FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 214, 11 September 1886, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

Tho Junior Cup.

Compared with last season, the contest for the Junior Cup has been very tame.. Whon it waa known that the Arawas, Victorias, and Athletics were defunct everyone .recognised the fact that the struggle lay between Nelson and Waitemata, for, as Grafton II acted as a feeder for the first fifteen, -."-.bey could not always be counted on fora strong team and were thus placed at a disadvttti. tago beside their opponent?, and no othe"r clubwaslntherunningallthroughtbeseason. Nelson's victory last Saturday was not a surprise to their backers, but so evenly matched were the teama »hat it was extremely hard to say which would prove tho winner, and the game gave rise to a great deal of excitement among; the onlookers. Caradus deserved to score on Saturday if anyone evor did. It ia not often that such splendid combined play ia shown in £* junior match as that between Bailey and: him. Caradus had the ball in bU hands! threo several timea during the course of his run, Bailey backing him up and passing splendidly. There was no fluke over that try at all events. Tho match itself calls for very little note. It waa closely contested throughout and we are of opinion that tho best team won. Tremendous efforts wtrj made on both sides to score, but tho backe were too good, and the state of tho ground put a set on potting. Grey, StepbensDn and Mackie did tho beat work for tho losers, while Bailey as wing for Nelson, together with Fisher, Conway and Caradus, particularly distinguished themaelves. As it is from the junior cluba that our future " reps " are to come, great interest ia generally taken in their play. Having finished their matches before the seniors, a large number of the players intend to leinforce tho rankß of the first fifteen?. Now, thia is all very well in ita way, and wo would bo the last to object to a junior aspiring to a place in a senior fifteen ; but we think the Union ought to take some action in the matter to prevent it becoming a nuisance. If theee players are good enough to be picked for senior cluba now, they ought to be content to stay there. It will bo manifestly unfair to players of less calibre if they are allowed next season to play as junior*. In the senior riftaens are plenty of men who aro really doadheada and not deservingof n place. These should te shunted, and by the juniors moving up or keeping the plicoa they have obtained now they will make room for now players. New blood ia sadly wanted in sorae of tho seniors, and wo hope that the boat playera in the juniors will not be content to " hide their light under a bushel," but will next season instead of remaining juniors, see how they will shape as seniors.

Tha Ponsonby-Gordoa match, in spite of the bad Btate of the grcund, proved a splendid contest, and could hardly havo been moro even. The "blue and blacks" cautain made a very serious mistake when winning tho toss he elected to kick against a small gale. Biß hope of having it at his back in the laat spell was- disappointed, as the ivind completely dropped before ten minuses had passed from the kick off in tho cecond spell, and Gordon then' had tho advantage of a slight slope- Reed quite astoniab*d all those who had seen his very mediocrei play against the "reps," his running and passine being very effective. McCauel and and L. Meldrum weTe towers of strength to the greens, the former being especially conspicuous. Jordan, who played forward, put in a hard game and ennte through eoveral times, but be is far too fond of loafine ofoide. The old Ponsorjfey captain Tom Macky once more donned hia uniform and showed good play, and, hia feetjh&vo evidently not lost their cunning. Whiteside plajed a good game for Poneonby, but he threw away a certain score once by potting when he ehould have passed to Davey, who had no one before him and only half a dozen yards to go. Tho crack half-back is rather too much given to changing his position. With a strong back team used to his play it may be safe to be here, there, and everywhere, but with a back team like Ponsonby's last Saturday, it would not come off and was too risky. We noticed the same I fault of his in the " rep " matches. Albie B»aund played out and out tho best game on ihe field, only making one serious mistakcUbe wholo gamo through, and that, was trying to run once, whonjhe lost close on twenty yards. Wooller, McConnell, Keefo, Burton, Gould and Binney played the best game forward. Ted Binney was tbo fastest man on the ground. It just suited him, and be cams within an ace of scoring on several occasions. Grafton won easily over' the Shore, and by Gordon drawing with Ponponby they aro now iovel with tho latter club for the cup. Newton and Albert could only make a draw of their match, but tho red and blacks appeared to_ have tho best of tho gamo. The following is the position oi the clubß for the cup •—

The Nelson have had a banner presented to them. Grafton Pay the combined Thames today. Tho Waitemata F.C. held their annual spread on Wednesday evening. Byers, who ploys for Gordon over in Sydney, seems to ba a protty fair place kick. In one of their last mufcehoa, ho Kicked three gcali out of trhec tries. Canterbury put New South Wales through by G points to nil. Tho visitors play Otago tliis afternoon at Dunodin, and the return mntch with Cautorbury comes off next Wednesday. Jack Arnoil ie not likely to be able to play against tho New South Wales team in tbo return match. He snapped ono of tho muscles in tho back of his leg in tho last match.

Sti c't, who played full back for Wellington against Auckland, made a sensational kick in the match with Nelson. He dropped at goal from beyond the hnlf way flag at :i sharp angle, and the ball just fell under tho bar fuir in the center.

La?t Saturday's matchoa for the Junior Association's Cud resulted as follow?: — West End and Montroee forfeitod (heir m'ptches with Selwyn and Bovors roppectivfly. Excelsior defeated Gordon 111 at Ellorslie by 13 points to nil, Gordon playing J2 men to Excelsior's 14. Britannia met|v*ictorfa in the Domain, and after a Btubborn fight the game resulted in favour of Victoria by 2 points to nil. The latter have now a clear lead of four wins for the cup, the remainder being positioned aB follows : —

8: % f! I. | Graf ton .... 10 8 I 1 53 Gordon ". .. 9 8 2 1 37 Newton .... 9 5 3 1 33 North Shore .... & 3 * 2 13 Auckland .. .. 10 3 7 0 (> Albort .... a 1 6 2 2 The following tablo shows how the Junior Cup matches ended. Manukau and Athletica have another match to ploy yot:— 4 g%3 i 4 £ 1 g "'S* 3 a £ Ne'son .. .. 15 13 1 1 69 Waitemata 15 12 2 1 171 Orafton .... 1* 9 3 2 2B Auckland .. 14 H 5 0 28 Mannkau .. J3 * 9 f) 2 AthloUc. .. 13 i 9 0 i

3 o Victoria.. Britannia Salwyn .. Rovera .. Oxford .. Excelsior Montr one Gordc .. Wo»i End all 17 ie 17 11) la 17 1H in 17 d I 16 12 11 8 7 1 1 ? I 1 1 3 .'! li 8 10 H U 1 0 0 •1 1 1 2 1 1 2 _g (59 1£B 63 22 69 15 26 i