WATERSISERS DEFEATED.

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 7, 9 July 1923, Page 4

WATERSISERS DEFEATED.

'Waiersiders suffered their first defeat ?hi» season at the hands of Diamonds rf> Association Park, a last-minute vieioiy for'the Blacks; since the ordinary jcau playing time produced a: draw, one, goal to each side. Diamonds were lucky jto win; for they"did not'play their best tame by.». long /way, wandered badly jEroin yplace,!: arid' '.were very often outplayed.',by^ihelWirtersiders, who kept to jilace .thTOnghout th^e game. Goals, however ,;*e'oiint in -the championship, and '.{Diamonds put through two to the Waterseiders''one. '"';.'.". „-.-' I Diamonds led'off; with a series of wilaing attacks, chiefly in : the centre and th,e (right-wing,' D,:Fergus6h, playing -his Jfirst game for Diamonds this season) IFihdley^ lately down -from Palmerston wforth,; M'Kee,,'and 'Bolt, but many; of ijthose attacks failed for want of -finish Vat'the';goalmouth;;: :One? or two easy Schances' were thrown : away, and • more 'threatening, rushes ;wera stopped dead by the Waterjride^backs, Jackstone and Ing-, ham. The.;wind.-';too,- was all against Jthe chance of Diamonds running up a /score in the first spell. The Waterside ■^forwards made a series of strong coun-iter-attacks as play went on, the left i jwing men, Paterson. and Gilbertson, bejing particularly busy, but though filearne, playing right-back-for Diamonds, 'was eadly off his usual game and allowed) the forwards past many times, both during the first and second and extra ispells, the luck was against these wingers, their centres went for nothing. Corners were conceded, but wero not imiprpved upon. Neither sido played finhh[ed.- football , during the opening forty;fiye minutes, during which Diamonds had •ia slight advantage. '._ 'Diamonds' tactics continued wild in the second spoil, their forwards wandering all over, the field, Mndley being very ,often almost back on Hearne and Hawkins, and their kicking was erratic, pvhei-eas the Waterside line moved off and they timed and placed the /ball well, though Brown, on the left- 4 l.wing, was not given many chances by Jhis halves. Time and time again Paterl.son and Gilbertson camo down along the line, passed the backs and turned the ball to centre, but Anton was unable ,io send-through, Hawkins, left-back for i'the Blacks, playing a wonderfully fine (game. Had'" he "riot been equal to the ■ very severe calls made on him Water-Giders-would-have-left the Park with ft i'J>ig margin to their credit. Newport .and D. M'Kee, in Diamonds' half-line, .■nlso played a big .part in defensive work, New-port, lifting a couple of almost cer-j lain shots-out of the goalmouth. M'Kee's Meat _ footwork very often turned his ■team's defence into unexpected attack, an-which; Auld; .at centre-half,' always took a strenuous part. Though Hawkins played a great game, . ifc.iwas due to; an error of judgment on this part that Watersiders opened their score. Brown had come along the ,line '■froih about half-way, carrying on from Bell., nnd eontrcd when about fifteen yards out. The drive was not a strong ■ >nc, and the ball dribbled on towards -the goal-lino a. few yards fi-oni the posts. Hawkins apparently waited for it to roll on: the next two fc'cl. or so, that Dinjnqnds .might have the benefit of; a goalkii'k, but An lon was .quicker than the ;rollitig"ball and cut in" and centred hard iaci'Oßs' to Gilbertsou, who caught it with lis head and sent in past Waller. . Spectators expected play to speed up immediately, but actually it settled down along the northern line for five minutes or so, ; one, ]ong series of throw-outs, be.fore the halves opened up the style again. tW'atersiders ' continued . .their wing at'iacUf, with no better luck, .but Diamonds played rather more to the cenjtre; and Porteous had to step lively to 'dear his goal from bunched attacks. Hawkins ■ carried on his fino defensive work, Hearne not improving on his form (Of-the first spell. •

I The surprise of the game came when fA.'M'Kce bustled through at centi-o with iAuld, and, being blocked by Ingham, cent out to M'Leod, on the left wing. jM'lieod sent in again to Ferguson, and j.the latter out to Bolt, who by that time ',\vas well-in; towards, tha corner, flag and In apparently impossible shooting', posl;ion. He took the chance and sent clcanjy through the posts. 1 all. There twas tremendous enthusiasm among theiDiamond ; supporters, who rushed ■ the field to thump young Bolt on the back..

M'Kee had one very promising opening ■shortly after this,: but, threw it away Ithrough hesitating just long enough to oc>o Jaokstone across to boot away. Time was called, and the referee, Mr.l W. d. Sryce, ordered the playing of extra time! Diamonds made away at onco for the ;deciding goal,, and Ferguson was pulled ■up in the very goalmouth, and the next minute Palmer, at ths Diamond goal, had swung a, hard shot in to Waller, wlid .just'punched away and no more. :Ai the other end again MfLeod sent in. n bullet shot,, but- Bell took it with a . Cratrtim c return,. setting Brown and Palmer off to the Diamond goal. Waller .went far out and Gilbortson slammed din, but again Newport bopted away with ■tlio ball not a foot from the goalmouth, a very fine save. • . Tfie -whistle blow for the change-over, £"<* SISAL'S: -££_Sk2£SS£ dftwu _the

lino by Watorsiders' right-wing commenced, and again hesitation, this time on Waller's part, almost let , them through. Ho waited for a shot to roll over, the line, jnst aa _ Hawkins hu;l done,, but ho had better luck in that at the last moment lie was ablo to pick up- and was forced back over tho lino! The corner kick was sent out by Auld, and Jones's return Hew high. From the kick-out Ferguson went away with liLs inside men, and a scramble followed at tho Waterside .goal. Ope hard shot Por-' teous punched' a clear thirty yards, but in'a flash it was sent in again 'and a' second scramble followed, till Ferguson sent in hard from a, few yards out. Jackstone, for once,'misjudged his kick and deflected tho ball into his own goalmouth. '■

The game was -won, Diamonds 2, watersiders 1, for though Watersiders covered the length, of the field in one speedy rush'and Palmer forced a corner, D. M'lCee booted away to the touchline, and • with the ball out of play the whistle went for time.