FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5029, 20 September 1926, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

_X RESULTS AT A GLANCE.

BANNER COMPETITION :

West 9, v. Netherton 3.

JUNIORS : The Rest 6, v. Karangahake 0

THIRD-GRADE : High School 11, v. West 9.

PRIMARY SCHOOL: Paeroa 6, v. Thames 3

The principal attraction at the local domain on Saturday was the final game in the banner competition played between West’ and Netherton. The visitors had the heavier team, but the game was fast and open, and there was little between the two teams. Towards the closing stages of the third quarter feeling ran fairly high. In a loose scramble H. McKee (Weist) and W. Potter (Netherton) indulged in a rough and tumble until the referee (Mr F. Pivott) saw the trouble and ordered Potter oi ff the field. From then onwards matters livened up considerably, and the referee’s ruling met with a mixed reception from Netherton players, and a section of the spectators. Shortly afterwards the referee ordered C. McNeil, another Netherton player, off the field. This was the signal for further trouble. As the Netherton team threatened to walk off the field and used abusive language the refeiee stopped the play and awarded the game to West. From this onwa.rds pandemonium reigned. Many of the spectators, took charge of the. field, and everywhere was toi be seen groups of excited players and spectators. After a brief consultation W. Taylor and R. Morrison, captains of the West and Nethertohi teams respectively, decided to finish the game, and ap honest endeavour was made to rally the players. Some of them did take the field, but owing to the excitement that prevailed and also the fact that by this time the referee had left the field, nothing further could be done, and in a short time the crowd had dispersed. I.t is a great pity that the final game in the local senior competition for this seaso'n should have ended so dramatically, and that such an exhibition of bitterness and lack of sportsmanship should have been given. Just who was to blame it is difficult td say at the present time, but it is •hoped that the locaj Rugby Union will hold an exhaustive inquiry into the affair. Local senior football has been at a very low ebb during the season, and it must be'admitted that supporters have been very tolerant. Such behaviour as witnessed on Saturday should not be tolerated. Without advancing any excuses for the unseemly conduct of some of the play-, ers, it is onfr fair to state that the captains of the respective teams made every effort to rectify matters. At the time the game was suspended the West team wa.s leading by nine points to three.

The following were the teams : —

West.—K. Dean, J. Verran, R. Swann, G. Wells, M. Poland, L. Masters, J. Bigelow, W. Taylor, E. Neil, H. McKee, R. Shaw; H. Shaw, V. Carrick, T. Dawson, Greenhalgh. Netherton. —H. Wright, J. Maloney, G. Pnll-ar, C. McNeil, H. Coldicutt, W. Potter, J. Catlin, R. Morrison, J. Morrison, T. Richmond, E. Fisher, T. Johnson, B. Johnson, E. Johnson, T. Pullair. Netherton kicked off and carried up for Wells to intercept and clear. A scrum resulted near West’s twenty-five line from which Masters, cleared. Play hung round in midfield Wr some time, until a line-out enabled Neil to gain possession and make a good run, but a breach negatived the advantage. -A loose rush by West was stopped, by Maloney, who put in a shot kick and, following on, he carried play ifi to West’s territory. Coldicutt knocked on the pass and Masters cleared. E. Fisher headed a rush, and was ably supported by Potter, who sent out a, long pass to Coldicutt. The ball was well taken by Coldicutt, who beat the full-back and scored a good try. Catlin ffailed toi convert. Netherton 3, West 0. From the kick-out the home for-l wards applied pressure and McNeil forced. In a neatly executed movement Taylor carried down and sent out to Dawson, who scored near the corner. Taylor’s kick was unsuccessful. Netherton 3, West 3. After the change-over the vsitors carried into West’s twenty-five, where McKee cleared to the Tine with a wellplaced kick. Masters received from the line-out and sent to Verran, who knocked on and spoiled a likely opportunity to score. A serum near the line was cleared by E. Johnson. Skvann picked up and made a good run, but lost the ball 'over the line and a force resulted. Netherton followed up the kick-out, but Taylor marked. After considerable play in midfield Poland marked in his own twenty-five for Swann to carry on to the corner. Th loose play the visitors returned to the other end of the field, where a scrum was ordered from which West cleared. A lively exchange of kicks followed and West forced. Shortly afterwards Netherton failed with a penalty kick from near half-way. Within a few minutes of opening the secotid half West rushed to the Netherton line, where sveral scrums eventuated. The visiting forwards worked back into midfield, from where West kicked over the line for a force. From pl-ay inside the halfway line Bigelow received from a scrum and set the backs moving. The ball passed right along to Wells, on the wing, but he was collared and thrown out in touch with th© ball. West kept, up the pressure and close play ensued on the visitors’ twenty-five line until a hard kick sent oler the line for a force. West immediately returned to the attack, and from a scrum near the line Greenhalgh got possession and passed to Wells, ofa the blind side for a try in the corfie v . Dean failed wth the kick. West 6, Netherton 3. Almost immediately following the kick-out- Potter and McKee came td grips, with the result that Potter, who Was sitting on McKee’s chest when the referee noticed the incident, was ordered off the field. Shortly afterwards Swann received the-ball in

open play and after putting in a run passed to Verran, who ran down the line to score near the posts. Considerable feeling had been showp on the part of the Netherton played since the ordering off of Potter, and McNeil at tin’s stage passed a remark to the referee for which he was ordered off. At the call of some of the Netherton players the team threatened to walk off the field, and the referee thereupon stopped the play and awarded the game to West. Mr F. Pivott was referee. THE JUNIORS. Tlie junior game, which was played on the No. 2 ground, was. between Karangahake and The Rest, the latter winning by six points to nil after a. very good game. For the winners JConoMy scored a, try and H. Moore kicked a. penalty goal. THIRD GRADE MATCH. As a curtain-raiser to the senior game the Paeroa High School, met and defeated West by 11 points to 9. For the School team tries were scored by P. Poland (2) and C. Wa.rd, one of them being converted by Poland. Curtis and L. Carrick each registered a try for West, and S. Williams kicked a penalty goal. PRIMARY SCHOOL GAME. In the primary school, match a,t Thames between Paerda and Thames the Paeroa team won by 6 points to 3. Prenderville and Tukukino scored a try each for Paeroa, afhd Dufty kicked . a goal for Thames.