ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 280, 7 August 1909, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

;(BV 'CENTRE-HALF.)

Y^ThV'star'.'\itemvii. Football :Asso'ciatibriV programme ' for. Saturday last ■was-/ the:. Brbwii',Shield.'' match; "Wellington r.v Canterbury!.'; -drew with' -Can-' terbury, but. ought.to"'liave won, on,general form.-'\'lTrai/the home. : team' failed/to. secure the 'winning;'odds..was^;'due mainly to ..the, exceedingly, poor., showing/ of the. forwards durmg:. the'lseebnd spell../ For- tho greater, part ■'. pf '/tli^spell;'nearly ' the whole'of -the: .\y6llingWh:-team':WM';in'.the enemy's ground,. pre'ssing''" : hard 'for ; o'peilings','. and frequently, securing'; thcm'.vy^But^.the^kicljingi'passing,and'general -playv.was so. ill-judged, and so '.lacking';''in'/ deliberate.'/discrimination,'' : that nothing; happened,'.'. The. mislucksCthat were made! were, ; '.tro' : u'so'a desciiptivo'phrase; ; of Bret'/Ha'rte's,'';-."quite/•' frightful to/tee."/ ... v : ; The /blame for,.'.Canterbury's second score was .entirely.,the/fault of the backs, who ;wero/-too'"-.far: up", tho.'field.-.'.At/'times /.the full-backs over the line. These tactics, 1 in'fa.'ganieTwhich'Was featured By a 'seriesiv'.bf. . ; ,:attttcks/,';:aud;.,. counter-attacks;■ .'showed' lack,' of As ;a '• matter .of -fact, vthe. back I ;divisions i of both ..teams erred/in./this -respect,, arid,;/in the .case of ,CaittebiMy ) -'.-was.''.'oyen'.'.;'a''. : 'm6M''-sei:ious' fault, in .view,'of;;-.th6 fact that the southern backs were-relatively •.'•weaker- than..those of Wellingtdn. ; : : > • V; ; ;'/.;;: ■'•" ,;■ /■ •'..;■:''.

•'/' Oh. the; Wellington .'side, the disposition ; of. the'players .was, .generally' speaking,;' fairly. soun,d.;. The forward' flanks were a, trifle; out of .;. proportion,;'. the; left being /relatively stronger than '.the right..'■'"•As a result, Gibson /' (centre)" : was .tempted, to pass more 'to; the left than . the.'right, •' thus placing 'tho burden; pf ..the; attack, on .thai flank, which -was opposed by/the' enemy's strongest wing. Of .the forwards,/all, played well,■•.■with -the' exception of Scott, whose work'was good in parts' only. '' He ;mis-kicked: at times. -'/ ''Tho : :ha"lves7'-weM ; ;-' : g9pQ;;fallv ; thrpiighV--Kirschberg! being exceptionally !sq. ; ' : Crofes, in the fullback line, was hardly; bo safe as ono would have liked.. He appears to-;be too; early'-ex-cited,., with", a'/tendency.-toy mis-kick. . 'Hall ;wa ; s. eminently .'safe. / Oldnajl's goal-keeping; was; really, commendable'.' •■'/;;/'•,'.; '■■;■' .-f '..;:■. Canterbury. :6wed"its-:success .mainly to Ward.'; and /Bissett,' and ; partly to Dowker. These, players,, wero' in'iexcellont/form, and as;. the '; game' ■progressed . this combination", • which ..was, not/good at tho outset, improved vqry 'materially.. The;halves,; especially Ful-lertoh';-and L'eadboater,'; were 'a willing' lot, and supported..'well.'. /The backs wero weak. Anderson, in goal, : did conspicuously good work;// ";,,,'";; ; '; : ■;"'!■■;;.'v.O'J ' 'I. ■" ■"■".'•'' .'■''-. : ■'■ ■ "'-". Taken*big and 'large, -Wellington was the. better .team.- ."The forwards ;w6re superior in dash, pace,; and combination j the full-backs sounder'in/, defence, /and the halves more' dashing'in supporting' attack's.. ■ Canterbury's weakness'lay ■in "the. left-wing forwards and the jbacfcs, •' and in; relatively, inferior' combination;; and. pace, .(except-on. the .right-wing). On'the .whole,./the game was'exciting, fairly sound, and! played '■■■ in, the very best' spirit. Canterbury; is /to 'be/congratulated on/the very excellent showing made.; against. a, team, ..which',': on .certain;, points, had,; the greater advantage//'■.:■„• ■■'■..' -'.■■■■/ ■■'/,; ■..'■'.'.■

One,point, in conclusion/the oross-bars/ion' .the goal-posts'; should .bo flush .with' the Uprights. ,A-projection :of a;/few incbes-ras. ; was^noticed iii both goals at/the Basin.on Saturday',"- is : sufficient ; to ■ divert/a by kick,'and .on this point;a,protest can be argued. ■ f 'Whatever, qualifications : Cross may have .under/dry weather, /conditions, .he is not • up :to, ' 'representative ■':■■ specifications on a . wet ground,. and.it is u a'tw'o-to-one; chance of a heavy ground; the /selectors ;-hav'e to .bear in.rnind whoE'thoy;pick: a/team at this time ;bf-the /year..'; Messrs/ Paton and Company have given Smallbone'..two. opportunities' of proving.' himself, iii' representative company; and'they .may be;satisfied.with the displays, but; it -might be. just as well to 'look round and /see if sordb "'of tho numerous outside rights in the'-'city''.-could not "fill tho bill a littles more/satisfactorily. ...

;-By a pure/,oversight, Mr. W. Wood was not given credit for having controlled the Wellington-Canterbury match last' Saturday. Be it here'placed on record that Mr. Wood was/the.referee, and a,most excellent porformer,..who gave satisfaction .to both players and spectators.