FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 October 1919, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

MARXISTS Y. HOKITIKA,

T&6 visiting Canterbury Senior Cup Champions, the Marist team, met a team froni Hokitika and district on Cass Square yesterday afternoon and were returned easy victors by 18 points (four tries, three being converted) to nil. Tries were scored by J. Mullins, Peterson (2) and McCormack.

The visitors came with a big reputation and as a result there was a’ large attendance on the ground' to' Witness the game. Ca‘ss Square was in capital order, the playing field being firm and dry, .and there was only a South-west breeze blowing, which was not of any igreat advantage to either side. Piny opened with’ thh visitors (Greens) who are a heavy, evenly built team, getting into their stride at once with a passing run which a penalty for offside stepped. After s6me scrums near the centre the greens came a Way and an attack was looking dangerous when Wallace nicely stopped it. A clever nlark by Brown' sent back the play and then the greeir backs got going till Duncraft jumped in and intercepted cleverly. The ball quickly came back, the visitors hacks opening out prettily, the ball coming to the red line where Wells' took it back with a nice run. The visitors continued to attack, the teds being mainly on a sturdy defence, till from a scrum tlie ball went to’ J, Mullins in midfield and with a’, very fine dodgy run, he badly beat the' defence and scored a pretty try under the posts. O’Malley made no mistake with the kick a goal resulting. The visitors .shone in the line-out add open rushes and kept up the attack, mistakes on their part helping to spoil fine openings. Play went to the other end, Brown showing to advantage and then Walker stopped a rush with a fine kick to the corner flag. A tight scrum in front of the green line saw Mark Wallace cleverly mark in front of the posts, but Brown missed an easy chance to convert. Soon after half time came with the score 5 to 0 in Marists’ favor.

The second half opened with a red rush, a chance being missed, the ball going out at the corner. Tlie forwards were holding the visitors, for a time, but the superior condition and fine combination of the visitors brought the play iback smartly added by a couple of bad misses by the local backs. A series of smart attacks by the' visitors saw the defence sorely tried, heavy collaring alone stopping the attack temporarily. Then from a loose scrum the green backs got going and Peterson dodged over under the posts. O’Malley piloted the ball over the bar, but a red forward had managed to touch it in transit—B-0. From the kick out, the full back took the ball, and potted, the attempt being a. good one but going a little wide, a force re suiting. Following the kick out a nice rally led by Brown and Walker was smartly stopped and back came tlie green forwards till Nancekivell cleverly marked. A forward rush led by Henderson and Carley took play to the green’s quarters, and was followed by a lot of line kicking. A green run looked dangerous when Brown stopped it, but another run came from a scrum, across the field to the touch and the player kicking to the centre, half a dozen' greens went over by the posts and McCormack scored. O’Malley converted 13-0. Soon after the greens came away with another fine passing fun, and badly beating their opponents scored a very easy try again under the posts, Peterson touching down, with liis second try, O’Malley again converted, tlie score being 18 to nil, with a quarter of an hour to go. The The greeils continued to attack but ;he defence held them back in spite of one or two narrow escapes and time was called with tlie score 18 to 0.

The visitors fully upheld their reputation as a. clever, fast combination. They gave a fine exhibition of line out play, monopolising the ball in this ■'department, and in the 'loose open rushes show to advantage. The team passed well and their kicking was very solid. The forwards, in the pack were the weak point. They failed to hold the scrums cleanly, and the formation was not a solid one, but they shone in the loose open play and followed up smartly and tackled well. The team as a whole took many chances, especially in handling the ball on the ground in the scrums, and after a tackle, and in piay, in the open, and passing rushes. They-came out well with comparatively few penalties, but this portion of their play was a decided blemish in a clever exhibition. Tile passing runs among the backs on many occasions lacked cleverness as they failed on occasions to cut in as they should have, with so many opportunities. Having the ball in their own hands most ol' the game, if proper use had been made of it, a cricket score should have resulted but for the day only four tries were scored and some of these lucky ones. Tile team was in excellent condition, which told its tale towards the end of the game, and at the finish they were going nearly as fast as ever. As before stated in th e scrums the forwards were fairly well held, but in the loose they backed, up well with a snap and a dash that gave a reminder ol earlier day football on ,the same grouin. in years gone by. The exhibition should prove of decided value to the younger players and was appreciated by the large number of spectators who followed the play with great interest. The local team were up against it all through, and sturdily did their utmost to defend their lines, and it was only on two or three occasions that they broke down badly and then scores came, only one however, being the result of a clear cut effort, the others being somewhat lucky ones. Individually they played well and there were several instances of clover individual efforts but the lack of combination and condition told its tale. Tlio team as a whole however is to be congratulated on its big fight that they put up against the odds, and as they before stated they had the visitors extended, except on a few occasions. Brown, stood out very prominently and his play was of a high order, his defence being sound and lie opened out tlio play at every opportxxnity. Walker and Duncraft were the best of the other backs while Henderson, Carley, Wallace, and liarleer were the most prominent of the hardworking pack. Mr L. Hills controlled the gamo in excellent style.