NUAFC 1968-2018

1970
New Ground Opened on Sunday July 12th, 1970
The Huntly Press, Wednesday 15th July, 1970
Mr Frank George, accompanied by Mr Harry Coe,
opened Centennial Park, Ngaruawahia, on behalf of the Lions
Club and for the Ngaruawahia United Association Football
Club, whose home ground it is to be.
As Huntly Thistle and Ngaruawahia United lined up
for the start it was Mr George who kicked off to set the game
moving last Sunday.
Huntly Thistle had been especially invited to play
against United in this first “official” match on the field, as a
close liaison between the two teams has sprung up over the
past season.
The ground was also ‘christened’ during the match
with a downpour that drenched players and referee. The
spectators crowded into the small hollow-block building that
will be the nucleus of future development on the ground.
The Match
The two teams looked evenly matched, and this
turned out to be so. The first bit of action came when Greg
McLuckie fired a powerful shot into the bottom corner only
to have it well saved by Rex Nightingale in United’s goal. It
was four minutes later that United got in a shot by Charlie
Gorman, who fired from just inside the penalty box. Ian
McNaught parried the ball and retook it just before George
Sunnex reached it to push home.
The first goal came 10 minutes into the game, when
Stephen Barr pushed an intelligent through ball ahead of
Charlie Gorman, who flicked it around Ian McNaught and
into the net to give United the lead. Two minutes later
Charlie had another hard drive that had “goal” written all
over it, but this time it ended up in Ian’s arms as the result of
a brilliant save.
Once again Huntly drove towards United’s goal and
succeeded in splitting the defence and sending Norman
Heslop in with the ball. Rex Nightingale came off the line
quickly and blocked the drive. Kevin Yarrow picked up the
loose ball and tried to find the net with it, but once again it
was straight at the keeper. Later on Norman had a fine drive
saved.
John Ashton nearly had the equaliser in the 33rd
minute when he shot at the bottom left corner only to see
United’s keeper equal to the occasion. Thistle had trouble on
the right wing, as did United, in being unable to cross the
ball onto the advancing forwards.
Charlie Gorman came into prominence again in the
second half when he had a fine left-foot drive smothered by
McNaught in goal. It was Steve Baranyai who brought
Huntly’s hope alive when he powered the ball into the bottom
right corner of the net. Rex Nightingale only got his fingers
to it and could not turn it away. Steve also caused
consternation in the United defence when another shot
rebounded off the bar and was cleared.
Robin Turner, hero of United’s win on the previous
day, saw many of his long shots go over the bar. Terry
Drayton of Huntly proved a constant threat to United, and his
careful lob into the goal-mouth nearly resulted in a goal.
Huntly ran ahead in the 68th minute when a corner
taken by Thistle was deflected towards Terry Drayton by a
defender. Terry thundered the ball in a left-foot shot into the
net from four yards out.
Neil Gorman, playing alongside his brother in the
forwards, missed a sitter when the ball crossed in front of him
with an empty goal ahead. The ball slid over his boot and
away. However, in the 85th minute Neil redeemed himself
when he pounced on a rebound ball shot by Mark Snowden
from the wing and pushed it into the net to equalise.
The final bit of action came in the 98th minute when
Robin Turner angled a hard shot into the corner only to see
Ian McNaught push it away. Final score: 2-2. Teams
Huntly: I. McNaught, T. Allan, K. Healey, D.
Masson, S. Baranyai, J. Ashton, K. Yarrow, T. Drayton, N.
Heslop, R. Learmouth, G. McLuckie, G. McFarlane, E.
Stephens and P. Collins. Coach: T. McGauley.
United: Rex Nightingale, Barry White, Maurice
Frankhauser, J. McCaig, Stephen Barr, Jason Forrest,
Clive Turner, Neil Gorman, Robin Turner, Charles
Gorman, George Sunnex, Phillip Gyde, Peter Janssen,
Mark Snowden and R. Franklyn.
Presentation
At half-time Mr Frank George, on behalf of the
Lions Club of Ngaruawahia, presented Jim McCaig of
United with a cheque for $100 for the development of the
United Soccer Club. He commented on the extent to which
the club had worked to get as far as they had and stated that
the Lions always “help those who help themselves”.
In reply to Mr George, Jim McCaig, Secretary of
the Club, thanked Mr George for the gift and Huntly Thistle
for consenting to meet United and make the day worthwhile.
United Beat Wanderers
The Huntly Press, Wednesday 29th July, 1970
Playing in their new colours United worked well in
their win against Wanderers at Ngaruawahia on Saturday.
United have adopted the High School colours of green and
white, facilitating the transfer of schoolboy players leaving
the school and playing for the club.
With the field firm and the wind in their favour,
United of Ngaruawahia moved to an early lead with a goal
from Steven Barr who chipped a right-foot shot from 25
yards over the keeper’s head into the goal. Keith Watson
drove United’s second goal in to give them a 2-0 lead at the
turn.
United were given a fright when keeper Nightingale
came out to smother an attack. The ball rolled free and Barry
White dived on it to deflect it with his chest. The referee was
right on the spot to see that no handling had taken place.
Early in the second spell Steven Barr again chipped
a shot over the keeper’s head with his left foot this time, to
take Ngaruawahia to a 3-0 lead. Wanderers struck back to
cancel their deficit when Rex Nightingale failed to hold a
hard low cross and a forward was there to net it.
Sandy MacDonald, Keith Watson and George
Sunnex had many shots at the Wanderers’ goal, but these
ended up wide. One such shot was only just chested away as
it tried to squeeze into the net between a defender and the
post.
Robin Turner worked hard all day manufacturing
goal-movements and his reward came when he gathered the
ball, passed two defenders and shot at the clear goal.
Wanderers retaliated with a fine interception of a pass from
the keeper to Maurice Frankhouser. The defence was too
slow in coming across and Wanderers scored.
Robin Turner turned the score from 4-2 to 5-2 a
few minutes later when he shot from amid a group of
defenders and netted with the keeper unsighted. This gives
United their third win for 8 points this season.
Barry White was the usual Rock of Gibraltar,
seldom making mistakes. Maurice Frankhouser paced his
game much better this match and distributed the ball well
from left back. Charlie Gorman was always in the thick of
the attack and put many dangerous chips into the Wanderers
penalty area. Sandy MacDonald had a lot of heading come
his way from high through balls, while Steven Barr worked
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