April
28th
Spirit 1 v Roslyn 1;
Spirit FC served up its
best performance of the season to draw its clash with Soccersouth premier league
leader Roslyn Wakari 1-all at Rugby Park Invercargill on Saturday.
They attacked - we defended
We attacked - they defended
Player-coach Ken
Cresswell regarded the game as a test to gauge whether his teams good start to
the 2007 season could now stand up to the challenge of three consecutive games
against the top three teams in the competition.
His expression of
satisfaction at the sound of the final whistle confirmed his squad had passed
its first hurdle.
The clash of the two Scotsmen was clearly won by Spirit’s Barry Gardiner as he roamed the mid-field with some authority and caused problems for the Roslyn defence.
In contrast, Roslyn’s
Sean Brand was kept at bay by another outstanding display by veteran Cresswell
who ensured his (Brands) affect on the game was minimal.
The game was played at pace from the outset with strong and sometimes over-vigorous tackling threatening to spoil it as a spectacle.
However referee Alex
Wilson kept control of the situation and the outcome was a game of real
intensity that both teams had chances to win.
Roslyn's Terry Boylan shoots a quick comment to ref Alex
Wilson
In a scoreless first
half Spirit’s Gardiner and John Schol had stinging shots go narrowly wide of
the target and Roslyn’s Jamie Taylor netted the ball for his team but an
infringement by a colleague meant the goal was disallowed.
Johnny Schol (left) and Jamie Taylor had chances and also
had a few clashes...good stuff
Ten minutes into the
second spell Spirit broke the deadlock and took the lead 1-nil when Brendon
Lloyd slipped through a gap in Roslyn’s defence and delivered the ball past
its keeper Liam Little and into the net with style.
Lloyd gets a big lotta
hugs for his effort
Ironically it was a
mistake in the rock-solid Spirit defensive zone twenty-five minutes later that
provided Ben Keat with the opportunity to level the score for Roslyn and level
it he did at 1-all with a strong volley past Chris Pearson in the Spirit goal.
...
A mean Cory Johnson (left) and more sedate Steve Black
solid in defence for Spirit
Both teams fought hard
to gain superiority for the remainder of the game and it was cruel luck for
Spirit when five minutes from full time John Schol’s almost point blank range
shot deflected off the Roslyn crossbar to safety.
At Waverley Park,
Smiths City Old Boys and Southend United also fought out a 1-all draw in their
Southland Finance premier game.
...
...
Phil Grubb has no chance with Paul Berry's free kick.
Reuben Lindsay (back) keeps an eye on Southend's Damond
Hedges.
Matty Wahren (green 10) faces a wall of Old Boys
defenders.
A stunning Paul Berry
direct free kick gave Southend the lead 1-nil however Frank O’Boyle levelled
it for Old Boys when he beat the Southend offside trap to guide home the
equaliser.
In Gore the locals had
their first outing for the season and made it a day to remember when they
accounted for Waihopai 2 goals to one.
