FOOTBALL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1958, 1 October 1888, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

THE BBTURN NOUTH ISLAND MATOH, (per press association.) Ohrmtohurch, September 29 The football match between the South Island team and the Englishmen was played to-day at Lancaster Park m beautiful weather, and before about 3000 persons. The ground was m Bplendid order, and a fait game was witnessed, phy being up and down the ground nearly the whole time. Want of combined play was noticeable among the New Zealand forwards, but the fine back play helped them grea'ly. At times some magnifioent rushes were male by both teams of forwards, tha ball travelling about, at a great rate The first spell was slight'y m favor of the New Zealanders, although they were playing against the wind, while the aecood was ia favor of England, The local team missed somo good chances of fiGoriDgjoncein the first spel l , when Brooks was just m time to kick the ball over the , railings behind hla goal, and again m the ' second^spell, when both Fuller and Harpar got to within a yard of the Hue, and when with a clear spooa and about half-a-dozen yards to go, Fuller threw forward m passing to Dow. Stoddart was the hero of the match, hla grand rung being heartily oheered. In tha first spall he wound np a run by kicking at goal, the ball going just inside the post.' It was a luoky kick, as at the time he was almost lurrounded by opponents. la the early part of the second try ha scored a try close to the corner flig after a fine ran. Paul, who took the kick sgaluat the wind, made a munificent long shot, the ball hitting on top of the bar and dropping over. Harper, of Nelson, played brilliantly for the combined team, and was cheered again and again, and whin he left the field he was followed by a crowd, who oheered him all the way to the pavilion. Thomas also pUyed grandly, and Downes did clever work, especially !n the second spell, jfhloh gained him applause almost eqaal to that extended to Harper. The forward play was not bo good as It ihould have been, otherwise the game might have resulted differently. The want of a combined effort spoilt many pieces of play that would have been proGtably turned to account by a team playing together. The above sooros were all that were obtained, and England won a severe contest by six paints to nil.