FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 108, 25 May 1901, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

YESTERDAY'S MATCHES. The wretched weath'r made it unalensMit for foobill on F;iday, but matches ware go 1 , oil'as follows :—At the Rec. Tukapa Seniors bat Stratford by 17 piin-s'.o dl; St'tr 111. defeated Stratford HI by 3 pints to nil; and SVatford District High SJiool biys Central by 22 points to ril. TUKAPA I. v. STKATFORD I.

Dwyer kickd off for Tukitpa, tha Stiaiford full-back returning nicely to the centr?, and Mynott kick d out at tle 25's fl g. Stra'fo*! her.' got a freekick for Scanlou lying on the bill. Shortly aft rwards, fiom a diibb'ing ru hj, Fooles (Tukapa) scored in an esy place, but faile.l with the kick at goal. After the kick-out Stratford wore awarded a free-kick, for one tf tho Tuknpa forwards picking up the ball in the scrum. S >rae hot play took pi co in the Tukapt 25's but Mynott saved wi»h a finely kick tj the halfw«y fl-g. A free-kick to Stratford for oft - side play brought tho gime under the Tukipa goal, but Mynott again saved by a timely kick. Fookes was loudly appliudel for a fine run to tho centre where he was pushed itto touch, Give and ta(fe play in the Stratfoid 25's then ensund, but Stibtford. d.fence was too strecg, Tuk*pjs b«ing unab'e to bivak through, Mynott, gating the ball from the scrum, made a long to Eld"r, but that phycr w-s coMared bofoie he could get much way on. Fiona a pasting ru»h Fcok'-s got the brll and ran tj the St'atfords' 25's, snd b*ing coll.red passed toSaiith, atd tho lattev ran to the corner flag, where a s■-•rum was formed. Ft,r an infringem.nt Stratf-.rds were penalis-d, Fookts kicking a splendid goal. The p'ay was then tat-n to the Tukipi's q'uar'evp, where some hot w. rk took place, bus Scinlon gottiqg th» ball from a scrum evadd the rd h lf-back, but was collared iby tha full-back in fine style. Stratford got a froa kick fo- C-llaghan lying on the ball, but nothing come of it. , Half time was cilhd shortly afterI wards, the score being : Tukapas 6 points, Stratford nil.

Stra ford kicked off, and by fast following up spoiled the return. Play then centred in the Tukipas' 25' a, and for an infringement Stratford got a free kick, sending the ball out mar the co-ner flag. Stratford missed a good chance of scoring through or,e of their players he'iDg off eide. Tukapas wer j forced down from a long kick. After the kick-out Tukapr were again press.-d . Vfci-y ha'd, but Mynott saved by a ki k to the h-ilf-way II ig. Stratf jrd again took the phy to Tukapa's quarters, but had passing spoiled an} chance of »coring. Mynott was p'ayinf, a splendid gauia foe Tukap -1 , repeatedly getting his siie out of trou' le. Elder, getting a mink, found the touch line with a fine kick. Tho play wps then taken to the Stra'ford goal, and, by a nice lot of passing botween Scauloo, Mynott, and Fookes, the latfcar went very neir scoring, being ipushed cu*; ten yaidsfr.m the Stratford line. From t*ie throw-in Seamark scared, no goil resu'tirg. Give and t*ke pliy about the car te followed, neither side getting much advantage, ti'l Mynott got the

b<ll at list, and evading the Stratford Wit", passed to Smith, but that player failed to lake it. On* of the Stratford backs got the ball and kicked to the half-way fl<g, where Fookes got the hall and made a run to the Stratford line, and, unselfishly to Elder, that player scored. Diwts kicked a goal. The Stratford men were mow playing a wretched gime, and Mycott getting tho ball, passed to Fookes, and he to Smith, who scored in a good position, but Dawes failed with an easy k ck. Another fine rush by tie Twkapa forwards Marly let Siamiik in, the ball going oui near the corner flag. Time was 'hen ra'l*d, leaving Tukapa's wi&mrs by 17 poiuts to nil, Thefol'owing playel well for Tukapa: Uall'ghan, Myno t (who wf>s suffering from a strait.ed kore), Fork's, and Set pi -n aiuonj;, the bHoks; and of a very even lot of forwards Greaibank, •Seamark, Dawts, and l>.viridge. On tin* St'atf.ad side they all Ir'pd v< ry hard to stwo. off riof.-a*-, hit were uc-n'-ie t:> do so. They spoilt d a lot of go d cl.apcos hy (ll'iiiilo pl'.y. The rtterming, in Mr. Hopkins' hands, gave satisfaction to bath sides. STAR 111. v. STRATI'ORD 111. The first bpell endeJ without any scorii on either side Shortly after the start of the second ppeli VV. Hid (Star) si .r<?d from a dribb'ing rush, hut Py-c-roft Liled with t»e kick at goal, The p'uy flora this out was a give-and-take ord«r, the game ending in a win for the Stars as above. The following playei well for their respective sides :—For Star's: Hill (2) and Pycroffc and for Stratford: Brewer and Black. Mr. i Kevell was referee and h ; s decisions ;e:med to give satisfaction. ?0300L COY?—CENTRAL I v. STRATfORD I. Tho SbrHfod boys were very much loisier than their opponen's, who ■layed a plucky and stubborn game lu>ing tin'first rp 11, but, fell iuvav >ither towards the lait. FV Stra'ferd ;ro os were obtained by Uockrr (2), Purges* (2), Woods »nl McMillan. Farlir.ess, McKay, Tockernnd Cameron ilso played well. Ftr Cantials tho best ■acks wne Avery, Davidson, Whitombe and Marfell, and in the forwards 31ack, Mnth»son, Hood, Frethoy and, Skinner plajed will. Mr, Stohr was l m impartial referee.

CENT HAL 11. v. STRATFORD 11.

The Sec.)nd/Fifteens from tlie >am< .s(;lm,,]s' in,.; on the (.High School Ground, unci (he gaum resulted in a win for tlie home team by 3 points to ii! I. Stohr scored a try for Centrals. The passing in this match was much better than in the first, the Central backs handling the greasy ball splendidly, For Centrals B. and J. Stohr, Webster, L. Foote, Ward, Hill, Clekn.l, Geordie Bock, and "Spotty" playol well, while for Stratford thobest wereWinkee, Tocker, Cameron and a boy with a ruddy head whose name our correspondent was unable to ascertain. Mr. H. Williamson refereed. Isighwood Seniors beat SUis, at Inglevvo:d, by 5 points to nil.