EXCITING FINISH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 132, 21 June 1937, Page 9

EXCITING FINISH

Hastings and Pirates Stage Stern Struggle LAST-MINUTE SCORE A hard tussle between Hastings and Pirates on McLean Park, Nar pier, on Saturday iesulted in a win for tbe former by 17 points to 10. Witb five minutes to play, Pirates were but two points in arrears and made desperate efforts to score, and wlien a penalty narrowly missed, excitement among the spectators was at fever pitch, but a last-min-ute try for Hastings put the issue "beyond doubt. Hastings : Dyer, Cooke, Robertson, McNab, Nelson, Gillies, McVay, Howell, Pearson, Wilson, Croft, Wright, Ewing, Verry. Pirates. — Hardgrave, Bliss, Thompson, Austin, Morgan, Dowricb, Lister, Fraser, Keeble, Giltoy, Wolstenholme, Bliss, Lopdell, McKenzie, Hill. The forward play throughout tlie game was of high order, Pirates being supdrior in this departnlent and holding a territorial advantage for the major portiott of the game. Soon after the commettcement of _ play Pirates reached the Hastings line, where Lister was gjrassed within inches of his objective. The Hastings backs Were very weak in passing, and on several .occasions an opportunity of scoring was lost by dropped passes. Finally the visitors penetrated into Pirate territory, and Dydr landed a fine penalty from welJ out, followed within a shoft period by a passing bout by the Hastings backs which ended in Wright cr.ossing near the corner. Dyer eonverted. Pirates" retaliated by another forward rugh which ended in Fraser crossing in the corner, Hardgrave's kick going wide. Following up this eucCess Pirates attacked agaiu and Dowrick took a kick from Dyer to nlanoeuvre • into position and kick a field goal, bringing Pii'ates within one point of the Hastings - score. F.or the remainder of the spell, play was confined to a tussle between the two packs, neither gaining any lasting advantage. From set scrums Pirates gained a majority of the ball, but the weakness of their inside backs, combined with the spoiling work of the Hastings pack, in which Wright nnd Wilson were prominent, effectually put a period to all attacking movements. Nelson further increased the Hastings lead soon after the interval with a fine field goal from well out, but from this period onward, Pirates attacked with a display and energy and determinatioh that fully tested the defence, and was unlucky on occasions Uot to bear fruit. Once wlien Dowrick missed another penalty, and again when Morgan dropped a pass wlien almost across, Pirates were foiled of an opportunity to score, but at last Cooke scored, the kick failing. With but oue scoro to make to draw aliead, Pirates again rallied and attacked strongly. Dyer was cajlled upon on eeveial occasions to save his side, and the representative full-back was right on form. Near tlie end of the game, however, when Pirates were staging a final rally, Wrjght'snapped up a stray kick and gained considerable ground before handing on to Cooke, who Complcted the movement with a score under the posts, Nelson cohverting. The scorers were : — Hastings . (17) : Nelson (field goal and conversion), Dyer (penalty and conversion), Wright (try), and Cooke (try). Pirates (10), Cooke (try), Fraser (try), Dowrick (field goal). Mr R. Gilchrist was the referee.