FOOTBALL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4038, 1 July 1884, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

A football match was played on the Recreation Ground last Saturday between the second fifteens of the Union and Napier Football Clubs, resulting in a victory forthe former loy four tries to one. The game -was played in two spells of forty minutes. Mr Collins captained the Union, and Mr Fulton the Napier. The Union, having -won the toss, elected to kick with the wind. The ball was quickly run down to the Union twenty-five, and persistently kept there for some time, when a smart piece of dribbling on the part of Hamlin carried the ball to the other end. The play during the remainder of this spell was very even, no score being made by either side. After five minutes spell play was resumed, and the ball kept in the middle of the field for a, few minutes, when Poolc got the ball, and by a smart run secured a try for the Union. Stanton took the kick, but failed to score. Almost immediately after the kick-off Collins by a piece of smart following up, secured another try. Wolfe took the kick, but was unsuccessful. The ball again being brought into play was kept for a bit in the middle of the field, when Poole by a good run, got the ball close to the Napier goal line, when he was smartly collared by Newton. After a short scrimmage Parker got the ball and secured a third try for the Union. Yates tried the kick, but no goal resulted. Play being resumed, by the smart play of White and Newton the ball ■was taken into the Union quarter. Hamlin here again saved his side by some good dribbling and good play on the touchlme. The ball being worked again, almost to the Napier goal line, was secured by Leslie, ■who obtained the fourth try for the Union. Williams essayed the kick, but did not improve the score. After this the Napier men seemed to rally, playing much better together, White, Oudaill, and Tylee playing remarkably well. After a considerable amount of scrimaging Lascolles carried the ball over the line, obtaining a try for the Napier. White made a good attempt to convert this into a goal, but did not allow sufficiently for wind. After this, until the end of the spell, the play was rather m ' favor of the Napier side. Besides those already mentioned Graham for the Union and C. Kennedy, A. Kennedy, and Mountford for the Napier did good service for their respective sides. Messrs Stubbs and Robinson acted as umpires, and Mr Humphries as referee. The match, Hastings versus Pctane, took place at Hastings last Saturday afternoon, and resulted in a win for the home team byone goal to two tries, For the first time this season Hastings played a full team (though the greater number were Maoris, more than "two of Hold's friends" putting in an appearance), whilst the visitors were one short. St. Hill captained the Hastings team, whilst Hedley officiated in a like capacity for Petano. Tho '' Fern Crushers ■won the toss and chose to play with the ■wind, thus leaving the kick-off to their opponents, which task was successfully accomplished by Williams. For the first five minutes the ball was kept well in tho Petanc twenty-five, but some good play on the part of Hedley and Gregory soon brought it into the Hastings quarter, when the Petano skipper cleverly secured a try. Gregory essayed the kick, Avhich, though an easy one, proved unsuccessful. Tho ball was then brought out again, and here Hastings showed very clumsy form, for though the kick out was a good one, the leather going •well up the field, it was returned and followed up so smartly by the Petane men that another try was .secured to the visitors before their adversaries apparently knew what they were about. A kick at goal was again attempted, but again failed, when half time was called. After three minutes spell the ball was again in motion, and now Hastings "began to play in rather better form, but ■without much success on account of a very bad habit of running back, most freely indulged in by one or two Maoris. At length, however, by a good rush of the Hastings forwards the ball was brought dangerously close to the Petane goal, when King with a very pretty dribble secured a try. The kick, which was a veiy hard one, was entrusted to Williams, who, mirabile diclic, ■with all that grace which is so groat a characteristic of this gentleman, landed the ball safely over the bar. The finish of the contest, though much quicker play than ■was tho outset, was without any marked success on either side, and the game concluded leaving the home team winners. Besides those all ready mentioned, Paul, Thorpe, Bold, and Beamish played well for Hastings, whilst of the Petanc team, on account of the uniform good play, it is hard to particularise, though it might bo said thatKells, Cunningham, and Catcht were conspicuous. The most remarkable feature in this game was the true gentlemany spirit in which it was played. No umpires were officiating, nor was their absence felt. Would that all football could be so played, and then wo might reasonably expect our fields to be graced by considerably larger attendances of the fair sex, who under such circumstances would derive infinite enjoyment in witnessing tho good old English game. Tho district school yesterday beat the Catholic school in a football match.