FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1920, Page 4

FOOTBALL

Cass Square was in capital order yesterday for tlie football matches. There was a north-easterly breeze that blew dd'lni the Held, but the playing ground was dry and fast. A large attendance lined the ground and they were given a very bright exhibition on the part of tho winners.

SCHOOLS GAME

As a curtain raiser yesterday afternoon on Cass Square, a game was played between teams representing the Marist School at Grey and Hokitika State School, players to be Under 8, stone. I The game resulted in a win for the Marist team by 12 points to 3. The visitors played with the wind behind ! them in the first spell, and showed coni siderable combination, smartly running lup 12 points. In the second half the j visitors continued to have by far the best of the game, and it was not till nearly tho end of play that the local team opened their scoring, R. Nightingale getting over from a loose rush. The play throughout was of an interesting nature, the lads handling in excellent style, the lighter*weights on both sides showing up to decided advantage. The play was keen throughout, but the visitors opened out the play in good stylo and easily had the best of the play, well deserving their win. For the winners A. Kennedy kicked two penalty goals, while tries were scored by E. Shannalian and N. Kiely. For Hokitika, Nightingale scored a try. Mr I). Dee was referee.

MARISTS (CHRISTCHURCH) V. SOUTHERN DIVISION.

The visiting senior champions of Christchurch, the Marists team, played the Division fifteen on Cass Square, when they ran up a total of 57 points (17 tries, three being converted) to 3 points (a try). As the score tale unfolds,, there was only one team in tho picture. Fronj the start the visitors, playing with a breeze behind them, opened out the play. Getting the ball smartly from the scrum they at once threw it about in the freest manner. Their handling throughout was excellent, their passing smart, and their following and backing up quite a revelation to some of their opponents. With the hall continually in their opponents hands, there was only one thing for the home team to do and that was to go for their man in the one and only true way —low. This the team as a whole badly failed to do. Forwards as well as bneks, right to the full back, were equally blameworthy, but it was specially noticeable at the end of the passing runs that the defence was very weak indeed. lii this respect one of the emergencies who played wing three-quarter Wright, alone went low, andi as a result many of the attacks on his side went astray. Throwing the ball about as they did, and handling so cleanly, with the weakest of defence opposed to them, it was no wonder that their attack went homo at regular intervals and the score steadily rose till it assumed such very substantial proportions. In the lirst spell eight tries were notched. The place kicking was vdi-y poor indeed, and though-several of the tries were close in to the posts, only one was converted. In the second half, for a. short time the visitors continued the attack and the score began to continue to mount. Then the home team in a loose rush o.r two took the play to the other end, and one or two openings were rather badly mulled. Then from a pass Wells got possession near the posts, and he made a dash across tho field selfishly hanging oil, wit'll, a couple of players.on the outside waiting for a pass. Using his pace he outdistanced his opponents and ran in at the corner and scored. The kick failed. There were some further attacks, but the smartness of the visitors in turning defence into attack completely demoralised the local team, and away the play came back, and the visitors piled up their huge score, nine tries coming in this spell, two being converted, while several of the others were very easy shots that were badly missed. The visitors are a capital combination, fast and nippy, while their handling and passing was of a very high order. They made the play as fast and open as possible, very seldom finding the line and opening up passing runs oil every possible opportunity. Of course the weakness of the opposing collaring made their task an extremely easy one. Up against a fast smashing team of forwards and good tackling backs, a different style'of play would result. With anything like decent attempts at collaring the score would not have been one third what it finally totalled.

The local forwards were generally beaten in the scrum for the ball and they lacked the combination that so helped their opponents. In the loose play when the ball was on the ground they made headway, but once the ball went into the hands of an opponent they had that heavy task of chasing, but they stuck well to the task, and had they tackled decently much labor would have been saved. The backs handled fairly safely, but they were very slow in getting off the mark, in marked contrast to the other side, and in this respect and their utter failure to collar low were their gravest errors, it being almost ludicrous on occasions to see their tricky opponents leaving them as it were in, the air, not knowing what to do. Mr L. Hills was referee, and he did excellently, though at times the smartness of the visiting combination even got the best of him, when their pace in attack got him out of line of the passing. For the winners tries were scored by Landrigan (3), J. Mullins (4), Fitzgerald (3), Peterson (2), Smyth (2), H.. Mullins, Ellis and Flood. Only three tries were converted.

The Southern Division team to play Grey representatives on Cass Square on Saturday will consist ofFull-back L. Ross; three-quarters, Wright, Steele, Wogan; five-eigliths Wells, Irving; half, Hannah ; wing-forward, Johnson; forwards, Devaney, Nancekivell, J Cuthush, Askew, Martyn, Wallace, Carjh?y. Emergencies: Forwards, Powley, C. Smith; backs: Bothune, Chetwynd. Any players unable to play are requested to notify the Secretary.

SOUTH ISLAND BEATEN. THAMES, August 25. Notwithstanding a steady rain, about 1500 spectators witnessed the South

Island y. the combined Thames and Goldfielda match at Parawai. Despite tho greasy ball and slippery ground the gamo was; very fast. Thames scored during the first minute’s piny and again towards half time. Nelson dropped a pretty goal for the visitors, making the .score, Thames 0, 'South Island 4at the interval. With a strong wind in their favour Thames sot the pace in the second spell, putting on another eleven points to their oponents five. Tho conditions made back play practically impossible and Soccer tactics were the order of tho day. The forwards were fairly evenly matched, the extra, weight of ' wl pick telling. South Island were strongly at the call of time, when the scores stood 17, South Island 9.

OTAGO V. SOUTHLAND. INVERCARGILL, August 28. Tho representative Rugby match, Otagov. Southland, was played here today In the presence of about 5000 people a.nd resulted in a win for the visiting team by 11 points to 9. SYDNEY UNIVERSITY’S TOUR. WELLINGTON, August 25. The Sydney University played the opening match of their tour here tojday, when they met End defeated Victoria College by 20 points to 18. CHRISTCHURCH MATCHES. CHRISTCHURCH, August 25. In the Inter-Ootlegiate football tournament, Wellington and Wanganui Colleges drew to-day with eight points each. SYDNEY, Aug. 26. At Newcastle, the English footballers defeated Newcastle by 17 to 10.