25 August 2003
The Nelson Mail
By Simon Bloomberg
Nelson Suburbs ended the season with a disappointing 0-1 loss to Rangers in their Mainland Soccer league game at Saxton Field.
Ocean Lodge Nelson had hit form in the latter stages of the competition to climb into seventh place but suffered a serious relapse on Sunday. Its final outing was plagued by poor finishing, defensive errors and a lack of energy.
There were some excuses, with Nelson's schoolboy contingent appearing jaded after a demanding week at the national tournament. The absence of veteran goalkeeper John Brydon was also critical - replacement Brent Fletcher made a fine debut but the defence appeared hesitant without Brydon calling the shots.
However, there were no excuses for the series of defensive errors that allowed Rangers striker Gavin Jeffs to score. In a disastrous 15 seconds, Nelson twice conceded possession inside the penalty area, gifting Jeffs the ball and his 63rd-minute winner.
Jeffs went close again seven minutes from the end when his shot was cleared off the line by Matt Elliot. Elliot and Matt Ayloff were Nelson's best defenders, with Ayloff showing elevation and commitment to dominate the aerial exchanges.
Nelson had its opportunities to score, with Michael White taking the ball too far in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jordan Buchanan after 17 minutes. George Molnar had a nice header deflected over the bar, Ayloff headed straight to Buchanan, and Marty Chandler twice fired shots just to the left of the post.
"What a way to finish," Nelson coach George Campbell said. "Rangers played us off the park.
"We had a few chances but really none of the front-runners presented themselves to the ball. We tried everything individually and didn't attempt to move the ball.
"We had our excuses, with the schoolboys having a big week. But before we even went out there, we seemed to be in cruise mode - it was a disappointing result to end the season."
Ayloff and Paul Brown, when he came on in the second half, played well, while midfielder Clifford Huta's work rate remained high. Darryn Cunningham and Elliot showed speed to initiate a series of attacks from the rear and Fletcher, apart from one poor clearance, made a solid debut.
The result did not have any bearing on Nelson's final placing in the 10-team competition. It remained in seventh place after recording five wins, three draws and 10 losses for 17 points, just one point ahead of Avon United.