FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 31 July 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

THE PROVINCIAL CIIAMI'IOVSUms. MISERABLE WEATHER COXDLTLOXS. . WAIMATE RETAINS TUB CUP. The weather was execrable vesterihv at .Stratford, when two of the championship finals were decided. The ground *fs a sea of mini and ".slush wu:.v t heavy ran c ontiniio,l practically throughout the whole of the Ji,-t „;„„(• and during the greater part of th* first fpell m the latter game. Under the <iv. scientific footbad w,; ■ ;-. "posSo.e t.T.i tie games wei* Dlimarilv tonvard struggles-. The .oullicriicrs won both games. Kaponga 111 defeatiim Clifton ILL by a potted goal to a trv" whilst Waimate seniors again seemed the premiership by defeating Clifton in hx points (a penalty goal' and a In awarded for obstruction) to three pint's (a try). Waimate. on the dae. \\; .,-,. I inbetter team. (\ifton. in thJ ii,-t -p-l' when they had the advauta- <■• :he wind, made too much use oMh,. line They had inuel, the b Iter of the li.-t spell, when their hack- bai-li-d r-i----greasy ball v.ith admirable p,,visi'„e but they could on'.y sc„r.. on,, try •.,,.; that the remit of ti beautiful pi',.!- .' pacing, Time after time t1i i1J1( ..,.„ • lot owing to <iiy.,ide i.:«- . «'<■!'<: thi ;l m U »»»-■ , • '■-'. \\ annate :n luirf ...»cKcd several tunes, and

-. opportunities through trying to | pick the ball up instead of keeping it at their feet. With the wind, -in' tin.- | second spell, they aUer«il .ill ill's, and. adopting a plicy of lucking liigh ,'ud ■ following up in a Hklid body, the YV.ii- , ! mate forwards bad their opponents ; I overwhelmed. ,inil Clifton were Wkv t- ] c.-eape so light'y Conoid,-ring the day,' : there was a good ati-ndan.- ,iu u! ; ! ItiOt) wit;ios>iiiL' the match. ! i The team- were a- f"Hn\-: ! Waimate. Kin-, C. .\l-uli. \\ \\,y. \ J. Daly, L. Young. Column, Well-. !/•:;- skey, Bircball. Ryan, 0. Young. AkCo'ok. ' ; E. Meuli and Winters. ' I clit'ton.-O. Tate, Goodwill. Abbott. Bertram!. Kupe. Crowley. V. Tate. Tav- ' ; lor, Fisher, Berntsen. 'llieks. P-irUott, Thomas, Lovcridge and Lash. , Waimate lost the toss, and kicked oil ; with the wind and rain in their faces. i The plainsmen rushed matters, and Kupe mulling, Goodwin kicked to the dead ball Line to save, Resiiinplhm saw Daly smothered by V. Tate, and from i a. throw-in near the corner Coimau Pop- j ed. Clifton, aided by the wind. kept, j up a hot attack. Bert rand kicked iiigb j ami followed up, but Lyii-key got j there in time to force. Birkctt M-t no j a lone-handed ru-h from the kiek-oll'; , and got over the line but was called \ j back. From the scrum, Hicks. Goodwin | and Taylor iii.nl.- desperate .-•erties. but j ,L. Young saved by iiiiing. G. .Meuli j broke away, but was well taken be «'. Tate. After some scrambling pi a.'-'. Clifton executed a great pa .-sing ru-h, Kupe Bhot the ball out to Abbott out side the twentv-live. and the ball I ravelled to Bcl'tra'nd. back to Abbot', u, Crowley, who got ovei after eight nun utes' play, amidst tumultiu us northern applause. Abbott faibd to goal. I Cliftou 3 j Waimate ''■ | Clifton kept up the pn-.iire and a i! passing rush between Crowh y. Kupe. j! Abbott and Goodwin saw the bitter <•••>' II lared bv Daly when dangerou*. \ ■-'• ; Coiman* McCook and lynsk'-.v ' ;away but were, checked by Con' "^ injj. Play mostly of n_ sera- . tuie continued in Waimn' jft,\\ v , , ' playerahaving difficu't .

their feet. Uifton also lost ground bv several ircc kicks fur infringements. Waimate forwards now took a hand, and \V. Mculi and Daly looked ilaimerou.i until Kupe collared the latter" A Bice pick up and kick bv Bertraml drove the inv iiliuu forwards back again. Birntsen, Hick, and Taylor now removed the play, and, Bertram! sccuriu", kicked, high, but the, wind carried the ball to the dead ball line. Abboit iioldel the kick-oil' cleanly, and lining at the corner, U'aimate were defending until a free kick gave relief. L. Young failing to gather up the bull, (bnulwiii secured and attempted to pot, but missed the ball. Like a streak, Voting, Ryan. Bin-hall and Wells came away, ball at foot. They carried plav right »;ist ihe full back", when they es-ayed to pick up. and the locals were <U;le to dear. On two or three occasions they repeated the tactics in quick succession. Clifton forwards now carried play past mid-field, where a free kick •rave Abbott a shot from half wav. The ball fell short, but was fast followed up. , and Meuli was just aide to line. I'lifien ' tlien held the upper hand until near the end of the spell, when the U'aimate forwards came with a rush and swarmed round the Clifton goal. From a scramble Colinan marked right in front of the goal. His kick was a feeb'e < ue, and the ball was forced. There was no further score prior to half-time. ' ] ... , Clifton s- ! Waimate ...... ( > On resuming, Waimate made matters merry, and their forwards kept I'lifton defending. In the first few minutes ' Ciitton were compelled to force twice ' to find the dead ball line, and to kick .to toucli-in-goal. Hicks, Thomas ami Taylor were prominent in a brier sally. ; but a long kick by Menu drove t'.lem back. Wells put ill a great forward ' dribble, but C. Tate lined. Kupe failed ;to take cleanly, and was smothered 1 with the bail .From the scramble, the ' ball came across to the corner. Lynskey and Taylor set sail for it, and in the'.scramble"the corner Hag was knock'ed over. It appeared as though the 1 ball had gone to touch-in-goal. but the referee awarded a try for obstruction.. ': Coimau failed to convert. j Clifton i i Waimate 3

Column was next prominent, backed ' up by Lis pack, but Abbott marked cleverly. I'kiy now became very raar--ged, players on both sides kicking at < the ball and missinjf it. Waimate pill- j ltd themselves together, and, aided by free kicks and the failure of the Clifton backs to field the ball, forced the northerners three times in quick succession. Colman next put the Clifton team on the defensive. Kupe and Tate missed the ball, but Bertram! picked up a * streaked aero-s in front of his own -tA His kick was trken by G. Mer' &■&■ passed to W. Mculi, the latter ' A, Who ended by Goodwin. In a • up" Clifton man got off-side a goaled. <r v *cl Lynskey

Waimate Clifton .. 0 I Clifton now liv ~,,.'. 3 I wards carried yip. and their for Here Cood\C to tin- twenty-five, but was e' ( , j,„t in an electric dash, xiety I I> V Lvn-key. Over an- I ? mr y /'tl '•' "Waimate forwards ga'.v | Co /wiid iroc kicks. Ryan and , ' . cunie with a ru-h. aIW « II T ';!;;,: i Ac b>U crossed the line with L>r,Ae, i sis ">•- 'was called bMk for anin-

the Clifton team cleared their lines, Crowley bsing solid in defence. A free kick for Welis being off-side brought welcome relief. With but a few minutes to go, Clifton's chances of winniii" ■ looked slight, but V. Tate ami Taylor roused their supporters by carrying j,|av past mid-field, where Kupe picked up and set sail, but was promptly fldi-cd. Young, McConk, Lynskey and Wells carried play back again, bail at toe, acro.v: the line, but Abbott streaked and kicked to touch. Waimate had the better of the final few moments, during which Clifton were forced twice, and the game ended as< above. Mr. A Neilson was referee. THIRD GRAM CMAMPIONSiIII' """""KAPONGA 4 v. CLIFTON 3.

Prior to the big match Kaponga and Clifton decided the third grade championship. The game was a forward struggle, and was keenly contested. Clifton, if anything, had the better of the scramble, their backs appearing more at home with the wet ball. They, however, suffered defeat by the narrow margin of one point. For Kaponga. Voullaire potted a goal from the field in the first spell, and in the second -well J. Jones scored a try for Clifton, which was not converted, FIRST JUNIORS. CLIFTON v. STRATFORD. The Stratford first juniors journeyed to Waitara ve-terday, only to tinil that Clifton had decided to forfeit the maWh to them.. TUKAPA 11 v. HIGH SCHOOL 0. The mateh between Tukapa and .High School, which 1 was played on the racecourse yesterday, ended in a victory for Tukapa by* 11 points to nil. The scores were a' converted try and two penalty goals. The match was somewhat willing, and will probably be the subject of a renort to the I J ulon uy iM referee, Mr. F* Roberts. Both a T'uI kapa and a High School player were, oi'i dered oil the field, and the iiiatc)-, u? r initiated, wither abruptly.