FOXTON v. LEVIN.

Manawatu Herald, 13 September 1900, Page 2

FOXTON v. LEVIN.

Without a doubt the best contested game of the season was that between Foxton and Levin, which took place on the racecourse on Saturday. Foxton had a very strong team picked, but when the time came to play it was . %

found that Smith, Wingate, Warner, in the forwards, and Nash half-back, T. O'Carroll centre three-quarter, and Mathieson wing three-quarter, had not turned up. Then came the difficulty of getting a full team. Proctor, Dunn and O'Connor stepped into the gap in the forwards, and in the backs E. Ball played half-back, and did remarkably well, considering that it was his first match this season. E. Hunter played his first game at thr.ee-quarter, and Faire played nve-ei£ Q th. When Levin . in their neat ur^fonns took the field, F the general op' lQ i on was that Foxton, with their w^ k f orwar( j team, would be beaten #&ut contrary to expectations the forvyg^dg pi a y e d a plucky, determined, £ am6j and helped by the safe P IJ Uy of the backs, the team came out r jf the ordeal with a draw. It is only fair to say that Levin were without the services of their best forward f W. Wilson, who had been injured in a previous match. Levin won the toss and played with a slight breeze in the first spell. Foxton kicked off and Tuhera returned the ball well down the line. Then for the next fifteen minutes the game was principally line-outs and forward scrambles, of which Levin had slightly i the best, but when the ball got into the backs Foxton had considerably the best of the game, Furrie and Robinson getting very dangerous on one occa- ' w sion. Near the end of the first spell Levin from a forward passing rush became very dangerous, and when halftime sounded Foxton were being pressed hard, but so far there had been no score. In the beginning of the second spell the play was mainly confined to the forwards. Occasionally the Foxton backs got the ball, and then things were uncomfortable for Levin, but their forwards worked the ball back again to the centre, where play remained for some time. After a time Foxton forced their way into Levin's ' quarters, where from a long throw-out, Robinson, amidst great cheering dashed across the line and scored under the posts, but the ball was called back as it waß not thrown out straight. It was hard luck for Foxlon, but they took the referee's decision without a murmur. Shortly afterwards the game ended with no score on «ither side. As showing how closely the game was contested it may be mentioned that there was only one Force down in the whole match, and that was when the ball was kicked hard over Foxton's dead ball line. The pick of the Levin forwards was C. Wilson, Stuckey and Keating. Ostler and Aldridge performed well on the ~*ving, repeatedly smothering the halfbacks' passing. In the backs Denton, Tuhera, and Stuckey played good games. For Foxton, Rakina, Desmond, Gustofsen and B. Robinson were the best of the forwards, and in the backs Purcell, P. Robinson and Furrie bore the brunt of the work. Mr Bright was a very impartial referee, A>ut occasionally was slow in blowing the whistle. In the evening the Levin players were hospitably entertained by the local club, at Whyte's Hotel. In the evening word was received that Horowhenua had beaten Otaki, which left Levin winners of the banner. The banner points are as follows:— «• Levin 19, Otaki and Horowhenua 18, Foxton 17. Foxton, although not placsd, was not disgraced, having in the second round beaten Horowhenua and Otaki and drawn with the winners, so they may congratulate themselves that they are equal to any team in the Union. On Monday evening at a meeting of the Football Club it was decided, as a fitting termination to a successful season, to hold a Plain and Fancy Dress Ball in the Public Hall on Tuesday, 25th Sept., when it is hoped that the cinb will meet with the success it richly deserves.