NUAFC 1968-2018

1982 Ngaruawahia-AFFCo 9th Grade J, Division 4
1982
Duke O’Brien (10 goals)
- Best Player
Erueti Wilson (6 goals)
Craig Pilcher (5 goals)
- Most Improved
Wayne Merrin (2 goals)
- Sportsperson
Charles Tairakena (1 goal)
Chris Jamieson (1 goal)
Carl Vickers (1 goal)
Reuben Barnes
Taerere Moanaroa
Jeremy Dixon
- Best Player
Mark Kearney
Stuart Prendergast
Adam Dysart
TABLE
12 Knighton
12 Bankwood
11 Western United
10 Hamilton West
9 Tramway Rovers
6 Ngaruawahia J
Rear: Murray Jamieson (Coach), Wayne Merrin, Karl Vickers, Duke O’Brien, Derek Best, Jeremy Dixon,
Craig Pilcher.
Front: Stewart Prendergast, Chris Jamieson, Carl Payne, Derek Budgeon, Kane Thickpenny,
Mark Kearney, Reuben Barnes.
A Fair Draw
Waikato Times, 26th July 1982
In the third division,
Ngaruawahia-AFFCO United set up a
cliff hanging finish to the season by
holding league leader Otara Rangers to a
scoreless draw in Auckland.
Oratia downed Hamilton
Wanderers 2-0 to move into a tie for
second place with Ngaruawahia, but
Oratia and Otara meet next week in the
decisive match of the division.
"It would have been unfair if
either side had won," said Ngaruawahia
coach Dave Hall after Saturday's game.
"We have no complaints, and
we are very happy with the point. It was
a match played in great spirit by two
evenly matched teams".
Former Hamilton Rothmans
League goalkeeper Jim Barry the man
of the moment for Ngaruawahia, pulling
off two crucial saves late in the game.
Nacho Will Sit Match Out
Wraikato Times, 26th July 1982
Natcho Reyes, Ngaruawahia-
AFFC0 United's man of the match last
week, will be a spectator at tomorrow's
vital top of the table Country Foods
soccer league third division clash with
Otara Rangers.
Reyes scored two goals in the
last four minutes last week to give
Ngaruawahia a 2-1 win over Oratia
United and outright second place on the
third division table.
But the nippy Chilean midfielder
was also booked for dissent, and
last night he was given a one-match
suspension.
Ngaruawahla coach Dave Hall
may be forced to field a makeshift side
for the clash in Auckland tomorrow,
which could decide who will be playing
second division foot­ball next season.
Midfield leader John
McDermid is on the injured list with a
twisted knee, but Hall is hopeful the
former Hamilton Rothmans League
captain will recover in time to take the
field tomorrow.
Whichever side wins will
almost certainly wrap up one of the two
promotion spots.
Two points would make Otara
almost uncatchable, and a Ngaruawahia
victory would keep it a point clear of
third placed Oratia.
"If we win this I think you can
say we will win promotion, because. of
the three teams at the top we have the
easiest run in," Hall said.
"It looks like being a very tight
finish, and the team which reacts best
under pres­sure will win.
"We took a lot of the pressure
off ourselves by winning last week, but
every game is important now.
"I would be satisfied with a
point tomorrow, but we want to win the
league, not just come second, and I
would be very happy with two points".
Ngaruawahia lets Chances
Go In Promotion Battle
Waikato Times, 2nd August 1982
"Fate seems to be going our
way this year so it's not the end of the
road for us yet".
That was the attitude of
Ngaruawahia-AFFC0 United coach
Dave Hall after his side plunged to its
second shock loss of the season to
Cornwall in the Country Foods soccer
league third division on Saturday.
Ngaruawahia piled on the
pressure — forcing 21 corners to four —
but failed to take its chances in a match
which could cost it promotion to the
second division.
But the fate which has been so
kind to Ngaruawahia in its promotion
hunt this year was on its side again as
arch-rivals Oratia United also dropped
two points to Otara Rangers in
Auckland.
Ngaruawahia and Oratia
remained locked in equal second
position, with the Waikato side holding a
narrow advantage on goal difference.
After throwing away its
promotion chances for the last two
seasons, Otara now looks uncatchable at
the top of the table, while Claudelands
Rovers, who beat Kelston West 4-2, now
have a theoretical promotion chance.
"It was our own fault," said
Hall after Saturday's 0-1 loss to
Cornwall.
"We had all the chances in the
world and we threw them away. If you
don't put them in the back of the net, you
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