Football News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 255, 3 May 1897, Page 2

Football News.

The first match of the season was played in Feilding on Saturday last betwoen Birmingham and a team representing the Feilding Club. Birmingham played with fourteen men and Feilding with thirteen two of whom were boys, several of those selected having failed to put in an appearance. After a fairly interesting game the visitors proved the winners by 18 to 3. In the first ipell Birmingham played with the snn at their back and from the " Kick off " made things merry for Feilding, and within two minutes from the start Fraser carried the ball to the home team's 25 ' a where he transferred the leather to Fanthorpe who scored a try, A Bryne was entrusted with the kick at goal and succeeded in converting. For the first fifteen minutes of this spell the visitors had the best of the game which waa fairly loose. From " line out " play Famhorpa obtained a pass and scored the second try for the visitors, A. Bryne's attempt to convert being unsuccessful. On changing sides the home team livened up a little and for a while looked bb though they would turn a seeming defeat into a victory, and Clarke, who had been placed as a wing forward in place of a three-quarter as in the first spell, by fast following up rushed the ball over tha visitor's goal line and Dermer fell on it scoring a try for Feilding. Although an easy kick, Morshead failed to convert. From this the game was faster and more interesting, first one side and thin the other having a momentary advantage. The visitors who from the commencement were playing a sterling game, a great deal of passing being indulged in by them, were not to be denied and when in the Feilding 25 's Sangster obtained a pass from scrummaging play and scored the third try for the visitors, Bryne converting. Feilding were now battling hard to score and were in the visitors 25's when Fraser got away with the ball and was not grassed until he came to full back, A. Keade. Fraser quickly passed to Bryne who waa following up, and not having anyone to pass scored again for Birmingham. Bryne took the kick at goal and succeeded in securing the major points. Time was then called, leaving Birmingham the victors by 18 points to 3. Tha visitors were undoubtedly the better team, being heavier and faster on the average, and showed much more combination than the local players ; their tackling waa good and their passing in most instances accurate. It would be unfair to mention any individual player amongst the visitors as having played the best where all worked so hard and assisted so well in Bccuring a victory. Of the local team there was only one senior member of two years ago (F. Gieeen) and three of last season, the remainder being young players who have yet to win their laurel?, or old players who have not played for some time. On the whole the team showed a lamentable weaknees and unless they pull themselves together will not make a yery creditable stand this season. P. Giesen, although very much out of form was the best among the backs, while Duncan and David Whisker, Dermer and Farmer, tour young players, did good service as forwards ; Gannon, a new-comer to the the district, should be a serviceable back, coltaring aud kicking fairly well, besides having a little pace. Mr J. Bobinson acted as referee.