FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1918, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

- *OOO- ■ EXCELSIORS V.'PIRA'i KS. The junior championship game on Cass Square on Saturday afternoon bo-te,-eon the Excelsior and Pirates (Rimu), teams resulted fn a win for the Excelsior team by f> points (a try and a penalty goal) to 3 points (a try). There was showery weather all through the game, making the ball and ground greasy, and this had a considerable effect on the play. In the first half some fair form was shown, hut in the second half the game dwindled in quality and was of a slow and far from exciting nature. Play in the opening stages gave promise of an interesting game, the forwards on both sides doing some good work. The first observable feature was a clever break away by Maunder who took the ball right through to the line, where over eagerness by another hack, who got off side, gave relief to the defence. Shortly afterwards a forward playing the man and not the hall caught the referee's eye and a warning was given for future behaviour. This was tlie only unseemly incident, of the play, which throughout was of a very friendly nature. Himu were soon after forced by hard kicking in a forward rush, the Excelsiors coming hack almost immediately with another rush, and the defenders just got on to the hall in time. Then the visiting full back stopped a rush and following up an advantage took the hall through and play went to the other end where a neat mark gave Rimu an easy shot right in front. The kick was a poor one, and this lost their only chance of scoring till near the closing stages of the game. The play went to the other end and from it serum the Excelsior hacks all took a hum!, and Ross dashed over and scored a good try. A poor kick by Stapleton tailed to increase the advantage. Shortly afterwards from a penalty for off-side Ross placed a neat goal. I'Tom this on to tho end of the spell, (which by the way lasted for fifty minutes, owing to a poor arithmetical calculation), the play was of a fairly even nature, without much incident of note. The second half was even poorer, the heavy going telling a tale on nearly all the players, who slowed down and failed to handle cleanly. With a quarter ot an hour Lo go. Rimn livened up a little and a forward rush saw the ball go over near the corner, where (.'orsan scored. The kick failed. The Pirates again attacked, hut they were stalled oil. and as the game neared the end Excelsiors again attacked, time being called with the play near the Pirates quarter flag.

Tlic'iv wore not many standing out incidents in tlio same and tiif.se were mostly of a negative nature l . Some additions’ to tile Kxeelsior’s team did not make the improvement expected. The. forwards generally worked well, while their form lasted, hut when the Pirates got the hall, they sent it out of the .serum far cleaner than their opponents. The red forwards however, had a lot of “wingers” who should he told their place or left out, most of the many penalties coming ironi them. The hacks were better than their opponents. 'Die. two closest to the serum put in a fairly heavy afternoon’s work.the five-eighth showing to best advantage. The visitors forwards were willing hut were badly beaten in the loose forward i rushes, a feature where the hacks also failed to get there, and when their captain failed to stop a rush, it generally went to the full hack, there being an absence of combination that spoilt their general play. Their day’s play suffered considerably when compared with their game the previous week. On the play tile winners well deserved their win. which sould easily have been by a larger margin. Mr. L. Hills had charge of the whistle and kept the players well in hand throughout.