OTAGO'S CHALLENGE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 1, 1 July 1935, Page 4

OTAGO'S CHALLENGE

ENGLISH TROPHY MATCH

AUCKLAND WIN AGAIN

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 29. In spite of atrocious weather and ground conditions, the English Trophy Soccer match between Auckland and Otago, in which the former secured a victory by 2 goals to nil, provided an interesting exhibition of the code. Tho ground; soaked by weeks of rain, resembled a quagmire, but considering the conditions the players revealed an astonishingly high standard of football. Throughout the first spell exchanges were of a fast order, with little between the teams. Otago was notice* ably tired during the second half, although its defence, as in the earlier period, remained rbcklike. There was a lack of co-ordination be T . tween the visiting halves and forwards, and conseauently Auckland was allowed to dominate the game for the greater part of the second spell. The Auck^ land defence fully matched that of the visitors. Although the issue was decidedly open in the first half, the close watch set by toe Auckland halves during the latter part of the game promised but one result. , There were brilliant opportunists in Skinner, Hopper, , and Smith, waiting in the Otago forward line, but in the vital second half the ball seldom reached them. With McDougall playing a brilliant game in goal for the challengers, and Anderson and Taylor fully living up to their fine reputation, the Otago team had a fine foundation for a winning side, but inability of the forwards and halves to. work as a combined unit robbed the visitors of a chance for victory. Under the prevailing conditions, Auckland was definitely the superior side, but many of those who witnessed the match must have carried the conviction that on a dry ground Otago would have been much more formidable challengers. With the first spell well run, brilliant combined work on the Auckland right gave the first goal, Dunsmore and Robinson conspiring to give Farnan the chance to score a fine goal. There was no alteration in the score until we]] into the second spell, when Kay found Riggans with a cross, the latter netting as the goalkeeper dived to save. Tho final score was Auckland 2, Otago 0.