ASSOCIATION TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1937, Page 4

ASSOCIATION TOUR

VISITORS' FINE PLAY EASY WIN AT NAPIER (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NAPIER, This Day. The English amateur Association football team opened their New Zealand tour at Napier yesterday in fine weather before an attendance of 2000 when they scored a signal victory over a Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay team by 12 goals to nil. The visitors probably had not lost their sea legs, and this would account for some poor shooting. Their positional play was superb, an Englishman never being found out of place. Their penetration was. effective, and they lost no time. Most of their attacks came from the right wing, but the scoring was chiefly from the left, Finch getting three goals and losing another through being offside. The visitors' interception was splendid and their ball control effective and pleasing. The home team defended really well considering the great superiority of the visitors. The home goalkeeper, Hill (Gisborne), put up a great fight, and considering his trials his record was splendid, some,of his saving being cheered. Towards the end both sides tired perceptibly, but only for a short time, the English attack resuming with great activity. The home team won the toss and played with ~ slight northerly breeze, but they were defending practically the whole time, their periods of attack being of brief duration. . Scoring came fairly frequently. Out the missed shots were much ■ more numerous. All members of the visiting team took a full share of the work, but their excellent combined efforts made much more work for their oppon* ents. The third goal was accidentally netted by Brian, who miskicked into his own net. Joy's effort was perfect, the ball being taken on the full and glanced into the net off his chest. Collins's goal also possessed much merit, but to Finch went the honours of the day. The scorers were:—Finch (3), Thornton (.2), Matthews (2), Collins, Lewis, Joy, and Leek one each. The game was so one-sided that at half-time the ' crowd at the home team's goal walked to the other end of the field to be close to the scene of action during the second spell. Mr. R. Callacher was the referee.