Central United v. Mt. Wellington, 27/4/96

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53 People See An Absolute Cracker!

by Jeremy Ruane

53 people were treated to a marvellous game of Bluebird Superclub Championship soccer at Kiwitea Street on April 27, as Central United and Mt. Wellington fought out a thrilling 2-2 draw.

The home team were desperately unlucky not to win in the finish, yet they twice had to come from behind just to claim a point. Profligate finishing proved costly to the side coached jointly by Ricki Herbert and Paul Posa, but the quality of Nigel Kelly's goalkeeping also played a major role in the game ending all-square.

Kelly was in action as early as the second minute, saving from Michael Zoricich. Nick Mayer's timely tackle denied the striker after ten minutes, then Kelly foiled the forward once more ten minutes later.

It was soon the turn of Percy Watson to see Kelly deny him, before Mayer intervened again to deny first Zoricich, then Mathew Urlovic, the latter a headed goal-line clearance of an inswinging corner.

The Mount had only mustered two moments of menace prior to the half-hour mark. Kelvin Sefton fired straight at Ross Nicholson after thirteen minutes, before, in the 22nd minute, a vicious low cross from Sascha Viertal was turned against the angle of his own post and crossbar by Scott Stanley. Central's newly-arrived Beazer (Boozer?) Homes Premier League player did well to clear the danger in this unique way, given the presence of Nick Hyde at his shoulder.

Hyde was celebrating in the 33rd minute, although his looping header over Nicholson, following Andy Brown's fine run and cross from the left, came very much against the run of play. Not that The Mount cared one jot!

Kelly was soon in action again, denying the impressive Paul Urlovic and the ever-willing Zoricich. The latter's effort was not held, however, and Stewart Bola rifled home the loose ball after a bit of a scramble in Mount's goal area to deservedly put Central on parity in the fortieth minute.

The legs of Nicholson denied Paul Bunbury less than sixty seconds later, before Watson brought an enthralling half to a close with a crossbar-shaking shot, after Paul Urlovic had released the pacy Peruvian.

It was more of the same from the off in the second half. Kelly, after fumbling a Paul Urlovic cross, recovered in time to save at the feet of Posa, himself making a rare appearance on the Kiwitea Street turf.

Central then had legitimate claims for a penalty denied them by referee Peter Budgen, making probably his only blemish of the entire ninety minutes in the process. Paul Urlovic outwitted Kara Waetford on the byline, but in attempting to reach the ball, The Mount's captain succeeded only in upending the youngster in the penalty area.

Mount made that life count in the 57th minute, with a goal which approached the farcical in terms of its quality. Only Hyde reacted to the sight of the ball dribbling across Central's penalty area from the right flank, and he gleefully accepted the gift offered him by United's generous defensive unit.

Unperturbed, Central sought redress. Watson hit the inside of the post with a header, only for the ball to come back into the field of play. Kelly then denied Paul Urlovic from point-blank range, before Bola headed across the face of goal.

Zoricich resumed his personal duel with Kelly as the 75-minute mark ticked over, with the goalkeeper emerging triumphant yet again. Jeff Keskic headed a Mathew Urlovic corner wide by the width of a post, before substitute Nick Lupis capped off a near-breathless spell by shooting straight at Kelly.

Back came Mount, only to find the woodwork denying them what could have been a certain three points. Hyde and Bunbury both hit the post within four minutes of each other, and still there was time for more.

Central made it count. With three minutes to go, Keskic and Watson, Superclub veterans both, combined, with the former firing home emphatically to earn the home side a deserved share of the spoils.

Yet they could have claimed the lot. With a minute left, Lupis fed Zoricich. His shot blocked, the striker recovered to lay the ball into the path of Bola. A slide-rule pass, and Paul Urlovic was in. He rounded the advancing Kelly, then fired goalwards, only for the massed ranks of Mount's defence to block the shot and clear the danger.

With that act, the game finished. A truly fine advert for Bluebird Superclub soccer, with these clubs once again responsible. I can't recall a single encounter between the two, in the four years in which Superclub has been going, which has not provided entertainment-plus. Such a shame that only 53 people shared the experience this time round. Roll on July 26, and the return at Bill McKinlay Park.

Northern League