FOOTBALL.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 July 1919, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

_ ‘SATURDAY’S MATCHES ‘ 1 I?{RATES v. M‘A.'i‘AROA. 1:. ' -I-_—n \ . On Saturday, the :i-§3t‘,o£ the JuniorCup fixtures was pla d between the Pirates and Mataroa_ éxeather was ‘bad and the ground s.loppy,‘\vhich prevented the ball'being handled by the backs. -Mataroa. took the field with only 13 men against the Pirates’ full team; consequently the play was one— * sided, but the defensive play put up by the Mataroa team was very good, as the score of 8 to nil indicated. Play had been going for some ten minutes, when from a passing rush Bray secured and dashed over the line, but the score was not enhanced. .Pirates ‘3,._ Mataroa. nil. Play was-confined to neutral territory until Pirates came with a. rush, McClure, scoring in a handy place, Bray converting. , Pirates 8, Mataroa nil. On resuming after half time Mataroa made strenuous efforts to score, but the lack of .. two men told its tale, and they failed‘. to get over the line. Play soon went‘ . to Mataroa’s twentytfive, where it rc-_ ,» mained for the rest of the spell, the-1 ;country boys playing a -plucky defenlsive game, but were unable to keep [the Pirates for scoring, McGowan get-P ‘ting over the line, bringing the score .up to Pirates 11, Mataroa nil and the score was unaltered when the “no side” whistle went. Mr Sop. Reid . made an efiicieiit referee. _ _ PIRATE v. ROVER SENIORS. The senior game commenced on: ‘ |time, but the Rovers could only must-‘ xer twelve men, consequently this game’ 1 was also one—sided. Play had hardly got goingowhen D_ Healey, from a neat passing rush, scored, but no ‘major points were registered. The rest of the spell was a repetition of Pirate ‘scoring, the following, getting over lthe line: R.- Sinclair, _T_ Sinclair, J.’ I Sinclair, G. Maher and.C, Murphy. The score at half. time _Was Pirates 18, Rovers nil. None of the tries, Were converted. In the second spe_ll_Rovers ‘rallied, and with a good _' rush fprwards “Morrison got oVcr,__but_.the" ‘kick at goal was futile. Pira.-"c.e_s._lß.‘, ' Rovers 3.‘ This apparently tvasrthe ‘Rovers.’ final flutter, as-from then ‘on?’ the Pirates Were attacking, and the following scircd: Hay 1, J. .S_inclai‘r, ‘converted; Kelly, J. Sinclair,- an(i.l\_!lC‘:* Auliffe; the total being Pirates’ 32, in Rovers 3. Mr B'u~rrell _held the ‘whistle with satisfaction V to both lsides. - I I NOTES, BY ONLOOKER‘ ' 1 _______ . . A. 1 My notes will be confined this weeéi, ‘to stressing the fact_ that pthofigrgund ‘was unfavourable ' to good,’ f_b_ot_ball, ;but both losing te‘£fnls deserve credit 3’ for the fine defence they put up under very discouraging circunlstance_s, A lthaethey played the match shorthande ed; I Wishto pay. a tribute to, ts-porting ‘spirit ..in taking .th'e_:field ” at V all, and .I_~llopc -Mataroa _and_}l?.ov*_ers will yet make up-the lost ground; they .lcertail_lly deserNe;to, and with a full team there is no, reef-011 Why they . should-not. . - p 1