Soccer Victory for West Coast

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 74, 18 June 1927, Page 12

Soccer Victory for West Coast

CANADIANS DEFEATED A MAGNIFICENT DEFENCE THE West Coast Soccer representatives made real football history last Wednesday when they inflicted on the redoubtable Canadian team the first defeat of their tour, by one goal to nil, this being but the second goal recorded against the visitors. Over 2,000 Soccer fans stood in astonish merit as the bell sounded, and the home team left the field, victors of the day, against an international side. GOALIE IN LIMELIGHT The best indication of the nature of the play was the concluding incident, when the West Coast goalkeeper, Timlin, a Rewanui player, was carried from the field shoulder-high in recognition of a performance ranking him in the first flight of New Zealand goalkeepers. If the Coast victory was due to any particular player more than to another, it was to the goalie, who punted, fisted, caught, blocked, and generally foiled the Canadian scoring men in a remarkable fashion that won the visitors expressed admiration, and they would now like to see him going back with them to join a Canadian team. THE GAME The Canadians did the most attacking, but the Coasters began and finished aggressively and defended in a manner at least equal to anything the Canadians will encounter in New Zealand. The general comment was that had the New Zealand team been picked on Wednesday, instead of ea.rlier, the Coast must have been represented. Another fine defender for the homesters was the young fullback Wick, who is up to Dominion representative standard. The superior combination and short passing of the Canadians was always evident, but they were shooting badly in many instances, though the good defence shows they sent in many good shots also. The Coasters relied more on long kicking, but the visitors played the ball higher in the air than they should have done, the ground being against good shooting. The teams were a contrast in size, the Canadians being far the bulkier men. It was the grit and tenacity of the homesters that carried the day, and they must have been in good form to stick it out as they did. Tait in goal lived up to his high reputation, though it was his mistake that led to the