Stirring Soccer

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 455, 10 September 1928, Page 6

Stirring Soccer

AUCKLAND RETAINS TROPHY

Great Struggle Ends In Draw

AUCKLAND retained the emblem of JSoccer supremacy after a glorious game at Blandford Park on Saturday. Wellington, the challengers, who had lost the trophy the previous Saturday at home, great attempt to regain the honour, and twice were in the lead, but Auckland rallied magnificently and equalised each time. After the fastest and hardest struggle seen here, the game ended in a draw of two goals each. Throughout an even contest a high standard of scientific football thrilled a great crowd.

HPHE splendid crowd assembled at Blandford Park on Saturday was a concrete illustration that the round ball code of football still has its charm when a stirring game is assured, and those who stayed away missed the most dramatic and gripping display witnessed in Auckland: one which kept the spectators on tip toes with expectation and excitement from start to finish. The issue was always in the balance, and for the greater part of the second half the pace was amazing, the crowd cheering wildly as thrust and counter-thrust carried the ball from goal to goal, with many fascinating touches of clever ball control and sparkling flashes of team work. The game was eloquent evidence that the quality of the game here is higher than ever before. The challengers put up a fierce struggle to regain the premiership, and the game throughout was played in the cleanest sporting spirit. AN EVEN OPENING In spite of a deluge of rain on the preceding days the playing area was* in good order, and came as a surprise to the challengers, whose recollection of it as a sloppy morass last winter was still vivid. There were one or two patches which bothered occasionally, and a greasy ball accounted for an occasional “fluffed” one. and a faster pace than the one set could not have been imagined. Auckland fielded the same team that won so handsomely in Wellington, but the challengers changed their right wing to great advantage by replacing Barton and H. Campbell with McLeod and Leslie. Haines, of Petone, replaced his club mate, Steele, at fullback, while Lucas, the erstwhile Auckland Soccer and hockey goalie, fielded in goal in place of Fletcher. For the first quarter of an hour the run of the play was about even, the defence on both sides checking any forward movements. Humphreys was the first to show out with a sprint along the line, which outpaced his inside man, and a perfect centre passed an open goal far Chalmers to force a fruitless corner on the opposite wing. Wellington paid a visit to the Auckland end, where Stark sent behind with a good try, and then Leslie gave Batty his first test with a hot drive which was handled perfectly, and a forlorn appeal for carrying over the line easily failed. AUCKLAND'S BAD LUCK In a spirited raid Auckland swept past the Blacks’ defence, and Chalmers with Spencer was running in to con- ! nect with a right flank attack when held up for offside by a very doubtful decision. A few minutes later Jones sent Davis through, and Chalmers, dashing in to take up the running, was chagrined to be held up by a similar verdict which brought restless comment from the crowd. Half-time was approaching with the mythical score board still blank, when McLeod secured unmarked and tricked Simpson on the run to send a high lob across the goal mouth. Gerrard ran across to clear but Smith intervened and unsighted him by wicking the ball with his head, and the Auckland back had the mortification of sending into his own net while endeavouring to retrieve himself. It was bad luek for Auckland, but McLeod’s effort was worthy of reward. HONOURS EASY AT HALF-TIME The first reverse spurred Auckland to furious reprisals. Humphreys and Innes being prominent with clever right-wing work, but Chalmers was closely shadowed after his early threats of danger. A rousing sample of team work saw Christie collect cleverly, and pass through Campbell to Spencer, who slipped the ball to Innes at inside-right. The Pony tricked McCormac on the run, and dropped the ball over the head of the advancing Lucas, into the net; a volley of cheers greeted a great equalising movement just on the call of halftime. LIVELY SECOND SPELL After a welcome breather it was seen that Wellington had decided, wifely, to place Leslie at centre in place of Longbottom, who had not been a conspicuous success. Play resumed at a lively pace with Auckland setting out on a strong offensive. Spencer and Davis worked through the centre for the former to crash a hard angular shot to the cross-bar, and then Clilamers tipped one in to Davis, which he headed just past the corner to another long-drawn “Whoo-oo!” from the packed terraces behind the goal. Then Wellington took a hand at the other end and a terrific drive from Leslie saw Batty collect and clear brilliantly. Auckland retaliated strongly and the pace was cracked on as the ball flew up and down the field. Two corners to Auckland were cleared without profit, and Spencer headed a pass from Jones into the nimble Lucas’s hands for a quick clearance. Then a sudden breakaway by Wellington saw the ball fly to the opposite end, where it found Leslie with only one back to beat. and he slipped through to bang into the net from close up. THE HOLDERS ROUSED This second reverse stung Auckland into a fury, and for ten minutes or more play was deliriously swift. Not

for a second did the players let up and Wellington defended its lead with dogged determination, driving the attackers back repeatedly until a strong left-wing rush forced a corner. ChaJmers placed the flag kick with Perfect precision on to a cluster of bobbins heads, of which Humphreys’ found the ball —and the net, amid a storm of applause. With 15 minutes to go the challengers made a bold bid to regain the lost lead—and the trophy, but ihe Auckland defence held good, and sent the home forwards back to wornLucas with some strong attempts for the winning point. In the closing minutes it was not surprising to hiai the pace slackening off a bit between the exhausted combatants, but there were exciting moments with the end still doubtful when time sounded with rousing cheers for both sides. TWO FINE COMBINATIONS The opposing sides assembled in front of the stand while the Mayor (Mr. George Baildon) handed the tdopliy to Mr. Phil Neesham for custody, and congratulated the heme team on regaining and retaining the trophy after the finest display of Soccer it had been his Worship’s privilege to witness. Mr. Ncesham thanked the team for its loyalty in maintaining Auckland's unbeaten record for the coveted plate, and congratulated the challengers on their splendid struggle which had resulted in so historic a game. With two teams so evenly matched, and the players performing so well in their various positions, it is difficult to allocate special commendation to individuals. A draw' was a satisfactory finish to so memorable a game, but the slight superiority of Auckland in the second half might easily have been rewarded by a win. in the course of the game Auckland secured six corner kicks tq two awarded Wellington. Lucas also handled oftener than Batty, and took more goal kicks. Both goalies saved brilliantly under high pressure and cleared effectively. Of the fullbacks McGirr, the Wellington captain, was the best of the four, and saved liis side repeatedly by his strenuous defence. Gerrard and Simpson were both shaky at times, but wet'at a disadvantage throuhg the amount of latitude allowed the Wellington outside wing forwards, who took full advantage and repeatedly ran through unopposed to the Auckland backs. BRILLIANT HALFBACKS A marked feature of the game was the splendid display of the halves, particularly Christie, Jones and Campbell. The Auckland centre dominated play in both defence and attack, while his vis-a-vis, Campbell, was but a shade less prominent in his destructive and constructive work. Jones gave a delightful exhibition of clever footwork with a greasy ball, and harassed Leslie without ceasing until he waa shifted to the centre. McLeod and Stark were both brilliant wings in the challengers’ attack, the former being very thrustful and always dangerous. The inside men were not so conspicuuous, but w ere more closely guarded and rarely given an opening. There was not a weak link in tht Auckland forward line, and the sparkling display with a slippery ball ami a lidding surface gave an idea of finbrilliant manner in which they kad delighted the Wellington crowd wfcen playing on a perfect surface the previous Saturday. All five played clever, cohesive and unselfish football most of the close-passing movements of the inside men being skilfully executed: this, combined with the speedy sprints of the wings and incisive centring, made the Auckland van the be«t ever fielded here as a combined unit For such a hard and lively game the contest was pleasingly free from casualties and fouls, but the referee adopted the most unusual practice el following the from near touchline opposite the stand in th« first spell, and then changing acro*> to the line beneath the stand in the second half. Most referees in so important a game would elect to keep as near the play as possible, as decisions from 40 or 50 yards away are usually tinged with dubiety, and this was distinctly the case at times on Saturday. The stirring display given &houi& do much to stimulate fresh interest it the code, and the deciding gamps <* the championship and Falcon Cue knockouts are now invested with rtnewed interest.