FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4852, 13 July 1925, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

SATURDAY’S MATCHES. RESULTS AT A GLANCE. POLAND CUP COMPETITION. . Paeroa 9, v. Piako 8. Waihi 9, v. Hauraki Plains 6. JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVES. Waini 14, v. Paeroa 3. SCHOOLS UNION: Paeroa Primary 6, v. High School B i. Ideal weather prevailed locally for sport on Saturday afternoon and a record crowd of spectators assembled at the Racecourse to witness the match played between representatives of the Paeroa and Piako unions in the Frank Poland Memorial Cup Competition. The most interesting game of football seen in Paeroa this season resulted. The game was very hard and fast, and the result was in doubt right up to the call of time. The visitors were the superior team, and although their play was not exactly of first-class standard they showed fair combination. The local representatives were not up to the standard expected in representative football, and were certainly lucky in winning the game by the narrow margin of one point. Time and again the local team had openings but lacked the knowledge of how to make use of them. The tackling by the local playens was also very poor. There was nc combination in the backs. In the tight the forwards more than held their own, but in open play they were beaten by the co-opera-tion between the Piako forwards. The following were the teams: —

Paeroa. —G. Pullar, J. Maloney, A. Royal, C. McNeil, T. PuUar, G. Royal, L. C. Masters, F. Thorp, J. Miller, F. Patterson, G. Fisher, T. Johnson, W. Taylor, A. Williams, V. Carrick. Piako.—Gavin, Hall. Hooker, Goldsbury. Magill, Stewart, Hughes, O’Donoghue, C. Donnell, Morrow, McLaren, Young, Grattan,. Mcliines, P. Magill.

Piako kicked off, but Paeroa gradually worked back up the field and gained a penalty under the posts. Taylor converted. Paeroa 3, Piako 0. Play was close until the visiting backs gained possession and advanced in a passing rush. The game then opened up and became more interesting. Piako just failed with a penalty kick, and play was carried up to the other end of the field, where the visitors were penalised. Taylor with a good kick added another three points to the score. Paeroa 6, Piako 0. Play ranged up and down the field for some time, and Hall just failed to convert a penalty 4 for Piako.

Shortly after the commencement of the second quarter Paeroa committed a breach on the twenty-five line and Hall with a fine kick opened Piako’s score. Paeroa 6, Piako 3. Play became very interesting, both sides attacking and defending in good style. MrLaren took a kick from near the half-way line, but the effort was not powerful enough and operations were quickly transferred to the other end of the field, where, in a hard struggle Miller got over the line. Taylor missed with his third kick. Paeroa 9, Piako 3. The visitors showed good combination in a bout of loose play, and eventually had Paeroa hard pressed. From a scrum on the line Mclnncs picked up smaitly and dived over. Hall converted. Paeroa 9, Piako 8.

On resuming after 1 half-time Stewart (five-eighths) and Hughes (halfback) in the Piako team changed places. Throughout, this quarter the visitors attacked and kept up the pressure. The home team worked hard, however, and the defence was sound. Fast and opne play centred round midfield, and the quarter ended without any permanent advantage to either side.

Following the change over the home team took a turn at attacking, and the quarter opened with hard play, the forwards keeping the ball close. Eventually Hooker gained possession but Maloney tackled well. Piako then threw the ball about, but a good opportunity was lost by a forward pass. Paeroa resumed the pressure and Royal marked in the loose, the result of his kick being a force by Piako. The attacked was maintained by Paeroa and another force was registered. A penalty momentarily relieved for the visitors, and owing to a breach the advantage was lost shortly, afterwards. Just before time was called Thorp kicked over the line for a force. The game ended with play in the visitors’ territory. Mr J. E. Kidd was, referee. PLAINS V. WAIHI. The Hauraki Plains representative team suffered defeat at Waihi on Saturday by nine points to six. The game was a fast, clean exhibition of Rugby, the Plains team having the better of it. The concensus of opinion was that the visitors were unfortunate in not securing a victory. Great difficulty had been experienced in picking a team from tiie men available to play, aud on Saturday morn,ing only 14 of the 19 chosen turned up and the bus had to be delayed while a player was brought from his work to make up the fifteen. However, the fight put up was a surprise to everyone, and goes to prove that there is so much material of almost equal merit that the selecting of a representative team from Hauraik Plains players is not an easy job. It was obvious that the team could be improved in two or three places, and with these alterations it is probable that the succession of defeats experienced this season will be stepped. The team is fast, and is composed of young players. Though its lightness was a disadvantage at Waihi, it proved its superiority in the open play. The Waihi team handled ■ the ball more than did the visitors, but gained few advantages by this class of play. The teams were a& follows :— Waihi. —Morehu, Price, Dillamore, Cutbush, Mooney, McDermott, Malt, Cooper, Speak, Blackmore, Talbot, Peacock, Rolleston Byres, Agnew. Plains. —C. Wilton, Wallis, Adlum, Whelan, Molloy, Cotter, W. Kidd, C. Stretton, L. Berney, Alderson, Hooper,

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Cleave, McPherson, Perkins. Taylor. Plains kicked off, lining in Walin's quarter, where close play ensued till Morehu relieved. Assisted by a free kick which Cleave failed to field < Waihi reached the Plains twenty-five and commenced a passing rush. Molloy intercepted and started a rush, Waihi eventually carrying the ball back over the line. A long line kick returned play to halfway, and a run by Price, followed by close play, took, the ball to the Plains line, where the - home team gained a free kick in front of the posts. Waihi 3, Plains p. The kick-out was returned, and from a scrum Waihi secured and advanced with a passing rush until stopped by Wallis. Play ranged in midfield until Wallis secured and took to the line, where close play ensued. Waihi gained ground by line play, and just before the change-over Dillamore again sent the ball over from a pen- . alty kick. Waihi 6, Plains 0. Waihi opened up with a forward rush and reach the visitore’ line, but the advantage w r as lost and play went, back to midfield. In Icose play Mol- . loy kicked high in Waihi’s territory, and Wallis, following up well, took the ball on the bounce and scored. Wallis took the kick, but the goal was disallowed as the ball was Mot grounded. Waihi 6, Plains 3. From the kick-out play ranged in neutral territory until Waihi secured from a passing rush and almost scored. For offside play the visitors were penalised, but Waihi failed to score. A later attempt at goal also failed, and Wilton cleared. The Waihi forwards worked up, and an interchange ol kicks ensued until a long punt compelled Waihi to force. The drop-out . was taken by Whelan, who, with Adlum in support, reached the twentyfive flag. A forward rush by Waihi was only stopped on the Plains line, the situation being relieved by a penalty kick.

Plains attacked after half-time and got to near Waihi’s line, but a mark relieved. A Waihi free kick was followed up, but Cotter, was equal to the occasion. Waihi returned to the attack and secured a free kick, but no score resulted. Waihi got going in a passing rush, but the movement was frustrated by Cotter, who relieved. The Plains forwards followed up and a penalty was given against Waihi. Cotter took the kick and made the scores, Waihi 6, Plains 6. After play in midfield the Waihi backs secured and carried to the visitors' line, where, after, a five-yards scrum Plains forced. From a scrum in midfield Waihi gained control and carried to the line, where the defenders were penalised. Th kick was successful. Waihi 9, Plains 6. The last quarter was a hard tussle. After tight play in neutral ground Waihi gained, but the Plains backs soon returned to midfield and Cotter and Wallis failed to score with kiexs at goal from halfway. The visitors made a strenuous effort to cross the line; arid tight play ensued in Waihi’s quarter. Eventually the home forwards worked into the neutral zone, and the game became fast and hard. The ball was kept close until the call ot time. Mr Turner, Te Aroha, was referee. The visitors were entertained to dinner after the match.

SHAREBROKERS’ CUP. WAIHI V. PAEROA. The inter-union junior competition was advanced a further stage on Saturday, when Waihi defeated the Paeroa representatives by 14 points to 3 on the Racecourse No. 2 ground. The game was fast and, for. the most part, fairly open. The teams were evenly matched as to weight.- In the scrum work Paeroa had the advantage, but . gave a poor exhibition of tackling. On the other hand the vs iitor s played a sound game, and the combination m the backs was good to see.The following were the teams Paeroa. —J. Mead, G., Wells, R. Swann, J. Vcrran, H. Brown, A. McCollum, A. Hardman, W. Southby, M. Poland, M. McLeod, C. Scanlon, J. O’Brien, G. Morrison, Duncan, and Ratcliffe. Waihi. — V. Shaw, A. Worth, W. ‘ Hoye, W. Tubman, E. Saunders, G. Tubman, S. Ashby, Zenovich, Mathers, Phillips, A. Campbell, C. Jesney, D. Watson, J. Callighan, A- Robinson. Waihi kicked off and immeidately carried play into Paeroa’s territory. - A free kick, relieved the position, and the Paeroa forwards worked back into the other twenty-five. Swann failed with a penalty kick. With Waihi attacking the half-back was penalised for picking the ball out of the scr.um. The advantage to Paeroa was lost through a . player being in front of the ball, and from the ensuing scrum the Waihi backs started a rush. However, the passing was too slow and Paeroa cleared to the corner. In open play Tubman kicked over the line, but was unable to reach the ball, a force resulting. A determined attack by the visitors culminated in a good passing rush, from which W/ Tubman scored in the corner. Hoye converted. Waihi 5, Paeroa 0. The second round was fast and open, and during the latter end Paeroa went on the attack. Hardman retired and was replaced by Bigelow. In the succeeding rounds the visitors had control of the game, and tries were registered by W. Tubman , and Worth, and Crawford kicked a penalty goal. The only score on the home side was an unconverted try secured by G. Wells. Mr J. D. Crawford was referee. PRIMARY SCHOOL GAME. The only fixture of the Schools’ Union was a match between the Primary Schoolboys and the High S bool B team. Both teams gave a credit- • able exhibition,' and displayed afair knowledge of the game. The' match rsulted in a win for the primary schoolboys by 6 points to 3. P. ” Poland scored the only try for the' - High School, and M. Irwin and Vercoe registered tries for the Pomary. Schools. Mr E. Smith was referee; v ’ !

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