FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5130, 25 May 1927, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

PAEROA MATCHES.

WEST BEATS SUBURBS

On Saturday last the West senior team journeyed to Hikutaia to play the Suburbs fifteen in the club competition. The attraction drew ap influx of visitors from Paeroa, and there was also a good attendance of local Rugby enthusiasts. The teams were evenly matched and the game was closely contested throughout. Following were the players : — West. —Smardon, G. Wells, K. Dean, 11. Coldicutt,, R. Swann, Nield, L. Masters M. Poland, Edwards, H. McKee, E. Fisher, Greenhalgh, V. Carrick, RShaw-,, Mills. Suburbs. —W. Bennett, E. Bennett, P. Corbett, A. Morrison. McCrea, LRice, Tanner, R. Morrison, P. Buchanan, Tahu, Robson, Killgour, Miller, Wyatt Vedder. The play leading to the scores was from a scrum in Suburb’s twenty-five, when Mills dribbled over the line for Masters to score. Dean converted. West 5, Suburbs 0. Tn a loose rush the bail was controlled by Poland, Mills,-Shaw and Dean, the latter scoring a good try, which he also converted. West 10, Suburbs 0. Following a forward rush R. Morrison scored the only try for Suburbs, Wyatt converted. West 10, Suburbs 5. Miller retired and was replaced by Duncan. In the last quarter Wells. Swann, and McKee were prominent in a loose rush. McKee eventually sent out to Coldicutt, who scored. Dean’s kick failed. The gamed ended. West 13, Suburbs 5. Mr J .kt. Crosby was referee. THE JUNIOR GRADES. The Junior club competition «as continued on Saturday last at Paeroa. East and Suburbs meeting on the No. 2 ground at the domain. East gained a victory by five points. The game was fairly close throughout, but play was ragged. | Moore kicked off for East, the ball going out. Barakat secured from the throw-in and carried up the field to be collared by Hislop, who cleared. Good following up by the visitors resulted in A. Morrison scoring. R. Rare- failed with the kick. Suburbs 3, East 0. Suburbs returned to the attack and pressed hard, but over-kick-ed the ball for S. Williams to touch down and save the situation. "East followed up the kick-out and the position looked dangerous, but Goonan kicked too hard and a force resulted. East returned with a forward rush, and Moore made a great attempt to get over, but the Suburbs forwards were too heavy and the East backs were mulling the ball. A breach by Suburbs gave S. Williams an easy shot at goal which ihe missed. In the second quarter Suburbs followed up the opening kick, but N. Neil stopped the rush with a mark and cleared to Suburbs’ twenty-five, where a breach gave Williams another unsuccessful kick at goal. In a loose rush J. Bunting gained possession and scored a good try, and Moore converted. East 5, Suburbs 3. Moore secured and made a brilliant run, followed, by a breach on the part of. Suburbs. Moore’s kick, however, went wide. Suburbs attacked, but Barakat cleared. From the- line-out L. Joines dribbled almost to Suburbs’ line, where a scrum was ordered. Saunders gained possession and ran down the field supported by Brown, who tailed to take a pass and McGuire cleared to the line. An infringement near the visitors’ twenty-five- permitted Williams to register a good goal. East 8, Suburbs 3. On resuming after half-time R. Williams secured and passed to Morrow, the ball going out. Mead received from the throw-in and passed to C. Vincent, who threw the ball forward, Hislop finding the line. The remainder of the quarter was a ragged scramble in neutral territory. In the final round Moore followed up the kick-off but was over-anxious and Hislop cleared. An infringement by the home- team gave Brown an unsuccessful shot at goal. Pressure was applied by Suburbs but the ball was

kicked over the dead-ball line. The visitors remained on the offensive,

nd F. Morrison missed an easy opportunity to score by over-running the

ball, in loose play East committed a breach, and Brown cross-kicked for Neil to secure and start a dribbling rush until stopped by Hislop, who cleared. In give and take play J. Walls picked up in the loose and dived over the line. S. Williams converted. East 13, Suburbs 3. Suburbs immediately started a loose rush, and Hira, W. Murdock, and F. Morrison were partners in a movement which resulted in the latter scoring in the corner. Rare added the extra points. East 13, Suburbs 8. The game ended with play in midfield. Mr J. Rackham was referee. THIRD GRADE GAME. As a curtain-raiser to the senior game a Paeroa combined third-grade team played a -match against the Physical Training Club’s (Thames) fourth grade team. The local boys were the Heavier, and defeated the visitors by eleven points. Tries foi the home team were scored by K. Wilson (2), P. Holes, and L. Masters, while Wilson kicked a penalty goal and converted a try. For Thames J. McDonald scored an unconverted try. The scores were 14 to 3 in favour of Paeroa. Mr J. Rackham was referee. HAURAKI PLAINS COMPETITIONS. LAST SATURDAY’S GAMES. The flna. matches of the first round of the inter-club competitions on the Hauraki Plains were played on Saturday last in fine weather. The Kerepeehi club secured two wins against Waitakaruru at Kerepeehi in two of the finest games of the season, and at Patetonga the Ngatea teams beat the West teams, while at Ttirua the A team beat the B team. KEREPEEHI V. WAITAKARURU. The senior game was a hard, fast exhibition between fairly evenly matched teams, the personnel of which was as follows —

Kerepeehi.—B. Moore, M. Murphy, J. Adlum, P. Rita, F. Burt, E. Smart, W. Kidd,’ L. Hearfield, J. Parata, JMurphy, *E. Gill, T. Rapana, E. Mulgrew, J. Connor. A. Courtney. Waitakaruru.—F. Barlow, Walters, D. Molesworth, G. Ticklepenny, C. Stretton, G. Paton, S. Vincent,, H. Dalgety, Smith, W. Williams, J. Paicli, J. Millington, P. Clark, L. Berney, W. Graham.

Kerepeehi, opened against the wind, and fast play ensued in Waitakaruru’s territory. A free kick sent play to midfield, the visiting forwards carrying on into Kerepeehi’s quarter, from where M. Murphy relieved. ’Hard play in midfield terminated when Courtney broke- through the opposing pack and had a clear run to score in the corner. Gill failed with the kick. Kerepeehi 3, Waitakaruru 0. With play in midfield Waitakaruru indulged in a good passing rush, Walters scoring. Molesworth failed to convert. Kerepeehi 3, Waitakaruru 3. Strong attack by Kerepeehi almost j'eached the line, but a penalty kick relieved and play remained in neutral territory until change-over.

Kerepeehi attacked in the second round, but after a number 1 of line-outs a penalty kick gave relief. Dalgety and Millington gained a lot of ground, but the Kerepeehi backs soon returned. Smart put in a good run and Barlow threw the ball out in the corner. Hearfiehl took the kick and added three points. Kerepeehi 6, Waitakaruru 3.

A forward attack by Waitakaruru after half-time was quickly repulsed. Mulgrew put in a good run, but threw forward near the line and a free kick sent play back to midfield. For a breach in a scrum near Kerepeehi’.-' line Waitakaruru took a kick at goal, but without success. Hard play followed in the home team’s territory until the change-over.

In the last round close play ensued in neutral ground for a considerable period, there being much good work, but neither side maintained an advantage for long until Courtney and Mulgrew made a dash and reached Waitakarum’s line. From a scrum on the line the defenders were penalised, but Hearfied failed to score and Waitakaruru carried play back to midfield. The visitors gradually gained ground and reached Kerepeehi’s line, but they lost the ball in a scrum and good line-kicking returned play to the other end of the field. Time was called when play was in the neutral zone. Mr J. Reid was referee.