlin, Jacobs, Dean and Kemp. Those of note for Red were Chris Duffull, Alan Cotter, Andrew and Alistair Bell and Greg Kelly. Alistair Bell had the best game of the season as fullback for the Reds.

Green Team: McCowatt, J McLaughlin, Williamson, Jacobs, Dean, Crawford, Barakat, Wright, Kemp, Bond and Prendergast.

Red Team: C Duffull, Collins, T McLaughlin, Cotter, Gavin, Andrew Bell, Alistair Bell, Meijborg, R Duffull, Andrew Williamson, Kelly.

Following Ngaruawahia Green’s 7-0 win over Ngaruawahia Red the 2nd Division squad came out to meet Hamilton, a team with experience and talent. Having gone down 6-1 to them in the previous round Ngaruawahia was uncertain as what to expect in this rematch.

Hamilton scored first and then Neil Gorman equalised by pushing the ball out of the hands of the Hamilton keeper into the net. The shots that Rex Nightingale had to deal with in goal were extremely testing and accurate with Hamilton striker Heaphy doing all the damage with either foot.

There were moments when Ngaruawahia combined well but at the end of the movement a ball that was retained too long snuffed out the moves. Many possible scoring chances were slipping away each time winger Bill Burston held the ball too long. In the second half he was moved to an inside forward position to try and remedy the situation.

Jeff Young was substituted by Jeff McLaughlin in the second half and Jeff McLaughlin promptly had the Hamilton defence worried and shortly thereafter scored from an acute angle. Neil Gorman followed up with his second goal but there stood the Ngaruawahia score to Hamilton’s six (6-3).

Players of the match for Ngaruawahia were George Sunnex, Jeff McLaughlin and Steven Mark. These three played constructive and penetrating football at times.

Team: Rex Nightingale, Maurie Frankhauser, Sandy MacDonald, Steven Mark, George Sunnex, Charlie Gorman, Geoff Young, Turner, Bill Burston, Ian Todd, Geoff McLaughlin and Hayward.