THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 883, 1 August 1910, Page 4

THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ' COMPETITION, RAMBLERS WIN BY ONE POINT. Ramblers drew with Rovers, no score. Diamonds (7) defeated Y.M.C.A. (3). Thistle defaulted to Swifts. Saturday afternoon saw tho curtain rung down on the senior first division championship matches, Ramblers winning by .tho narrow margin of ono point, .upon a draw with Rovers. 1 Tho weather was good, with a stifnsh breeze from'the north, whilo the playing fields generally were in fair order, the ground having had a charico' to dry during the previous brief spell of. fine 'weather. Details'of tho play in the senior fixtures are appended :— ' : RAMBLERS (0) V. ROVERS (0). ■ On.the result of. tho Ramblers-Rovers ■ match-at'Kelburne Park depended-'the finish of the senior championship. If •Ramblersdel'eated their opponents, they won outright, if .they drew, they were still safe, for they had a two-points load from Diamonds, arid so could iffford to lose ono point. .'lf thoy lost, - and Diamonds, defeated . Y.M.C.A., ,tho Blacks would bo pn level, terms with Ramblora, • and a tie woultl have had to be decided. As events happened, however, Ramblers drow with Rovers, and so settled tho business. 'It was an uninteresting match almost throughout. . Ramblers camo on the field ono man short, and against a team which was in very good form, and keen to win, were at . a disadvantage. They, also had the wind against them. Their tactics after the kiok-oIF displayed good goneralship.' After two or three attacks to test the strength of their opponents, thoy wisely reserved their forces for tho second spell, aaid contented themselves with holding their enornio.v ■ Ravers played a brisk. game, and made several'successful forays into the Ramblers ground, but bad generalship, a fatal hesitancy . about playing the ball, at the. critical moment, and wjld shooting spoilt, whatever advantage they-gained from ..-these raids. -..,'.-'■. On the eliango.of ends, -the -missing Rambler (Smallbone) turned .up, and, with, everything now..in their-: favour, Ramblers, were expected to change tho character of tho game... But there was ■not evpn..a.pinch-:of-.ginger iii.tho whole of thoir play.' : ,- In faot, had the Rover forwards displayed-cooler judgment on [tho--two occasions upon which -they ■broke jjjirou'gh the! Rambler pack andrln-' vaded ..the .goal.rßamblers., would ■ havo .nulFefKl. : dot'oat, and- they would havo •richly deserved:' it..- IIOW7 over, that ; .a score against them wouldliave been fatal,-. tl\ey rallied smartly at those dangerous moments, and being coientifically, cleverer-;than their opponents, wore able to beat them for ■the ; ball without : apparent - trouble. Their footwork was-particularly neat. ■Towards the call of time the game became brighter.. Ramblers, more aggressh's, pressed hard during the final quarter of an hour, i but Rovers stubbornly defended. . Corner, kicks and lively skirmishes near the goal-lino were frequent, but led to nothing decisive. During one of these the refcreo (Mr. J. Davidson), venturing too near tho press of battle, was upset. A player collided with him,- his heels flew skyward, and he rolled backwards into tho water-channel behind tho goal-line, to the intense delight of-the spectators. The whistle blew soon after.

DIAMONDS (7)-V,, Y.M.'O.A; ,(3>." On Saturday afternoon, at Miraniar, Diamonds inflicted a pretty severe defeat on 1'.M.0.A., by V goals to 3. During the first half'the'game was of a very oven nature, I'.M.G.A.- taking full advantage-of >a strong wind.blowing in their favour...■■ Immediately .' after- the kick-off. Timpqrlcy had a capital chance, but ; over-eagerriess spoilt a certain score. ' When both teams got going, diamonds' .iforwards gave Mollis, in goal;, a' pretty hot time defending. Three or four times in quick succession ho was 'called upon to save, and did it ■ well. M'Girr (inside-left) in heading in a good shot from a comer-kick, drew first blood for Y.M.C.A. Diamonds attacked, but Y.H.C.A., assisted greatly by the wind, • transferred play to tho opposite end of the lield, where Patrick, after playing well, ran out of goal-mouth, and Phillip, being hjuidy, shot the leather into the not. Y.M.C.A., 2; Diamonds, nil. The Diamonds forwards';rushed tho ball towards OL J s goal; whore Black "(right-wing) placed the" first goal for his side. Play for some considerable time was centred in mid-field, until. the' Blacks penetrated. Y.M.'s defence, Black being enabled to equalise matters. Two all. A' few minutes before half-time, Timperley, by a fine individual effort from half-way, put his side ahead by a goal. Y.M.C.A., 3; Diamonds, 2.

Tho second spell was characterised by Y.M.C.A. being outmanoeuvred, and, for the.number of corner-kioks that were awarded to Diamonds. On three consecutive occasions goals were scored, from well-placed corner-kicks,'by Hathaway, Taylor, and Ball, Diamonds' score being increased to 5 goals to Y.M.C.A.'s.3 goals. A misjudged kick, owing to the wind, by Shaw (full-back) for Y.M.C.A., . enabled Hathaway to score, he repeating thc_ performance shortly afterwards, making the score 7 goals to 3 in" Diamonds' favour. Y.M.C.A. seemed to realise they wero not playing the game they arelcapable of, and, : with an effort, .took the ball up to-the Blacks' goal-mouth, where Gibson had a shot from a penalty-kick. The ball rebounded,froin the cross-bar, and was secured by the Diamonds' forward line, who were attacking strongly when time was called, with no alteration in the score. Mr. H. L. Godber was the referee. SWIFTS V. THISTLE. Tha match, Swifts y. Thistle, was sot down to he played at Miramar. on Saturday afternoon, hut owing to only six or seven of the Thistle side turning up, they decided to default to Swifts. . SECOND DIVISION. Wanderers (1) defeated St. John's (0). Potone defeated. i Porinia Toa "by' 5 goals to I.' " Borhampore were defeated by 2 coals to 1.

\ Petone beat Porirua Toa by 8 goals to nil. Petouo defeated Marist A by 2 goals to nil.', " ' ■ ' ' ■ St. David's (5) beat Marist B (0). THIRD DIVISION: . . 'ST. DAVID'S CHAMPIONS. Wadestown met St. David's m the final for the championship on Saturday afternoon. The game was a spirited contest throughout, being defeated by 3 goals to 1. Amies, taking a good pass from Brooke, scored first for . Wadestown, this being the only • goal in the first spell. In the second half, St. David's, who were the heavier and faster team, much assisted By'the wind, rattled'up three goals, the first completely beating Wadestownkeeper Ashdown. The second came off a mis-kick by a full-back, enabling St. David's inside-loft to score, and 1 the third came, indirectly from a good corner-kick by St. David's right-half. Mr. Wells was referee. FOURTH DIVISION. Petouo (2) dofeated Marist A team. St. David's (p) beat Maris B (0). Brooklyn, playing nine men, drew with' Swifts A, eleven men, one all. Williams scored for Brooklyn, and Guise for Swifts. Y.M.C.A. A defeated Y.M.C.A. B. by 6 goals to nil. • Richardson (4), Temperton, and Adair scored for the winners. FIFTH DIVISION. No referee appearing, the Marist Bro-thers-Rangers fifth division match could not be played. Both teams turned up. Y.M.C.A. A defeated Brooklyn by 3 goals to nil. Nicpl, Tullett, and Homo scored for the winners. Y.M.C.A. B defeated Marist B.by'2 goals to nil.. Swennsen and Daubnoy scored for the winners. SIXTH DIVISION. Y.M.C.A. B defeated Marist B by 2 goals to nil. ' ': Rangers defeated Seatoun by 2 goals to nil. Mair and Cording scored for the winners. Mr. H. Power refereed. Marat A defeated Porirua by 2 goals to nil. Becker and Casey scored for Marist. Brooklyn.drew with Y.M.C.A.r—I goal each. Thomas scoied a fine' goal for Brooklyn. DUNEDIN CHAMPIONSHIP. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) . Dun'edin, July 30. Northern Club beat Mof nington .today, and thus won tho Soccer Cup.