FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5682, 16 June 1879, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

A splendid football match was played in Mr. Sheehan’s paddock on Saturday afternoon between the second teams of the Athletic and Wellington Clubs, in the presence of a large number of spectators. During the first twenty minutes Da Castro, by spirited play, secured a touch-down for the Athletic Club, and a grand goal was kicked by Morrah. the second twenty minutes, Mansell, Williams, Beauchamp, Morrah, Leckie, Rule, Snow, and De Castro, for the Athletics, and Stewart, Russell, Gibbes, Luxford, and_ Holmes, for the Wellingtons, particularly distinguished themselves. During the third twenty minutes, Do Castro made some splendid runs, after one of which A. Burnes kicked a goal for the Athletics from the field, and, immediately afterwards nearly kicked another. During the final twenty minutes, A. Barnes secured a touch-down for the Athletics ; Morrah took the kick, but missed. Some grand play was shown by Stewart for the Wellingtons. _ Scales secured another touch-down for the Athletics, but Morrah again failed to turn it into a goal. The Athletic team thus won the match by two gaols two tries and innumerable force-downs to one force-down. The Athletic team was much the heavier, averaging over 11. stone a man. Williams captained the Athletics, and Holmes the Wellingtons. Next Saturday the match between the first fifteens of the same clubs will be played on the Basin Reserve.

The football match between the Thorndon and Te Aro Reform Clubs took place on the Basin Reserve on Saturday afternoon, and despite the inclemency of the weather there were about 300 spectators, present, many of the fair portion donning the colors of the combatants. The Thorndon team was under the charge of W. Sandilauds, and the Te Are team being captained by Stubbs. The latter, won by six goals to two, that result being mainly' owing to their superiority in. numbers. Onlookers had on Saturday a much- better opportunity of judging of the merits of the Victorian rules thau on any previous occasion, both teams having kept well to their places. The marking throughout the game was particularly good, especially one eatoh by Kemble, taken at the mouth of the Thorndon goal, notwithstanding the efforts of several players to prevent him, for which lie received the hearty applause of the crowd, besides the satisfaction of kicking a goal for his side. . The play of W. Sandilands was remarkably good, and gave aspirants to football honors an idea of the amount of skill to be attained by practice. J. Blacklock, J. Salmon, McKenzie,, and Davis did their: utmost to score wins for Thorndon; while the play of F. Sandilands, Stubbs, and Hills (who■ lucked two goals),. Forsyth, and the two’ Kembles for Te Aro being highly- commendable.