Soccer YOUTH PREVAILED

NZ Truth, Issue 1290, 28 August 1930, Page 13

Soccer YOUTH PREVAILED

Trams Bowed Before The V.M.C.A. Champions (From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) THE champions of this season, V.M.C.A., and the champions of last, Trams, met on Saturday and once more was the old saying, "Youth will be served," strikingly demonstrated. Throughout the game, there was much more balance and brains behind the play of the champions of yore, but as the match wore on and the issue changed from brain to" brawn, transporters had to give way to their youthful, fleet-footed, sound -winded opponents, the champions •of to-day. • . To the tune of four goals to nil was the victory gained by V.M.. and they could hardly be grudged even that margin, since it is goals that count and not skill. There was an element of pathos m the battje put up by the veterans against their opponents, for time and again they circumvented' the defence of the Young Men by really pretty footwork and clever - understanding. , But they were driven back by long kicks and then outdistanced by the opposing vanguard and made to defend desperately to stave off vigorous attacks. There was little ground for comparison between the teams m the matter of skill, and most of the Trams players have forgotten more of the game than the majority of the Young Christians have ever known, yet the former were forced to bow to the inevitable. . Chief interest centred not m the meeting of ' the champions, but m the battle of the bottom dogs for the question of relegation to senior B grade was at stake on Saturday. Manurewa came to light with a brisk and vigorous recovery against Thistle,, and though on the bottom rung registered a victory by the odd goal m five, which places the Scots m the position of having to fight strenuously" to avoid- relegation being amongst the four bottom teams. Corinthians surprised by a victory over Ponsonby and they,- too, have improved their position, while these three, with Onehunga, form a quartet with an equal number of points at the bottom of the table. • '