FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 13 July 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

C'UFTOX 9 v. STRATFORD 0. The moetiiu? of Clifton (winners of the northern division competition) anil Stratford took place at Waitara on a grwnid thickly besprinkled with deep puddles, heavy, and muddy, though the rain which fe)l early in the afternoon Hield off during the match. Under these conditions only a Tapleyan optimism could have anticipated a good game, but nevertheless good the contest was, exciting and well-contested from start to finish. Taking the condition of the , ground and the ball into consideration, | I it wag one of the best matches played ; in this season's competition, and the I score indicates fairly accurately: the differences between the teams on tliuj day's play. The Ihome team owed ib victory to splendid attack and defence in the forward division, under gpod generalship, with a really fine handling of a greasy ball by the backs. Bertrand, Goodwin, and Abbott, »f the tJiircequarter line, were well fed by Kupc and Crowley, who played well at fiveeighths and half respectively. Goodwin ■was responsible for fine aggressive work, frequently heading movements which turned defence into attack. Bertrand, -. ho scored the first two tries played ■i magnificent game. His first score was the result of a nice movement initiated by Abbott, after Stratford had held the advantage for some minutes, a neat try bein? landed at the foot of tbe posts. V. Tate missed an easy s-hot. Clifton 3 Stratford •

The Clifton forwards, who had throughout the- game the better of the opposing vanguard, pressed a strpng attack, but sterling defence by the Stratford backs held them back, and Young completed the work by taking a mark in a good position. Even play hetween the forward divisions closed the first spell, in which the nearest approach to a score by Stratford was a fine attempt at ii penalty goal by Young. Hostilities weTc resumed with renewed vigor, but, despite excellent work by the visiting forward division hy the wingers, O. Stewart and Dewar, and Fearon and Co, of the pack, the home team held its own and a little over. Kupe, at five-eighths, Crow'ley, at half, and Bertrand and (Joodwin in the three-quarter line put up a slashing fight, a* they needed to against the attack of the visitors, Clifton's advantage in the forward division was, however, unmistakable, and, after evenly contested play up and down the field, a strong home rush ended in Bertrand scoring once again. V. Tfite was in no mood for kicking goals (although he played a splendid game as- winger) and the home team's lead was but sixpoints. Stratford 0 Stratford 0 I Then from a Clifton rush R. Hicks j scrambled over, and the score read \ Cllftoni e | CMton ti ■

The try was not converted, for the ■■ ball wag becoming heavier ami heavier, and gathering mud as a snow bull gathers snow. The players meanwhile were plastered from, head to foot. Young had a good but unsuccessful attempt to land a penalty goal for Stratford, and then V. Tate'oame away with: the ball at his too. From then on the game was willing ond even, and no further score was added. Clifton won, primarily because they had a better vanguard j than Stratford', though the game was] by no means the forward scramble that j might have been anticipated. Another j point in favor of the home tean» was the slashing play of the three-quarter-*, especially Goodwin and Hertrand. C. | Tate, at full-back, was sound. In tlie j forward division Fisher, Hicks and the two _ wingers, R. Taylor and V. Tate, were most prominent, the latter playing a splendid game. iStratford wa«s of eourse, not represented by its usual team. Fryday and Rogers on the tl.ree-quarter line were newcomers, as «,t.> Malone and Leahy in the forward division, wher.' the services of Bonner nnd Smith, were missed. Dive. Cameron, ;v..] Brown-were absent from the backs. . a the whole, Clifton certainly deserveil their victory. Mr. Spindle made a I satisfactory referee. .

TUKAPA 1">. v. STAR 0. WiopoHers of football in Xi'w IVy-1 mouth <if old iuust have been pained on Saturday by ,the inhibition between ( those two cfubs. The ground was ter-j I tainly against cool football, but tin: state of Uie c,uaginire could hardly be held accountable for the light able nature of some of the men in jersey-. The Star men were the aggrc.-sors in tins matter, and the. Maoris made things 1 so warm that it was a wonder that Severn! of them were not <:Tdcrcd o(V by the referee, whose !«.:' n:y was i|iiite ) misplaced. Tb? langu;>'- ui.ud was lurul , at times. thiT.' was at 1-a.st one sn»ari ing-up to settle account*, but to,- the I nio.-t. part the. scrapping, as far as cubl be seen, vva* one-sided. It wa- an unedifying xnectade, and one greatly to be deplored. The play was iuikli better than might, reasonably have been expected in the circumstances, several ot Uie player? handling with a remarkable approach to accuracy the very greasy { ball, and some of the tries were the result, of good work. The Tukapa team had bv far the best of the game. Tries were '-cored bv M>'AUum. Morshe.id, Paul Tocher, ami ICgglclon. The Ukiic at iroal w.i> unsuccessful in each ca-e. and the game ended in a will by 15 points lo i'.il. ca.v.ving with it for Tukapa the of th.e Dan uT.ricii lh;:'bi.ge Shield i'ov l.lle "!!- -mic.l vear. Tin mai.vh was unfinished (he 'eight Maori members of the losing (~,i:ii walking o'T bafore the compatioi l of fnil-tiiue.

INcl.F.W'onD 8 v. OKATO <>. This match eventuated at Okato. and resulted in a win for the visiting team In- S points to nil. The game was robbed ..l a Ki-i-it deal of inlci'csi owmt: to the tact of tin- rofereeine; not bciiifi up to the mark. Tho referee appointed did not put in an appearand', and ac-i-oi'diii"lv l>v arrangement between 'ln; teams" Mr. ' Otto i'.oldt, of Infllewood, '..'ok the whistle. liifrlcwood had a stron'r team the only vacancies being in the forwards, where Schrioder and Uussel] were absent, their place* being filled l'V

Ahia and Kraser. Knstaee. the l«'*t back in the local team, was hors de eomliat. his place being filled l).v Sullivan. | The "Tame consequently developed into L, scramble. On tl>» day. team won. though there was little to choose between them. Playing with tae wind Okato attacked from the kick-oil. ■u, i !ii">le«-.«)il were forced. Dunn?,' the iirU fifteen minutes the local team had the better of the mix-up. ■ JUierealtev, !>v means of forward rashes and line l-':.-.|■- ,»]•., travelled 1 up and down tie m VI M'.onl midwav through the fir:t .-.ell 0(01.re scored lor Inglowood. from V forward" scramble, and Miles oonvert',.,l \ little later Burrows got over from the line-out, hut the flag was kept up, and ho was called back 1 In the second spell, Okato attacked hotly, Carey, Rotliery, Burrows and Ju-

Vian making great efforts to score. Inglewood, however, aided by free kicks, kept tiiem out. Burrows from a forward scramble again got over but was I called back, through the ball going out of bounds. Inglcwood forwards rushed down field, but Andrews cleverly saved. Tiiglewood pressed for about fifteen minutes, during which Miles and Smith had several resultless ehots at goal, which wre forced. Ultimately, from a for ward rusli, Nicholls scored, Smith's kick failing. The local team made a final strenuous attempt to score, but could not succeed, and tlic game ended as above.

THE RANFUULY SHIELD. A SPECIAL CHALLENGE. Tlic Bay of Plenty Rugby Union has 1 decided to issue a -pecia! challenge to the Taranaki representative team for a match for the Ranfiirly sliield. The Tukapa first juniors to play Star first juniors on Thursday next on Western Park at 3 o'clock will he chosen from the following players:—lT. Patterson, West, Stohr, L. Whitaker, N. Loveridge, R. Spence, F. Loveridge, Smith, O'Grady, Amaru, W. Patterson, Puller. Leary. Roebuck, E. Loveridge, Julian, W. Whitaker, Graham.