NUAFC 1968-2018

1982
1982 Ngaruawahia-AFFCo 7th Grade P, Division 5
Scott Pilcher (12 goals)
Nigel Liddle (1 goal)
Kerrin Connolly
Vaughan deGroen
Michael Irvine
Erin Gurnell
Simon Bullivant
Stacey Snookes
Andrei Dixon
Matthew Williams
TABLE
16 Hukanui
14 Tramway Rovers C
13 Hamilton East
7 Ngaruawahia P
6 Tramway Rovers D
4 Pukete
Rear: Erin Gurnell, Andrei Dixon, Scott Pilcher, Nigel Liddle, Judy Pilcher (Coach).
Front: Kerrin Connolly, Vaughan deGroen, Matthew Williams.
Ngaruawahia needs to win by
two clear goals to clinch the third
division title on goal difference from
Otara Rangers and Oratia United.
"We've had an excellent
training week, and the lads are all very
confident," said Hall today.
"Not over-confident, we just
know that we are playing very well. All
we have to do is play our normal game
for 90 minutes, and I'm sure the goals
will come.
When the pressure goes on the
experience of players like John
McDermid, Jim Barry and Dick Plume
(all former Rothmans League players)
will come through."
Hall is not worried by
Tauranga's surprise 5-1 thrashing of Pt
Chevalier last week.
"Pt Chevalier has produced
some very poor results in recent weeks. I
don't think you can read too much into
that result.",
A two-goal Ngaruawahia win
would put it and Otara into the second
114
division next season.
Tail-end results
Waikato Times, 5th September 1982
If Ngaruawahia had won 1-0
against Tauranga City they would have
joined Otara Rangers and Oratia with 27
points and exactly the same goal
difference.
However Ngaruawahia used the
skill and ex­perience of the talented
veteran John McDermid to win 5-1 and
clinch the title in the last game.
Otara, with 39 goals, take
second lace and pro­motion over Oratia
who have scored 38.
It was a tragedy for Oratia, a
team which had thrashed all opposition
in the fourth division and then had a
great league and Chatham Cup run,
before losing two vital matches.
Coach Bill Still will have to
wait for another season before he sets off
after a place in the national league.
Edge-of-seat finish
closest for years
Waikato Times, 5th September 1982
FOR the want of a nail, a
kingdom was lost . . . so goes the old
rhyme.
Yesterday, for the want of a
single goal, promotion was lost by
unlucky third division soccer club Oratia
after charging through from the fourth
division last season.
Ngaruawahia won the title in a
last-gasp effort, downing Tauranga City
5-1 to clinch the title on goal difference,
from Otara Rangers. Also equal on 27
points was Oratia, but with only 38 goals
scored compared with Otara's 39 they
were relegated to third place.
The nail-biting finish was the
closest for many years in any division.
Ngaruawahia's John McDermid,
veteran of many sterling games for