FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 58, 29 July 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

HWTIO.V <;F TUK TKAMS. SEN'JOKS. ! ill * O a a) .3 .9 P, jo >- o os Cnfton ' .. 9 8 0 1 135 .15 17 Tukapa .. !1 (i -J l 9(5 ; iO , 1: ; Stratford .. 9 (i :i 0 107 24 ]J| Inglewood 9 3 0 0 34 121 6 Okato .. » 3 6 0 35 163 ij Star ..9090 8 67 0 Star forfeited three matches.

NEWS AND NOTES. Two finals for the Taranaki Provincial Championship will be decided at Stratford tomorrow, viz., the second junior and the senior. The second junior, between Kaponga and Clifton, will commence at 1.30 p.m., and as one has no idea of the merits of the southcm team, it is, of course, impossible to forecast the result- The senior champioiwiLp final between Waimate and Clifton is the piece de resistance, and it is attracting: a lot of interest throughout Taranaki. Civen fine weather, this match should draw a bur crowd. It will | not start until 3.15 p.m., after the arI rival of the mid-day train from New 1 Plymouthi, which will ston at the ground. An endeavour was also made ; to secure excursion fares for the oceaj sion, but the Railway Department j wou!d not grant that concession. Both j contestants are well known in Taranaki football circles, Waimate of late years having practically held a mortgage tover the championship, whilst IMton Jiuvc been prominent iin 'endeavoring to wrest it from the southerners. This is their third attempt in the last four years;, and the third attempt is generally considered the lucky one. Opinions are evenly divided as to the merits of the teams, but Clifton this year should have a big chance. The/ have ia stronger team than on the two previous occasions, and are training and practising herd. They possess a good general in Bunny Abbott, and have a Bac record this 1 season, not suffering a defeat, the onlv blot being a draw with Tukapa in the first round. Waimate also have a good team. It is said not to be as strong ng of yore, but we have heard that tale on previous occasions; and still the Plainsmen came out on top. They, too,, should be in fine fonr. They have not been defeated yet. Like Clifton, they beat the rest 'of their combined division, but could only muster thirteen players Jast Saturday, which look 3 as though some of their players think they do not require practice. Oolman will be playing to-morrow, having recovered from his recent injury. Whichever teams wins, the match is certain to be interesting and very strenuously contested. Both teams possess good backs, bo that the. game should be made open and .<pei-tacuU.'. The cup matches are drawing, to a c'wse, there being only one more Saturday to complete. As Stars have forfeited on three occasions, the match*.-! f.ir next Saturday will be Stratford v. Okato at Stratford, and Inglewood v. Tukapa at Ing'.ewood. The following Saturday will prol>ably see the final of the J. D. Sole Cup between Ingle wood ::ml Okato. This Jiiatch will be played at New Plymouth.

Th<4 nvitjch ■between Okato and Tukapa, kapa, at Ne Plymouth on Satin-day, was interesting, and' was played in a friendly spirit. Both teams made the game fairly open, and at times araie good football was witnessed. Neither team was up to fu.ll strength. The game was full of change. At one moment Tukapa would be hotly attacking and then, likf a flash, the scene would change by means of a heftv forward rush to the other end, and Tukapa would he defending. Though Okato were beaten by 2! points to 8, there was. not that difference between the teams on the day, as the coastal boys had the worst of the !Mf,k. SWardy Paul and Brown played tine gpmes in the local forwards. McAllcn was playing well when lie received a kick on the knee and had to retire to full back. Brown, Webster and Grant were tie pick of the Tukapa backs. Onrey easib- held the palm for the Okato" forwards, playing a strenuous game, both in attac band defence. H ; s try was a good one. E. Hill, 0. Sullivan and Burrows also battled hard. Rothery's fine game was marred by off-

siilo play. Among the kicks 'Eustace shone, playing a solid' »imr. With ff od back., 1), ii!ii,|"hi m ilh>'o:-.:iti>lhv-ci..[iih.: winil.l (-a-lv i;n>,.- :l, north. Corbet:, at half, uiul .u.dr. «, .it I'll!;, were the »c-t oi the other harks. Clifton, who ui ' not have ihcir stn Jifri.fit, team, .:. •.. -:li.il an Ing'ewnoi] lil'te, a by 2ti iidiiiL. U) nil. Inglewoud only mustered eight out ol their usual fifteen, tlie balance being junior ami old-timers, iuc.uding Otto 'lloldt, but they put up a goi.i' light and Clifton had to extend themselves. Tries were scored by Bertrand (2), ilanu, Goodwin. Tate and Abbott, only one of which were converted. Abbott scored his hVi try tliis season after a fine run. The B team to play Auckland P> on Saturday will leave by the Main Trunk train on Friday morning, returning by the steamer on Monday night. A good fifteen has been chosen, and, provided the men can be got away they should give a good account of themselves against the northern team.