JULY
22nd
ILT Spirit FC 0, University 1;
Spirit
FC lost its Soccersouth Premier league game against University 1-nil at Rugby
Park on Saturday but not without a dour struggle and showing more commitment
than in recent games.
Spirit FC head coach Ken Cresswell was forced to select his starting eleven without a recognised striker due to the late withdrawal of John Schol and elected to move his industrious mid-fielder Karl Hawkes into an attacking role.
The
move appeared to have worked early in the game when Hawkes was responsible for
unsettling the University defence on several occasions but Spirit was unable to
capitalise on its breaks.
University
rallied and began to take control of the game mid way through the first half and
from then on never relinquished its authority.
Playing
some of the best football seen at the park this season the Varsity unit built
its attacks with real purpose but let itself down in front of goal with
inaccurate and mistimed goal attempts that if hit right would have lead to an
embarrassing score line.
Its
lone goal came just four minutes from the half time break when Eddie Mason
muscled his way past a Spirit player on the left flank and slotted an accurate
cross which Scott Newman met and side-footed past Shane Elliott in the Spirit
goal.
Up until the goal and thereafter neither goalkeeper was called on to make any spectacular reflex or match saving stops.
However Elliott in the Spirit goal was peppered with attempts to him in the second forty-five minutes and gave a polished display for the ILT sponsored Spirit FC team.
Spirit’s
determination to hold out to the end paid off and with it there was some
expectancy by spectators that perhaps it could steal an equalising goal.
That
didn’t happen and it was left to some feisty personal exchanges toward the end
of the game that taxed the patience of referee Alex Wilson to provide any real
excitement.
The quest for Donald Gray cup honours in the Southland Premier league hotted up with SBS Gore Wanderers grabbing an unexpected point in the Country Music capital from leader Southend United.
In
doing so it allowed Queens Park to close the gap on its archrival Southend to
just one point with a game in hand to play.
In its game Park was stretched to the limit to hold out a strong challenge from Old Boys.
After
taking the lead at the four-minute mark from a Danny Rosel long-range strike
Park was never allowed to settle into its rhythm by the Old Boys unit for whom
Mark Muirhead and Gordy Lamont were outstanding in defence.