FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 2 May 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

1922 SEASON OPENED. The football season in the Horowhenua district opened on Saturday in perfect weather. As might be expected in the early stages of a season, players did not show much form, but a week or two should see most of the teams getting into shape. The Wanderers’ seniors met their old opponents, Hui Mai, on the latter’s ground, and a close game ensued. The only score was a penalty goal to Hui Mai in the first half, who thus won by 3 to nil. The newly-formed Weraroa seniors visited Foxton, ami suffered defeat by 9 to 6, after a fairly good game. The Wanderers juniors went away to Tokomaru shorthanded, which is a bad start, Their ten men had no chance with Tokomaru’s 15, ancl the latter won by 19 to nil. The Rovers juniors and Foxton juniors played their fixture in Levin, when Rovers defeated the visitors by 6 to 3.

Rovers thirds v. Hui Mai played at Manakau, ending in a draw, there being no scoring. The Weraroa fourths met Training Farm, 'when the Weraroa boy's accounted for the opposition by 20 to 6. The Weraroa junior team met the local juniors on the Reserve at Shannon on Saturday There was a good attendance of the public. The game was an exceedingly interesting one, and the Shannon team did some.exceptionally good passing. The Weraroa learn were on the defensive from almost the kick-off, and play only reached Shannon twenty-five on two occasions The visitors were lacking in combination and weight, and it was not long before the local lads crossed the line. Towards the end of the game the visitors tired, and Shannon’s score mounted up to 22 to nil. Tries were scored by Holden, Johnson, Wilson (2), Young, Kopera, and goals kicked by Holden and Harris. The fire at Shannon last Thursday morning was responsible for the loss, among other things, of the ThompsonPayne Cup, which was won in the last seven-aside football tournament in Palmerston North by the Shannon senior team. The Cup was presented by the donors, Messrs. Thompson and Payne, many years ago for competition among seven-a-side teams, and the inscriptions it bore indicated the numerous teams which had had the honour of winning it. As stated, Shannon was victorious in the last tournament, and the trophy was sent to Shannon and exhibited in Mr Burr’s shop. There was only a small insurance on the Cup, but apart from its monetary worth it * had a sentimental value to the many teams that had held it, and its loss is therefore regretted.