FOOTBALL.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 392, 16 September 1884, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

[By Long Drop.] Lovers of the game of football would on ■wending their way to the field on Saturday afternoon, have felt lather disappointed .to find that cricket was the order of the dky. The usual scratch match was not, however, to be missed ; for on the appearance of the ball, which was somewhat late in the afternoon, cricketing material was laid aside. The weather was all that could be wished for, and a fine game was played. - Wallis and ■ Hunter chose teams ot eight aside. One "long spell of over an hour's duration was played, the match resulting in a win for Hunter's side by one goal and a try to two tries. For the winners the tries were got by Hunter and Labatt by .very good runs. Hunter also got a second tr}. which, was dis- j puted. Labatt kicked. the goal. Wallis secured the two tries for the losers, the attempts at coal being futile. The principal players were Haines,- Sayers, : Labatt, and Hunter in the scrummages, and Wallis, Martin Jand M'Culloch as backs. Smith also ; worked well,

Nest Saturday the season will be closed by a scratch match between teams as under, chosen by the captain and deputy captain : .Captain's sid,e : Black, Buttle, Donne, HjKenzie, M'Cullo'cb, Nome, Robert?, Souness, Smith, Squires, Symes, F. Sayers and Wallis (2). Deputy captains side : Ambrose, Boraman, Bonsey, Douglas, Eadie, Fisher, Haines,; Hunter, Johnston, Labatt, Martin, M'Leod, Sayers and Treseder. . Any other players not mentioned will be chosen on the ground. • The match will start at 3.30 p.m., and all 'players are requested to be on the field at the time.

The match, Combined Country versus Dunedin representative, which was to have taken place at Balclutha on Saturday last, fell through owing to Dunedin n6t -being able to raise a team. The first intimation of their not being able to play only reached the Gore portion on Friday at midday, when all arrangements had be made— iu 'fact just in time to advise two players who were leaving. The feelings of all on receipt of ' the news can he better imagined than described. It has not only been a disappointment to those who were to take part, but also to a large number of who were looking forward with yrcat interest to the result. Thn match was arranged so that Dunedin team could reacli Ralclutha by the express jiutf ir-tu?i\ samp, i-rnfn, which, put the Gore p. ayers at a grreai. disadvantage^ seemg that they would lose three days over the match.