FOOTBALL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 May 1910, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

— -# THE OPENING MATCHES. LEVI-N-"WANDERERS G v SHANNON 0. The first championship match of this season was played oil the Levin Reserve on Saturday, in splendid weather. Shannon arrived with a strong team, and were quite confident of lowering the local club's colours. In their team were included a number of new players whose presence considerably augmented the strength of the combination. Shannon will improve as the season advances, and will givo trouble to the best team in the union when they strike form. Levin-Wanderers certainly got the best of the luck as far as the wind was concerned for it freshened as soon as the second! spoil started. Hud the visitor's backs kicked higher in the first spell they would have got more aid from the breeze which was blowing. Both packs were very evenly matched, but the ball came away from the scrum anything but cleanly. Taking tho ga.me right through the better team won, for Shannon hardly got past the half-way, and never once in the Levin-Wanderer -> in the second spell. No doub't the long kicking, with the wind behind them, of the home backs in the second spell broke the visitors up, though they stuck gamely to their task right up to tho finish. Tho "spectator nuisance" was very much in evidence, and some steps will have to be taken by tho Union to keep them off the lines.

Levin lost •the toss and set the ball going, Freddy Cootes returning with a good kick. Shannon (yellow) started a smart rush which Stuckev saved with a kick into touch. Not to be denied, tlwy Shannon fonvards got going again. Stucke.v made a speculator, and missed, Neville Winiata just saving in the nick of time to stop a score. From a throw out Levin wore forced. It was evident that the forwards were going to have a big say in the game for the ball was kept mostly in the van, loose dribbling rushes being tho order of the day. The backs 011 both sides were frequently called upon to show their defensive powers. Stevenson saved several fine i'ushes by the Black vanguard, in capital style, whilst Lewer and Coo'te did n lot of defensive work for Levin. Shannon were giving the home team a lot of trouble to keep them from scoring, and repeatedly Smith Daliell and Wright led their pack down amongst the Levin backs, Itheir efforts being frustrated by a kick into touch. On several occasions they penned the home team 011 their line, but the defence was not to bo penetrated. Just before half time, from a scrum in front of Shannon's goal, Lewer got the ball and essayed n pot, the oval going just outside the post. The spell ended without .1 score being registered bv either side.

On the resumption of plu.v ifclio home team, with a good breeze behind them, soon invaded the Yellow's territory, and Close just missed scoring twice in quick succession., and owing to hard kicking by the Levin backs Shannon were forced twice. Xepia sent a long kick to Royal who kicked out of touch close to Shannon's line. Before the Yellow's realised what was up the ball was thrown out to Close, who dived over. Cootei failed to convert. Shannon were soon driven back from the kick out, and a passing bout by Everett, Coote and J horn saw the. latter thrown out close to the line. The visitor's backs were showing good defensive powers and cleared their line to the 20, where Close broke away and got over the line, but a five vard.s' scrum was ordered for held ball. A force resulted and A reus next made a bold bid to score Horn a free kick, a force again resulting. Shannon rallied, their forwards taking play to half way, where it hovered for a short time, the Blacks then making another onslaught on Shannon's line. From a scrum close to the line, Neville secured, the ball and passed it'to Martin who wipped over and scored. Everett failed to find the uprights. Levin kept up the attack but were unable to improve their score. Shannon made a_ filial flutter just on the call of time, when they took play past the halfway. Mr Ruihi Wehepeihana refereed.

Shannon possesses some, good forwards in Wright, Smith, Dalziell, Oshonie and liapu, who .will ake tilings up before the season ends. Mack Royal, Stevenson, Fred Cootes and Grimstone were the best of their backs, .all doing a fair share of the work. The Levin pack is a, very solid one, Close and Wilson shoving out very conspicuously. The backs acquitted themselves 'well but there is room for improvement. Combination appeared to he a minus quantity which may he accounted for hy the fact that several of the players made their first abearance for the season on Saturday. II( T T MAT (9) v. KTA TOA (0). These teams met at Mannkau in what was ideal football weather— viz., a dull sky and no wind—'besides which the ground was in splendid order. For some time after the kick oft, play was most uninteresting, scrum following scrum, until from n 13 of these Hakaria got the ha,l clean and quickly away to Taylor, riion a pretty piece of passing «,-s seen : Taylor to Prim, to Ww, then hack to Prim, who was colored within a couple of yards of the line. This woke Hui Mai up, and Iroin a fine forward rush the ball was eventually passed out to 10 lieva-n, who cut in nicely and ""ave a well-timed pass to A.'Cook, "who outran his opponents and scored. Martin tailed to convert. Within ton minutes Cook almost scored iigain, and Wlinreo got within a lew vnrds n ,„i to George, but the Inityr was 111 front, Tlio spell * r'cl ed: Hui Mai 3, Kia. Toa, nil. Early in the second spell, Tavloi', who had been playing a sound srame for the Otaki team, was liurt—the result of a collision—and had to re * r L'; e - r _ was dangerously n.,ar Kia Foa s line, and Horo sent the bid out to E. Bevan, who kicked In^li; and the full-back mitssnig M Hevan dived on to the ball and scowl, but the kick at goal v again unsuccessful. Condition wns telling now, and Hui Mai had the upper hand to the finish. Prom a throw-in, Wea cleverly took the ball, and beating a feeble opposition, scored the third try for Hui .Mai, the kick Again failing. The ga■> o thus ended: Hui .Mai 9, Kin Toa 0. Indonbtedly the better conditioned teflm won, but still Hui Mai's play left much to be desired. Tlbair hookers failed to get the hall; their half is much too fond of diving round or through the scrnm instead of shooting the ball out, and there is a want of quick, accurate passing. Martin, at full-back, was in fino form and his taking and, kicking were splendid. H. Reran was the best of th'o reniainin.ig hacks. Of the forwards, Ropata, George an.<r Horo were the pick. For the losers, Prim, Taylor and Neliu were the best backs, Pawiri being weak, while J. Cootes and Wilson. were the best forwards. Mr F. Rout was referee.