NUAFC 1968-2018
50-year history of the Ngaruawahia United Football Club
50-year history of the Ngaruawahia United Football Club
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
attempted throughout the 90 minutes to
overcome United with vigorous bruising
football. Cameron paid an early price
for a foul tackle on striker Charles
Gorman and Kerry Boyd netted the
penalty for a 1-0 first half lead.
Murray Liddle, goalkeeper,
had little to do throughout the game as
the striking power of Cameron’s Barry
White was well contained by the close
attention of United defender Ian Todd.
Murray’s namesake Mike Liddle
controlled the match from midfield for
United and the play pivoted around him.
An inordinate number of free
kicks were gained by United at the
expense of Cameron through foul
tackles but little resulted from them.
Outside left Jeff McLaughlin had
Cameron keeper Michael Rooney
groping at air when his curved and
lofted shot from near the sideline settled
into the net, to give United their 2-0 win
over Cameron.
It was a good team effort by
United, not at all demeaned by some
claims that the referee was playing for
United. This win puts United up with
the leaders as Fraser’s loss to Hamilton
has tightened up the first five positions.
United meets Claudelands this weekend
away, following their 0-0 draw with
them at home.
In the third division match
against Morrinsville, Ronnie Clark
netted all five goals in United’s 5-2
victory at Morrinsville. His tally for the
season is 24 goals, 10 of them in two
appearances against Affco Rangers.
The Huntly Press - Wednesday,
August 11th 1976
Ngaruawahia Pips
Claudelands in Soccer
The top match in the Waikato
first division soccer competition on
Saturday was between Claudelands
Rovers, league leaders, and
Ngaruawahia United in third position. In
their first encounter United were
unlucky not to come away with more
than one match point when a missed
penalty left them with a 0-0 result.
Ngaruawahia are still in with a
chance of ending up on top but their two
outstanding games will be no pushover
against Hamilton and Fraser.
United were slightly overawed
by what seemed to be a stronger Rovers
team than in the past, but after a few
minutes, United settled down and found
they could develop moves just as
probing as their opposition’s. United’s
Jeff McLaughlan made the only goal of
the match when he took the ball to the
keeper at an angle, slipped it beneath
him and watched Charlie Gorman
gently tap the ball unopposed into the
net.
Shortly afterwards Rovers were
awarded a penalty. Murray Liddle read
the ball well and, at full stretch, pushed
the ball away and regathered it to clear.
The Rovers kicker had tried to place it
60cm inside the left upright along the
ground.
The score remained at 1-0 to
United at the final whistle.
Delta Drycleaners player of the
day went to centre-back Sandy
MacDonald, having his first game for
five weeks and first run in the first team
for 12 weeks.
The Huntly Press -
Wednesday, August 18th 1976
Ngaruawahia Squander
Lead
Waikato 1st Division
Perhaps it was Ngaruawahia
United’s second goal that cost them the
victory against Hamilton. A rather
disappointed United 11 came off their
home ground after drawing 2-2 with
Hamilton, having lead 2-0 until 20
minutes from time, with Hamilton’s
equaliser coming in the last 5 minutes.
With no score at half time,
Ngaruawahia turned around and netted
first when a right wing corner from
Tony Armstrong was assisted into the
net by Charles Gorman. Fifteen
minutes later it was Armstrong again as
he ran backwards onto a left wing cross
from McLaughlan and headed it over
the Hamilton keeper.
Up to this point United’s
defence had held and looked sound.
Then Hamilton came back with two well
struck close-range shots to deny United
a place on top of the table.
United could have had a goal in
the first few minutes when the ball was
cleared off the Hamilton line after some
indecision. Skip Housen played well in
the Hamilton net and only had trouble
reading the lobbed crosses, two of these
being netted.
Top of the table Claudelands
was beaten 3-1 by Cambridge and with
one more round to be played this
Saturday the situation on the table is
very interesting, with several
possibilities open.
United’s Delta Drycleaners
player of the day went to left winger
Jeff McLaughlan, who ran well all day
chasing the through balls from the
halves and setting up the second goal.
The only question now is – can
United take Fraser and possibly end up
on top of the ladder? Hamilton should
be able to take Claudelands and prevent
them from a victory by one point.
The Huntly Press -
Wednesday, August 25th 1976
Blaze of Goals by Fraser
Waikato 1st Division
Ngaruawahia United, trailing
league leaders Fraser by one point,
finished the round among a blaze of
goals, against Fraser. The eight goals
1976
scored in the encounter had the
supporters present at Fraser High School
applauding as each one struck the
netting. The only sad part of the 90
minutes was that Ngaruawahia only
netted one of them!
Fraser, utilising the foibles of
their small ground to the utmost, played
Ngaruawahia off the pitch, being faster
to the ball on every occasion and more
enterprising and constructive in their
attacking plays. Fraser was also superior
in their control of the ball in the air and
gained several goals in this manner.
Ngaruawahia appeared as a
learner team and were not a patch on
their former selves, as when they beat
Claudelands 1-0 and drew 2-2 with
Hamilton. Fraser thoroughly deserved
their 7-1 win and their position at the
top of the table.
Delta Drycleaners player of the
day went to United goalkeeper Murray
Liddle who had a torrid time throwing
himself at the shots blasted towards him
from the eager Fraser strikers. On three
occasions Fraser struck the pipe-work of
the goal and Liddle recovered to
intercept the following shots.
United have done better this
season with only three losses behind
them and seven draws that could easily
have gone either way. Fraser has been
the only team to have taken
Ngaruawahia twice, the other being
Hamilton once.
The defeat occurred in
Ngaruawahia’s 13th game, the previous
12 being without loss.
1976 WORLD EVENTS
Apple Computer Company
established by Steve Jobs and
Steve Wozniak.
First commercial Concorde flight
carrying 100 passengers.
Film “Rocky” released along with
King Kong, Logan’s Run,
Futureworld & Bugsy Malone.
The Steadicam is used for the first
time in filming a movie (Rocky).
Jimmy Carter wins US Presidential
election.
NASA unveils worlds first space
shuttle, the Enterprise.
1.5 million year old Homo Erectus
skull discovered in Kenya.
“Convoy” song by C W McCall hits
#1 on country music charts.
Peter Cassidy (NZ) shears 353
lambs in 9 hours.
Walt Disney World logs its 50
millionth guest.
The Muppet Show, The Six Million
Dollar Man & Charlie’s Angels
debut on television.
39