FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5023, 6 September 1926, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

NGATEA CLUB’S EXCURSION.

MATCH WITH NORTH SHORE.

As an excursion to wind up the season the Ngatea Club’s senior team went to Auckland on Saturday and played the North Shore, club’s senior teajm as a curtain-raiser to the Poverty Bay match. The Plains team was beaten by' 24 to 11, but the game, was not so one-sided as the scores indicate. The Ngatea team was'as follows :—

Moles-w-orth, W. Williams, Molloy, Buchanan, Nicol, Chapman, Birkenhead, Duncan, Alderson, Williams, R. Spencer, Leonard, P. Solomdn, Walters, Hawera.

The game opened at a nice paca, the Hauraki boys bustling away from the jump to Shore’s- quarter, where Buchana ; n followed a kick through to score near the posts a try that wascoinverted. Shore responded promptly, and in open play went to the attack.” A cross-kick by Holmes gave them a chance, and a defender getting offside, Stokes placed a goal. Immediately' afterwards the Shore backs- went away' and Holmes scored a try, which S f okes converted. When they tu-rne.d round Buchanan made a sensational run from his own twenty-five, beating several tacklers, only' to unluckily cut the touchline as he had a try at his mercy. Shore, beat off the atta.ck in open play, but the Plains lads- kept them busy till their full-back missed a long kick, enabling Holmes to dribble on and score a runaway try which Stokes converted.

Still keeping it open the visitors attacked, and a passing bout ended in a 4ry by Hawera.. no goal resulting. Another rather lucky try came for Shore when Stokes, came in at thq end of a dribbling rush and booted the. ball to the line, where the defending fullback failed to gather, and Stokes got the score,. Johnston converted. At half-time North Shore led by' 18 points to 8.

In the second half Stokes, who had retired injured, was- replaced. Throwing the ball about, and having the better of things In ope.n forward play, Shore up a continuous attack and eventually' scored from a line-out, the try not, being converted. • Tn the last round first the visitors and then Shore, missed scores. After Ngatea hal missed a good chance the Shore forwards went away in open footwork and the ball was sent out to Reid, who outpaced the opposition and scored a try which Johnston failed to improve. Ngatea battle.d the game out, lasting rather better than the others, and from a ruck in Shore’s twenty-five T. Alderson broke away and scored, and the game ended North Shore. 24, Ngatea 11.