NUAFC 1968-2018

increase that gap when they met in the
local derby for the Waikato 1st division
championship.
Both teams looked sharp as
they commenced the match, seeking an
early goal that would count for much.
United’s defence was strengthened by
the current new signing of Kerry Boyd
in forming a defensive trio of the best
backs the club has fielded this season –
Boyd, Todd and Bowers. Murray
Liddle, at his psychological peak would
prove no easy obstacle for the Cameron
forwards, if they could get through the
backs.
Both teams played fast and
solidly with United tackling as hard and
as frequently as Cameron. Charlie
(golden-head) Gorman back-headed
United’s first goal after 10 minutes to
give his team the edge. Spurred on by
this deficit Cameron pressed hard but
could not effectively get past the backs.
Keeper Murray Liddle was never
extended and dealt with the ball
confidently.
At the turn Cameron had the
wind advantage and a loose defensive
situation saw Cameron’s Barry White
snap a shot through a gap too
powerfully for the keeper to get to, to
equalise.
Boyd combined with
McLaughlin effectively up the rarelyused
left wing and one such move was
developed and driven across the mouth
of the Cameron goal for Charlie
Gorman to drive onto for goal number
two. At this stage Cameron knew that
time was against them and the ensuing
long-range shots served only to give the
United defence goal-kicking practice.
The Huntly Press - Wednesday, June
2nd 1976
Armstrong nets a Double in
3rd Division
Never looking likely to lose
their match, Ngaruawahia United
stormed away to a 5-0 win over
Morrinsville in the curtain-raiser to the
United/Cameron first division clash.
Kevin Riley started the
onslaught with an acute-angled drive.
Tony Armstrong netted twice, with
Ronnie Clark and Glen Gray adding
theirs.
Captain Jim McCaig roved all
over the field trying to marshal his
forwards and link-men to further efforts.
There was still apparent a lack of
cohesion in the squad and a stronger
opposition will be able to dissect United
at will, unless some strengthening
becomes apparent.
Highlight of season for
Ngaruawahia
The Cameron-United dash on
C e n t e n n i a l P a r k , Ngaruawahia,
provided the highlight of the season
to date for supporters of the
Ngaruawahia first division soccer team.
On pre-match analysis,
Cameron were to take United apart 2-
0. However, coach George Sunnex
and the team had failed to do a
comparative study of performances
and were unaware they should lose.
United won 2-1.
The week before the match, United had
approved the transfer of Michael Rooney
to the Cameron club, and Rooney appeared
in goal, defending it against his old club
mates.
His performance was creditable. He
positioned himself Well and gave good
service to his midfielders.
Cameron nearly had first blood
when striker Barry White n ea r l y
squ e ez ed a sh ot through the legs of
keeper Murray Liddle. The ball
stopped right on the line and, was
cleared. Cameron never looked dangerous
again in the next 70 minutes and
was easily contained by the
backline of Todd, Bowers and
Boyd.
Charles Gorman gained United's
first goal with a back-header which
lobbed over the keeper in the 10th
minute, capitalising on a defensive
error of Camerons. For the rest of the
half United gained more opportunities
than did Cameron but no further goals
were forthcoming.
The United ploy of deliberately
leaving the mid-field vacant at times
while on defence, thus drawing
forward the maximum number of
Cameron, members, worked well.
When Cameron were robbed of the
ball, the United forwards were able
to move away with a minimum of
opposition, coming close on several
occasions from movements down the
sparsely defended wings.
Boyd and McLaughlin linked well
on the left and one such move gained
United's second goal when a shot
across the face of the goal was
headed in by a diving Charles Gorman.
The Huntly Press - Wednesday, June
9th 1976
Top Team in Scoreless
Encounter
Waikato 1st Division
Ngaruawahia seemed to be
coming into their own, in the top
division in their second year of entry
after coming through from the seconds
in 1975. Following their encouraging
victory against Cameron last week they
were prepared for the league leader
Claudelands Rovers on Saturday. With
three top players out through injury and
sickness Ngaruawahia nevertheless
1976
acquitted themselves well.
All that kept Ngaruawahia
from the lead in the first half was the
solid keeping of the Rovers goalie.
Ngaruawahia had the lion’s share of the
shots though keeper M. Liddle was
called upon to deflect the hard shot from
a breakthrough in the first half.
As Rovers found themselves
being matched and even outplayed,
tempers began to fray. Two Rovers and
one Ngaruawahia player were given
their marching orders early in the
second half and then it was
Ngaruawahia who started to click. A
penalty was awarded to Ngaruawahia
but the keeper read the shot well and
parried it out. This goal may have given
Ngaruawahia the match. Shortly after a
drive was smothered and scooped off
the line by Ngaruawahia keeper Liddle,
causing no little disagreement in the
Rovers ranks.
Ngaruawahia
were
disappointed at only gaining the single
point but satisfied themselves with
taking their first point in two years off
Claudelands Rovers.
Ngaruawahia High School
Fairfield College “C” team
were defeated by Ngaruawahia High
School 4-0 in their 3rd Division
schoolboy competition.
Te Kuiti suffered a similar fate
at the feet of Ngaruawahia in the
2nd division game when team captain
Andy Bell and Simon Prendergast
scored doubled and Michael Rooney
gained a single to gain a 5-0 victory.
The Ngaruawahia High School
teams have gained four match points in
the third division and six points in the
second division from three games each.
Narra Draw with Huntly
Waikato 3rd Division
A very even match was
observed between Huntly No. 1 and
Ngaruawahia. Play flowed from end to
end with close calls at both, and good
saves called for from both keepers.
Ngaruawahia keeper Rodney Dennis
was injured in a clash with a Huntly
forward and Sandy MacDonald took
his place.
Following this change
MacDonald was called upon to deflect a
fine I. Stewart drive, and shortly
afterwards T. Anslow, Huntly’s keeper,
was called upon for a similar dramatic
save.
Result 0-0.
The Huntly Press - Wednesday June
16th 1976
Kelly’s Heroes
Super-sub (Greg) Kelly blasted
in four well-taken goals in Ngaruawahia
High School’s 8-1 win over St Pauls in
the Waikato second division soccer
competition. The conditions were cold
37