FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1915, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

>■»> . POSITIONS OF THE TEAM'S. Senior's. P. 'W. 'I), h. If. A. ]>. Tukapa ... ;i 2 I _ ;),-; n n Clifton .... ;i •> ] J] 21 ■> Mato 2 1 1 !) 20 1 TO-DAY'S iMATCIf. ' ! Senior.—Tukapa v. Okato, at Western Park (Referee, Mr. L. Humphries.) NEXT IWEICK'S FIXTURES. Wednesday. June 30'.—Taranaki v. Wellington, at llawera. Saturday, July 3.—Taranaki v. Wangamii, at VV'anganui. Thursday, July I.—Juniors: Inglewood v. Clifton, at Waitara; New Plymouth . Migh School v. Stratford, at New Ply- ' 'mouth; Eltham and Oliftou, byes. : Second Juniors 1 : Stratford v. New Ply- ! mouth Technical College, at New Plymouth; -New Plymouth High School v ; Stratford District High School; Clifton and Eltliam, byea. NEWS AND NOTES. Owing to the representative match • at llawera next Saturday, there will be i no senior matches played in Taranaki ' i that day. Fixtures set down for that I date will be played the following week. Next week will see two annual repre- ' sentative matches played at llawera, and : as owing to the war'there will toe very few representative fixtures this season, ' there is certain to be good attendances. The match .between Wellington and ! Taranaki ever since, its institution has ' i proved a very attractive feature, pro- ' . ducing liright football, and this year • '■ should be no exception. Though both J centres have lost very heavily owing to | footballers .having placed their duty to | their country first, each team can still J muster a fine fifteen, embracing several players who have yet to make a name for'themselves. The'Wangamii match is hound to attract a crowd, if only on acount of the sensational finish to the match iplayed earlier in the season at Wangamii, when Taranaki was defeated by a point. The - Taranaki team is certain to make a desperate attempt to reverse the position on Wednesday. The proceeds of the Wellington v. Taranaki match will be devoted to one of the war funds. Very unpleasant weather conditions prevailed for the Clifton-Okato match last Saturday at Okato. Clifton left here with thirteen men, as two men, Carey and Corcoran, who 'had promised to join the team in New Plymouth, could not get away. They had volunteered for the war, and had important business to fix up. However, Richards and Smith, two of their chauffeurs, filled the-breach, and'a fifteen was mustered. Only two twenty-fives were played, and the game proved very even, a draw being a true criterion. The day was against back play, but whenever'Crowley, Goodwin, Abbott or Tate got away deadly tackling brought them down. Forward, the teams were even, though towards- the end of the game Okato had the best of the game. Okato backs were minus IP. Coi'bett, but all played fine on the defensive. It. Corbett's try was a splendid piece of work. C. Eustace had very hard luck in not notching three points from a penalty kick. O. Julian and Carey were the pick of the local forwards. Thomas and V. Tate, for Clifton, played magnificently, the latter, at wing forward, should be hard to (beat for the representatives, and his ' try was a great effort. I Tukapa now has a clear lead for the Northern Division championship. The ' match with Okato this afternoon should be interesting. The Taranaki Bujjfby Union made a ; strong endeavor to secure a visit from ] a Trentham team next week. This, however, was found impossible. The Inglewood Club will probably withdraw from all future engagements." In connection with the note in these - columns last week, in reference to the marking out of the ground, in the Tukapa v. Clifton 'Match the previous week, the secretary of the Tukapa Club has written, pointing out that the ground had been marked with whiting, but that) the downpour of rain had washed the marking out. The downpour was so continuous that it was impossible to J mark the ground out again immediately 11 prior to the match. 'lie also stated , that the Western Park Hoard will not allow the touch lines to he dug out, i and that whiting is tho only method that can be adopted. iWe are pleased to ■ publish this explanation, as the Tukapa . Club, has always been well up to tho > mark in this matter, the falling off hei ing unaccountable. 1 On 'Thurslay, in the first junior divii Inglewood forfeited to Stratford, i New Plymouth High (School defeated • Tukapa, li7—B. Tukapa had some dif--1 ficulty in getting a team together, and ■ the school was without Bruce. Oliver, . Copestake and Lovell. For the win- ; ners, Terry, ISykes, Espiner and Ham- - blyn scored, and Sykes kicked a peni.lty - goal. Hughes converted' one of the tries. ' For Tukapa. Patterson and Loveridgo ■ scored, anil the latter converted his own J try. 'Mr. W. Roch refereed. At Waitara, Eltham and Clifton plav- '• ed a drawn game, three points each. 'EI- j ' tham scored a try, and, within two j ' minutes of time, Manu got over for Clifton, thus evening matters. The match ' was finished in the dark. Mr. Page referee.!. 1 Clifton played Technical College on • the Sports Ground, and was defeated by 1 0 points to 3. For College, tries were scored by ißadley and Oliver (2). and s for Clifton by Kfcnner. Mr. Johnstone \ refereed.