NUAFC 1968-2018

1978
Murray were always out­numbered and outplayed by the
Taupo players, and after 15 minutes Murray was replaced by
substitute .
Although Liddle seemed to be constantly out of
position, Ngaruawahia lifted their game and soon put in two
more goals by Mike Heaphy and Jeff McLaughlan.
Despite Taupo continuing to play attacking soccer,
their efforts were in vain, gaining some consolation by pulling
back one goal in the final seconds of the game to make the
score Ngaruawahia 4 – Taupo 3.
The Huntly Press
Wednesday 12th July 1978
Four Ngaruawahia Sports Clubs
Combining
Representatives of the Ngaruawahia League, Rugby,
Soccer and Rowing clubs held a meeting recently and agreed
to honour Alan Cotter at a special function in the
Ngaruawahia League club hall on Saturday evening July 22, at
7 pm.
This presentation is also a recognition of his
achievements in rowing since he began in 1967 with the
Ngaruawahia Rowing club. In 1974/75 he was accepted as a
member of the Waikato Rowing Club in order to broaden his
experience in trials for the Olympics.
Last year he was a member for six weeks of the N.Z.
training squad at Wanganui and this year he gained the
double distinction of N.Z. championship eight “Red Coat” and
coxwain for the world rowing championships.
Alan Cotter played both league and soccer in
Ngaruawahia, his brother Trevor played rugby for
Ngaruawahia before joining Kerr’s Reach, Christchurch, in
1951.
Tickets for the presentation, to be made by the Mayor
of Ngaruawahia, Mr Barakat. are available from Binga
Haggie, Bruce McNicol, Alan Morse, Charlie Gorman and
John Deacon.
Ngaruawahia Soccer
With all junior matches cancelled, attention
focussed on the senior grades of soccer in Ngaruawahia.
Two defaults resulted on the weekend. The High School 3rd
form team were unable to locate transport to Huntly, giving
Huntly an automatic two points, and Tokoroa were unable
to travel to Ngaruawahia to meet the third-division in the start
of a new competition.
Northern League
With the Northern league title firmly in its grasp,
Unicol came to Ngaruawahia to continue its undefeated run of
matches. Previously Ngaruawahia-Affco United had drawn 1-
1 with Unicol.
The pitch was slippery but the game was played at a
fast clip with excellent ball-work from both teams. Unicol’s
left wing caused some consternation in the United defense but
it was a free kick from the right wing that found an unmarked
Ray Powell and he first-timed a powerful volley into the net
after 10 minutes. For twenty minutes Unicol had the best of
the pressure but then the tide turned and United pushed hard,
coming close on several occasions. Mike Liddle raked a
lobbing cross to Mike Heappy to put away for the equaliser
after 30 minutes and then United were awarded a penalty right
on half-time. The shot was wide and Unicol went into the
second spell even.
Hard grafting play enter­tained the excellent crowd
for the last 45 minutes with Unicol’s Rocky Louden showing
close-control ball skills in weaving his way through a packed
defence to give Unicol what was to be their winning goal at 2-
1.
Ngaruawahia was by no means outplayed and many
thought that Unicol were lucky to come off with their two
points.
Grimes, Powell and Dixon had good games for
Unicol with Liddle, Heappey, Brown, McLaughlin and Finn
excelling for the home team.
First Division
Away to Cambridge, United improved their re­cord
against the table leaders. Last, encounter went. 4-1 to
Cambridge with this meeting going only 2-0 to them.
An improved perfor­mance was obvious from
Ngaruawahia and both teams gave a good exhibition of onetouch
soccer. Play was even with Cambridge scoring once in
each half, the first from a chip over the keeper and the second
only minutes from the end of the game from a breakaway.
Although the pitch was muddy, good soccer
displays were shown by keeper Ian Innes, David Bell,
Phil Bullivant, Tony Armstrong and Jason (Power
Pole) Cargo.
High School Girls
The Ngaruawahia High School girls soccer team
continued their undefeated run of games by emerging victors
over Fraser No 2 team by two goals to nil.
Play was generally scrappy from the local girls, with
the only goal they scored in the first half being disallowed for
a player in an off-side position. The Fraser keeper, a
newcomer to the position, acquitted herself well and gave a
competent display.
Ngaruawahia’s Kathleen Maru came out of tackles
well and kept the momentum of the game moving.
Ngaruawahia tended to play “sardine” football (all players
gravitating to the ball wherever it went), and will have to keep
positions better if they hope to remain unbeaten.
Lynette Karina came on for Robin Harris in the
second spell, and, playing in bare feet, had the run of the
Fraser defence when ever she got the ball. However she had
little support from her fellow-forwards.
A right-wing cross lead to the first of Ngaruawahia’s
goals when Lyn Karina challenged the keeper for the ball and
it bounced loose for an own goal by Fraser. In the last few
minutes it was Lyn Karina again as she snapped an acutely
angled shot into the far netting to give Ngaruawahia a 2-0 win.
Dianne Fairey had a quiet day in goal and other players to
show out were Adrianna Kaui, Betsy Maxwell and Kathleen
Maru.
So far the girls have played six games for five wins
and a draw, scoring 22 goals and having 3 scored against
them.
- Ladies -
The ‘A’ team defeated Huntly 2-1 and the ‘B’ team
were unlucky to be beaten 0-1 by Unicol. The ‘A’ team look
in ‘a good position to try to take the championship from
Hamilton if they can amass a superior goal difference.
The Huntly Press
Wednesday 19th July 1978
Co-Leaders Trounced 3-1
The Ngaruawahia High School girls soccer
team continued its unbeaten run of games by taking Hillcrest
girls 3-1. Hillcrest and Nga­ruawahia were joint leaders before
the match, having won and drawn the same number of games.
Playing at home, Ngaruawahia went into a 2-0 early
lead. Jo Keeley ran onto a through ball and snapped it past the
Hillcrest keeper who came out to meet the challenge. The ball
slipped into the bottom left corner, the only gap left by the
keeper. The Hillcrest goalie was to prove the block against
which many of the Ngaruawahia attacks faltered.
Jo’s second goal was very fortuitous when she
worked the ball in from the left corner flag and her centering
shot slipped under the keeper and into the goal 2-0.
Hillcrest came back when the local defence failed to
clear a left-wing cross. It ran through and past three defenders.
Keeper Diane Fairey had no chance with the close-range shot
2-1.
At this stage Hillcrest were more into the game. They
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