FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4417, 22 May 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

RESULTS AT A GLANCE. \ ‘ SEfUOR. WEST 6, NETHERTON 4. KOMATA 10, SUBURBS 3. JUNIOR, EAST 3, WEST 0 NETHERTON 12, KOMATA 3, THIRD GRADE. WEST '6, EAST 0. SCHOOL 8, PHYSICAL TRAINING 5. WEST V. NETHERTON. The West v. Netherton match, played on the Domain on Saturday, was hard and fast, and was the best game played in Paeroa this season in that it was more open, with the teams evenly matched, than previous games. All the points scored were from kicks, Netherton opening up with a drop-kick frpm the field ih the second quarter, and Dean converted two penalty kicks in the last quarter for West. For the winners Ellis, Taylor,, White, and Reid did good work in the forwards, the latter taking the lead in. the tight play, ■PivOtt was probably the best of the backs, although there was not inuch difference between .apy of them, with the exception of Wells, who was ‘•green.’* The. Netherton forwards were fairly even, with B.’ Johnson and T. Johnson showing up in the loose. In the backs P. was easily the best, and is the best halfback seen on the local ground this season. The other bgcks were fair, with the exception of; J. Johnson and Smith- Johnson, who played fulb back, is a supporter o' Netherton, and only took the field to fill a vacancy. Smith, who played on the left wing, was more of a hindrance than a help. After the opening kick a number of scrums followed about the half-way line, these giving way to penalty kicks on both sides.. Netherton forwards finally got going, and with a loose rush sent the ball oyer the line; West forcing. Treanor returned from the drop-out, but West pushed back again and open play in mid-field followed. " Netherton opened the attack again but Shaw relieved with a mark. Another attack by Netherton was stopped through a breach by one of their players, West clearing with the kick to half-way. From ,a penalty kick by Netherton in West’s territory Pivotf. took well down the field. Following some loose forward play Netherton initiated a passing rush, but Shaw again saved from a dangerous situation with a neat mark. The quarter ended with play in mid-field.

N’etfierton went on the attack after *TRTmiTge- over, but a good opportunity was spoilt by a throw-on. The red and blacks worked down again, by line-play, but Shaw returned the ball to half-way. From a loose scrum: B Johnson got away and sent down the field, Poland saving with a line kick. Netherton kept up the attack, anl form a scrum near the side-line the ball' worked out to McNeil, who dropkicked a goal from the field. Netherton 4, West 0. West livened up aflter this, and followed up the kick-out and put Netherton on the defensive, but Smith relieved with a m ark. Netherton forwards broke away, but, with an open field in front of them, Fisher got offside. Treanor worked the blind side of a scrum at halfway and seat down to Netherton’s twenty-five, but the latter soon sent back to their opponents’ territory. Pivott got possession, and by a series of kicks sent to the ether end of the field, Smith, running behind' and kicking over the dead-ball line. In the scrum which eventuated just tn front of the posts Taylor was penalised. Open play inside Netherton’s Iwenty-flve line followed; Pivott missing an easy penalty kick at goal. Shortly afterwards EJvpns dribbled the ball from his own . side of half-way to past Netherton’s twenty-five,' but just when a score seemed probable Poland joined in and wfth a hard kick sent over the line, Netherton forcing. Play was restrict--ed to mid-field until half-time. ~ West gained the advantage in the loose play which followed the kickoff in the second half, and had Netherton defending for a time. A period of open play in" mid-field ended with a loose rush by Netherton, but they .did not go,far before being penalised. An exchange of kicks then took place, Netherton finding the line in West’s territory. Tight play on West’s line was terminated by .a penalty being awarded to Netherton. The kick at goal missed. West forced. Fast up and down play was indulged in until the change over. The last quarter was fast and open, and njostly in neutral territory. Aifjter a time Netherton suffered a penalty on their twenty-five line, Dean converting the’kick. Netherton 4, West 3. West held Netherton in the latter’s territory, and it was not long before the referee again penalised the defenders. Dean took the kick and put West in the lead. West 6, Netherton. 4. Netherton took down fr,om the kick-out to the other twenty-five, .where a hard forward ensued for a tim?, fin, ally resolving into open up and down play till .the call of time. Mr W. Bryden was referee.

The other senior game, Komata v. Suburbs, played at Hikutaia, with M.“. R. B. Penlington in charge, gave Komata another win, the scores being; Komata 10, Suburbs 3. E. Moore drop-kicked a goal from the field and converted a penalty kick and Pitts also kicked a. penalty goal for Komata. The three points scored by Suburbs were the Tiesuit of a try by Long. JUNIORS. The East v. West match on .the No. 2 ground was a very even game, the former winning by 3 to 0, H. Thorp scoring a try for East. Mr R. Chamberlain refereed. The Netherton v. Komata game, played at Netherton, with Mr B. Dunlop ir. charge of the whistle, ended in ■favoui of the home team by 12 to 3. THIRD GRADE. Dast and West third-grade teams played a,curtain-raiser to the senior

match at the Domain. A good game was witnessed, West having slightly the best of it. The scores at the finish of the game were six to pi, I’ in favour of West, made up by two tries Scored by Verran. Mr E. Shaw wasreferee. The School team travelled to Thames on Saturday to try conclusions with Physical Training, a Thames team. The local boys had a win by 8 to 5, their points- being made up of a try by Towers Which was converted by Gariy, and a penalty goal by Garry. THE HAURAKI PLAINS. A. AND B. MATCHES. REPRESENTATIVES PICKED. The Hauraki Plains cup fixtures were suspended last Saturday to permit of A. and B. trial matches to oe played in order to select the representatives to meet the Piako teams next Saturday. Though .the best players were seen in action, the play was not of the highest order, and both games were most uninteresting from a spectator’s point of' view. Even admitting that trial matches never evoke great enthusiasm from the spectators, the absence pt snappy combined action made the proceedings -.very dull indeed. There is, however, some very fair material to pick from, and the senior and junior teams selected should give a good account of themselves-. THE SENIORS.

The following took the field in the senior tira.l match :

A. Team (black and white).— Nichols, D, Fox, Beasley, Adlam, OMcM’llan, N. Lang, James, Newdick. Dawsorf. Slack, Berney, Parsons', K Fox, J. Lang, G. Elvini B. Team (red and black), —BTpmfleld, McCollum, CL Stretton, Waiwai, G. Paton, O’Carnpll, Tanner, J. Faulkner, Rapa.nl, Dent, Tipa, R. Paton Bodford, Spencer, and, Bolton. This match resulted in a very narrow win (5 to 3) for the B. Team, who .after being penned up in their own half .for the gre.ater part of the first ihree quarters of the game, •brightened, up a little in the last qu.arter and opened the scores with a converted try, the. A.’s retaliating with an unconverted try just before time was called.

In the opening stages of the game McCollum received a kick from Nichol? a,nd ran for the go al-line, but Nichols collared him smartly from behind. Play-went back to .the B.’s twenty-five, where O’Carroll obtained and. found the line. A mark by Adlam put the A’s in a good position, which was maintained till Blomfield temporarily relieved with a.mark. The A.’s came back again, and from a line-cr,t the ball wa> passed albng the line and Adlam made a good attempt to score in the comer.

The A.’s were soon pressing after the change over,, and the B.’s were penned up in their own half, for some time. Play livened up and t.he B. team took a turn at the attack and the A.’s were obliged to A mark by Nichols, who found the line, relieved the position for the A's. Half time arrived with the score-sheet unopened. After the spell the B’s were again on the defensive, but. soon, retaliated and the A’s forced. Play continued in the A. twenty-five until the defenders were relieved with a free. Fox made a good opening for the A’s and took play to the B twenty-five, where the defenders relieved with a force. Play brightened somewhat in the final quarter. The-B team was first away. After some give and take play the B team took the offensive. O’Carroll secured, and Stretton, receiving the pass, dived over. Rapani converted. B’s 5, A’s 0. The B team continued to press and had the A’s thinking, but the A team with a determined rush got into the opposing twentyfive and K. Fox, following up fast, scored. The kick'failed. B’s 5, A’s 3- , Mr D. G. McMillan was referee. THE JUNIORS. The junior teams were : ■ A (red and black).—Dance, Watini, Reta, Wilton. Sims-, Satchell, Elvin Jackson, Waugh. Cowdrey, Smith’, Majurey, Clotworthy, Martin, Grant. B. (black apd white).-—H. Clark, Grogan, J. Banks. Merryman, Robinson, Evans, Frisken, Brown Toto, Herekino, Gougich, Itfan, Catlin, McCowatt, Williams, and Cpxhead. This match was of a slightly more interesting nature- than the senior game. Play was brighter and some attempt was made at combination. The B team was successful by 3 pointe to 6. C. Grant scored early in the first quarter for the A’s, but the try was not converted.. The A team added .to their score in the second quarter, when Satchell and Watini opened up a rush. Smith followed up a resultant kick and scored, the attempt to convert failing. Soon afterwards the ball came to the A’s twen-ty-five, where McCowatt picked up the bell and scored. The try was not converted. Half time was called immediately atfer, with the scores A 6, B 3. One or two good individual efforts marked the third quarter, but no further scores resulted till the last quarter, when Robinson, of the B. team, secured at half-way and with a good run outpaced the opposition and scored a try, which Banks converted, the game ending B’s 8, A’s 6. Mr D. Green was referee.

The names of the representative teams will appear in Wednesday’s issue.