NUAFC 1968-2018

1998
WAIKATO TIMES, 14 SEP 1998 , Edition 2, Page 18.
Cambridge and Melville a couple of late bloomers
By: ANDERSON Ian
Melville could now finish midtable
if they win their final match of the
season against Ngaruawahia United in a
fortnight after coming from behind on
Saturday to beat a desperate Waitakere
City side in Auckland.
Graeme Jones opened the
scoring with a penalty but the visitors
trailed 2-1 at the break before an own
goal and strikes from Daniel D'Souza
and David Watson sealed Melville's
win and consigned Waitakere to
relegation.
The result meant Melville have
lost just once in nine matches, while
Cambridge's record is slightly more
impressive.
Their 3-all home draw with Te
Atatu means they've lost just once in 11
matches and can still avoid the drop.
Ngaruawahia's fallibility in
front of the goal returned to plague
them in their scoreless home draw with
Oratia United in division one.
The Chatham Cup semifinalists
had netted consistently of late
but failed dismally at the weekend to
convert a hatful of chances created.
Ngaruawahia hit the post, the
crossbar and missed a couple of sitters
in a match they should have won to
move closer to securing third place in
the league this season.
Instead, that will now rely on
how they fare in their final two matches
-- away to third-placed Takapuna City
and then the Melville clash.
WAIKATO TIMES, 23 SEP 1998 , Edition 2, Page 11.
By: ANDERSON Ian
Ngaruawahia United coach Jeff
Coulshed has a key task for summer
"after I do my gardening" -- signing a
striker.
Ngaruawahia will finish fourth
in division one should they beat an
improved Melville United this Saturday
and would have been a promotion
contender had they possessed a regular
scorer.
United hit the woodwork three
times, had two efforts cleared off the
line and Roddy Rojas missed a sitter
when they lost 1-0 away to third-placed
Takapuna City.
Ngaruawahia have conceded
only 17 goals in 21 league matches --
the best defensive record in all four
Northern leagues -- but have netted just
35 times.
Father and son will be out to better each other
When Matt Williams was a toddler his dad regularly had
to take the handles off his bedroom door to keep him in his room.
On Sunday, as soccer coach of Te Rapa Tavern Melville,
Steve Williams will have to mastermind much more complicated
measures to contain his son, who is flowering into one of
Waikato's most exciting young prospects, but playing for Bluebird
league opponent DB Draught Ngaruawahia.
The 17-year-old St Johns College pupil has just been
drafted into the New Zealand youth training camp in Napier next
month after bursting on to the senior soccer scene this season.
The Tanlaw-sponsored player is a precocious but
determined mid-fielder. In wearing his collar up Cantona-style he
hints at a cocky streak — perhaps with good reason, as after a
season in Australia last year he was good enough to make the
Queensland youth side which toured South America.
But he won't pull any concessions from his Dad, who is
an in-tensely ambitious coach and rates three points more highly
than pride in his lad.
Steve: "I would be happy if Matt gets a couple of goals
but we get three. That way he could take something from the
game."
Matt in reply: "Kids always want to beat their fathers.
There is al-ways that edge. I think Ngaruawahia will win 2-1."
But both agree on one thing — it is best Matt is not at
Melville.
Steve: "At Ngaruawahia he can be treated more as No 1
than the No 13 he would be here. It would be difficult for Matt to
break into the squad I have here. It might mean having to give up
his school work and I don't want that."
Matt: "At Ngaruawahia I make my own name. If I was at
Melville people might think I was in the team because I was the
coach's son."
For Steve the family connection is just an added
complication for a match which he is always sensitive about,
having spent 13 years at Ngaruawahia himself.
"There is no real history of rivalry between the clubs," he
says. "But you know how it is for some people — it is not Melville
versus Ngaruawahia, but Steve Williams versus Ngaruawahia."
240