FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 17, 14 July 1911, Page 7

FOOTBALL

FIRST GRADE. CLIFTON ;(3) v. TUKAPA (0)

The Waitara ground had an unusually large crowd of spectators at the CliftonTukapa match yesterday, a very large number of Tukapa's supporters going out to see the struggle, which was expected to be keen, and on which much depended. The result gave Clifton a lead in the championship competition, with only the Eltham match to play. Should Stratford beat Tukapa, and Cl'if,ton beat Eltham (this being in every way .probable) the Waitard, and Stratford teams will play off. A victory over Stratford by Tukapa will put Clifton at.the top of the list in the northern division.

The ground was in splendid order. The game was strenuous, but. there was not enough back play to make it attractive, although at times it was exciting enough. Tukapa suffered greatly by the logs of Iloneyfield at full, the substitute being a junior who was a stranger to tlip. position. Clifton played without Du Bfpis, Berntsen and Loveridge. The game ,was won by the Clifton forwards, Who were heavier ..and. superior in serum work. Mr. Geo. Hopkins was referee. Whilst keeping a fairly firm hand on,the game, there was a good deal of rough play (on the part of one or two players only) which escaped his notice. Clifton won the toss and played, witdi the sun at their backs and with the slope of:the ground in their favor in the first spell. Ward kicked' off for Tukapa, and the return went out at half-way, the throwiri, giving Clifton forwards an advantage, A series of line-outs followed, and the Clifton three-quarter line got moving till Stohr compelled Goodwin to-" kick out. Fred' Loveridge gave Clifton a free kick for off-side, but S. George's kick went wide, and Tukapa forced.' Patterson, playing full-back for Tukapa, made a mess of his first bit of work, and was lucky in falling out with the ball at' the corner flag. Then Tukapa was forced, Brown getting the ball just in time. + So far the Greens were having the best of it, the backs getting the hall frequently, and using the line. Patterson shaped betted next time, and Mynott, following his kick to centre, the Blues set up a vigorous rush. A knockon by Thomas was accepted, and Stohr lined well. In a "mill" which followed, (Mr. Hopkins loudly warned the Clifton jplayers, "Xo rough play. Be careful. I'll move the first man I see." A nice movement by Mynott, Stohr and G. Loveridge, and the. last-named lined at the corner. • A forward rush ensued, and Brown picked up, whipped the ball to Mynott; who cut in and passed to G. Loveridge, and he darted for the line,' biij; was up-ended within a few inches df'the ljine. Clifton forwards booted out, I btft Stohr lined in the other corner.' Then a couple of line-kicks by Colman drove Tukapa back to half-way. Cain broke well through and booted down to Patterson, who scrambled out. It wis tbueh-aniLgo. Eggleston varied the litie-kiciking monotony with a midfield mark, and Colman's kick failed to rise. Thomas lined from a forward rush in (ime. Tukapa rushed right up to the coiner, but C. Tate marked on the line, and play went back beyond 'half:way. Some hot work Tollowed a nice bit of play by Brown, and Colman marked. Tukapa came again with a close forward rush,, ann only a lucky "speculator' kept them out. .From a mark beyond the twenty-five, well out to the side-line. i Stohr made a fine shot at goal, but missed, and Clifton forced. Brown was doing some fine rush stopping now. A couple'of mis-kicks by Tukapa backs let the Greens right up to the corner. From a scrum and some wild passing, C. Tate almost scored. Then Clifton was penalisetLand Stohr lined at the twenty-five i flag. Some dissatisfaction w;is expressed by. thet-rowd with a decision of one of the line umpires. The ball was out all right, but the player wasn't. This, however, was "hair-splitting" that the crowd didn't appreciate. A long kick by Mvnott landed in front of the Clifton fullback.. With an ounce of JucF; Stohr, who came through "at top," must have scored. Clifton was frequently penalised for forwards lifting feet* in the scrums. Then S. George put in a great line kick fo Tukapa's end, the result of rash kicking from the blue rearguard. Goodwin set sail through the Tukapa team. Francis threw him, but let go too soon. He got dangerously near to the line before ho was grassed. Then from a scrum Hicks passed\out to Kvle, and he jumped over the line, and the crowd turned • hand-springs and otherwise showed their glee. Clifton 3, Tukapa 0. A fearful muddle by Webster, and Thomas came at him. Lucky let-off for 'Tukapa. Clifton ought to have scored, but Cliff Tate forgot' that he had Goodwin in the team,'and unsuccessfully tried to pot when passing was the' game. Tukapa had started well, but the Greens were having much the better of it now, hooking the ball in nearly every scrum! and half-time came as arelief.

In the second spoil Clifton attacked at the start, but soon Brown invaded their territory. One of the Clifton forwards, who made a deliberate attempt to trip Jull, must thank his particular star that the referee was looking elsewhere. Cain and Fairley made things hot for Tukapa, but Brown changed the score. Another Clifton rush ' was stopped by Ceo. Loveridge lining. Clifton backs now got to work with some good kicking, and the forwards carried play to Tukapa end. Francis, Brown and Loveridge retaliated, and Stohr improved the occasion, lining in Clifton end. Column centred, and Patterson put in a good line on the other side near the corner, a scrum following the line-out. Clifton .backs continued their policy of kicking over the trees to waste time, and.anothcr ball was requisitioned. Jfynott missed a pass, and Eggleston got away with it to the other end, but was overhauled and grassed. Some good kicking followed', S. Ceorge doing "particularly well. Kggleston got a nice run into Tukapa end. but was downed, and the return rush was spoiled by an overzealous kick- by Whitaker. Brown, Myiiott. Stohr and Loveridge took a hand, but the collaring was pretty slick, and little headway was made. A scrum at Hie Clifton twenty-five gave Crow-ley the ''all. He beat Whitaker badly, and' with a bit of pace he would have fhings awkward. About twenty minutes had gone, and this was the second time in the spell in which Clifton had got into Tukapa's twenty-five. Ceo. " Loverid<r P 's good kick got Tukapa out of a tiHit corner, but a left-footer by S. saw the play lodge there again. Tukapa came again, but Coodwin booted out. l-airley gave Crowley a chance, and he got well into Tukapa's corner. Stohr marked, but his kick rebounded. It was biff-lKing now in the Tuknpa end. Ceo /iveridgo's line-kick being of service. licks should have been cautioned for kicking in a ruck, but escaped unobserved by the referee. Oilman tried a goal from a mark, and missed. Stohr withered up under the goal and ffalloped llis kick landed just infield at half-way and the forwards set up a rush which Inev spoiled in their over-cii<wncss •Stohr lined near the Clifton line, but the big forwards brought it back Loveridge marked, and Stohr's kick again put Clifton on the defensive. Mynott

marked a short kick of Colman's, and| Stohr tried at goal from half-way. The ball rebounded from a forward's hand, and Mynott marked the rebound, Stohr's fine kick falling outside the posts. Clifton forced. Stohr had a good but unsuccessful shot at goal. Mynott passed out to Stohr, who made the mistake of kicking high, and George marked. Then Whitaker had only to keep his feet to score, but he stumbled. Myno7t was penalised for taking a pass off-side, but Caiman's 'kick was kept, in play. Goodwin dad some clever saving work, and then lined up Tukapa's end. Eggleston kicked over the line, and Tukapa forced. The hard play continued, without further score, until time was sounded, with play at Clifton's end.,

IXGLEWOQDv. STRATFORD. Inglewood expected that the matches postponed last week would have been played yesterday, and they accordingly arranged to play Eltham at Inglewood. The Management Committee, however, apparently decided that the fixtures set down for yesterday should eventuate, which meant that Inglewood should journey to Stratford and play Stratford. The time was too abort for the Maroons to Advise their country players, who constitute the majority of their team, of the alteration, and they could not muster sufficient to travel. It is hoped, however, that the. Rugby Union will allow the match to be played later.

SECOND GRADE. Stratford did not send a team to Inglewood, probably as the result of the confusion that arose as to what matches were to be played. Tukapa 11. have won the second grade championship in this end, and Stratford the third grade championship in the northern division.