CLAY SAVES GAME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20039, 11 September 1939, Page 12

CLAY SAVES GAME

FIELD GOAL EFFORT THIRD GRADERS EVEN P.D. THE BETTER TEAM P.B. Thirds Opts. Auckland Suburbs 9 Handicapped in all but a wonderful lighting spirit, the PoveHy Bay third grade representatives shared a drawn game with the Auckland Suburbs team in the early match at the Oval on Saturday, a field goal by the Bay captain, Clay, evening the scores right on the call of time.

The visitors had a big advantage in weight, height and age, but the young Bay team were the better fighters and, on the run of play, would have been better rewarded with a victory. There was only one team in it in the second spell, and that team was Poverty Bay. The Poverty Bay forwards, packing well, early took up the attack and caused the Suburbs’ defence some trouble, Hepburn, the Bay full-back, having a chance of opening the home score but missed a sitter in front of the posts. Clay kept the Bay on the attack with a good run, Scott being unlucky to miss a try in a good dive ror the line. Although badly outweighed, the Bay team were having the better of things in the forwards, but their movements lacked finish.

liay Scores First Poverty Bay were first to score when Carson set the backs going, the ball travelling to Lennane for the latter to score. Hepburn converted and'placed the home side 5 points up. Hepburn went close to putting the Bay further ahead with a penalty, Poverty Bay keeping the pressure well on, but a fumble by Lennane gave Suburbs a chance. Poverty Bay came again and bustled Thom, the Suburbs full-back, into a hasty kick for the line. Solid tackling by the Bay backs and forwards was checking Suburbs’ thrusts, but extra weight in the visiting pack allowed the Aucklanders to come back on the offensive. Shooting the ball out from the scrum well, Cole sent the Suburbs’ backs away for Hiscock to score an unconverted try.— Poverty Bay 5. Suburbs 3. The home fifteen swept back to the attack again, but Taylor, > from a dropped pass by Lennane, put the iAucklanders on the attack, and Hoystead held a reverse pass to score in the corner, the kick by Thom missing. Half-time ,saw the score Suburbs 6, Poverty Bay 5. Suburbs set up a hot offensive on the resumption and tested the home defence strongly, but Oliver put the visitors further in front with ah unconverted try.—Suburbs 9, Poverty Bay 5. Home Forwards Sound The visitors were’throwing the ball about well, but the Bay pack, working well, took play to their own ' 25. Suburbs came back, but Bradfield, a Bay forward, made a good counterrun. Opened up by Carson, the Bay backs went away in a good run, the forwards, led by Foote, carrying on well. Suburbs came back again, their heavier pack doing good work, but a sharp Bay back attack shifted the venue of play and forced Suburbs to concede a penalty on their goalline, llie angle being 100 acute for Hepburn. Now entrenched in Suburbs’ territory, the home team worked hard for a try, Bradfield making two good runs. Ingram further improved the position for the home team and Johnston had a chance with a difficult penally which just went wide.

Poverty Bay were on lop at this stage and, when Suburbs threatened, Hepburn drove them back with a clever line-kick. Carson ,was nearly over from a scrum for the Bay, and from a ruck Clay potted a field goal on the call of time to make the score Poverty Bay 9, Suburbs 9. The referee was Mr. F. Bayliss.