Soccer A WIN FOR DIAMONDS

NZ Truth, Issue 1240, 5 September 1929, Page 16

Soccer A WIN FOR DIAMONDS

Championship Match i Has Great Climax (Fi-om "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.), .Moving through the arc of an . erratic season, the Wellington Soccer championship closed with Diamonds cock^of the. walk after, a great win over Petone, their nearest rivals for championship honors. I^EEN interest marked this conclusion one of the most uncertain of Soccer years, for Diamonds fought their way to victory a man short and won by a two-goal margin. -Fifteen minutes from the whistle, McCormick, Diamonds left-half and one of the most promising players, was carried from the field with a badlyinjured limb and from that moment the championship leaders were battling hard. • They were playing their twelfth match of ,the series, while. Petone were staging their last: effort, arid the championship table sshovedw v ed thc Diamond men one point ahead. Defeat by; Petone would not have meant the. end of their championship hopes, but it would have left the issue m doubt for another week. A goal up within seven minutes, due to a' beautiful cross from Stark to Ri Mc ? Leod, Diamonds thereafter were desperately on the defensive. Though Petone were raiding the opposing goal area they could not make use of itheir chances. ; Martin made a mess of things at centre-forward and one-after another,, the forwards failed: , A , •- Eleven times great- opportunities went begging, Baistow Aonce bouncing the /ball on jtop of the bar, Campbell grazing the wood with! a' magnificent shot arid Wyatt bringing off two' brilliant saves. Even the reliable Craig fell down, for he ihad a sitter inside the penalty area,, and failed because he had to use his right foot. . * .-.'■. . i All through the spell it Is doubtful if, Diamonds received five minutes respite. When ■ they- did succeed In- be-. g,innlng an attack they shot anywhere b,ut m the r right spot. The measure of Petone's play at this stage was given by Baistow. Once the winger had only Guest between him and goal, and three Petone forwards were waiting beyond. His attempt to centre, failed to rise arid hit the Diamond man's legfe. ' .-•'.. yPetone were not showing much dash and . their halves were placing the ball badly for the forwards. Frequently promising moves were stopped because a man had to run back for the leather. .' Nevertheless, when the whistle, blew for the! spell there was not a man who would haye wagered that Diamonds, fatally handicapped by McCormack's absence and an injury which left the, speedy Stark limping) unhappily, would win out. ;■'-''■■ ... s > iAn Incident m the next quarter of an hour,' changed the whole aspect of the game. R. McLeod, put m possession was fouled by Leslie. He rose, . ran a few yards and was tripped a second time. Arriving from back In mldfield, Referee Cazeley signalled to the penalty spot.. Pandemonium broke loose as the. referee placed the ball for a shot at goal. Remonstrances by the Petone men led . the referee to consult the linesmen, neither of whom had been m a position to see clearly. ,- Returning, he motioned to the penalty mark. McLeod, taking the shot, lodged tho' ball neatly m the corner of the net:' Howls, hoots and. hisses resounded m the] ground. y. ? Icwas a most unfortunate decision. In the ; first place, McLeod was undoubtedly fouled, for the first time, five- yards from the; penalty, zone. In the second place, it is extremely doubtful if the second foul took, place inside the line. --•'■■ .Desperate efforts by Petone followed. They went straight down the field, for" Craig to send off a nice cross which led to a score. : Tlie suburban team did not seem able to get a grip on the match. {Leslie' and then Campbell went to , the centre-forward position In an at-. . „ tempt to ginger Up the forward' line, bpt the result was no better. Campbell's move from the key position of centre-half, indeed, weakened the team and let Diamonds gain more freedom ,than they had • enjoyed for / ap' hour.

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