NUAFC 1968-2018

1982
don't win.
"We didn't do the basic things
right, and while we did well in defence,
our strikers were very disappointing.
"To give Cornwall their due,
they never stopped running, but they are
a very negative side who will never win
anything, yet they have taken four points
off us this year.
"It is disappointing to think we
could have had promotion sewn up by
now after taking three points off both the
two top teams, but the attitude has been
wrong against the lower sides.
"The pressure is right on us now
not to drop any more points in our last
four games, but I am still confident we
will win promotion".
Ngaruawahia clearly dominated
the battle for possession, but wasted a
wealth of chances with a combination of
poor finishing and bad luck.
The woodwork thwarted its
strikers several times, and Cornwall
defenders managed to be in the right
place at the right time every time a shot
was on.
Cornwall's goal came 10
minutes from the end, when the
Ngaruawahia defence made its first error
of the match. It gave away a corner,
failed to clear, and didn't get enough men
back to cover the danger.
Claudelands moved to within a
point of Ngaruawahia and Oratia with a
4-2 win over Kelston West which
virtually consigns the Auckland side to
the fourth division north next year.
Despite moving within a point
of second place, Claudelands playercoach
Brian Lloyd said his side will be
"taking each game as it comes."
Claudelands will finish the
season, including tough matches against
Otara and Ngaruawahia, without
Grahams who left for England today, and
striker Murray Branch.
"That second spot is still wide
open, but Ngaruawahia looks to have the
easiest run-in," said Lloyd.
Huntly Brings Down
Leader
Waikato Times, 9th August 1982
By Steve Waddingham
The Country Foods Soccer
League third division promotion race
blew wide open on Saturday with wins to
Ngaruawahia-AFFCO United and Oratia
United, and a shock loss to Otara
Rangers.
Otara needed only to beat sixth
placed Huntly Thistle at the Huntly
Domain on Saturday to take an
unbeatable lead into its final game
against Tauranga in two weeks time.
But, as in the last two seasons,
Otara faltered at the wire, tumbling to a 1
-2 defeat to Huntly, turning what should
have been a meaningless romp against
Tauranga into the vital match of the
season.
While Otara stumbled to its
third loss of the season, Ngaruawahia
sealed the fate of relegation doomed
Hamilton Wanderers 5-1 and Oratia
soundly thrashed Pt Chevalier 7-0 in
Auckland.
The big wins by the challengers
added further spice to the race, with both
sides locked on a plus-12 goal
difference.
Huntly continued its reputation
as the biggest spoiler of the division with
its win over Otara, which included a
missed penalty.
Huntly rocked the league leader
with a Geoff Flowerday goal in the fifth
minute, and the Aucklanders struggled
for 15 minutes before equalising against
the run of play.
Flowerday had a golden
opportunity to break the dead­lock early
in the second half, but his spot-kick
rebounded out of play off the post.
But Flowerday, Huntly's player
of the day, more than made amends 10
minutes from fulltime when he drew the
defence and chipped the Otara keeper for
the winner.
At Porritt Stadium, Ngaruawahia
needed an avalanche of goals in
the last 15 minutes to beat a Hamilton
Wanderers side fighting grimly for
survival.
Referee John Bailey drew
plenty of praise for his handling of a
hard, physical match which fizzed
throughout and could have gone either
way until the last quarter.
Jeff Tozer gave Ngaruawahia
the all-important goal on the stroke of
halftime, and when John McDermid
made it 2-0 the "green machine"
appeared on the way to an easy victory.
But Wanderers fought back to
narrow the margin to one goal through
substitute Vance Cosgrove.
Ngaruawahia replied with a
purple patch in the closing 15 minutes.
Coach Dave Hall said: "We finally
played to our full potential. It was about
our best football of the season".
Captain McDermid sparked it
110
1982 Ngaruawahia-AFFCo 9th Grade R, Division 5
Rear: Colin Stephens (Coach), ___#2___, Darryl Donald, Stephen West, Cameron Coombes,
Clinton Thickpenny, Darryl Jackson, Craig Stephens, Ross Foubister (Manager).
Front: Clint Rushbridge, ___#11___, Stephen Foubister, Francis Prendergast, Paul Mathews,
Jason Carroll.
Craig Richardson (5 goals)
Francis Prendergast (5 goals)
- Best Player
Stephen Foubister (4 goals)
Cameron Coombes (2 goals)
- Sportsperson
Craig Stephens (2 goals)
Simon Barnes
- Most Improved
Paul Matthews
David McBeth
Rowan Priest
Jason Carroll
Darryl Jackson
Clint Rushbridge
Clinton Thickpenny
Stephen West
TABLE
16 Morrinsville C
14 Hillcrest
13 Western United
9 Morrinsville T
5 Ngaruawahia R
4 Hamilton East