FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 178, 30 July 1888, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

PoN'ositf.-Tho matches be<}*A* oS T' L dubs always attract a deal ■-W&^Zi the match on Saturday , of attention. ■» rule . A _ arf , er «>9 n° TEonred the Epsom ground ntfcaadance »* a club ma tch this tW ba9 Site public were very enthusiason,'^.?; ft their having defeated ■ He B TJ°*,.« time they met by 11 i^ toni this was accentuated favourites, «J hat Ponsonby had ) y the. fert team in the field. {• jgj*p. Graham, H. Wing ! »;-S» Ponsonby: Jul - A. Sf * Ld fthree-quarters J. Arneff, fback,J- Brau h Laird; half-backs, H. & Conway. £' d Wakerly ; forwards, Stephe^SS.,, \V. Hobson, J. JVu&JJ. HoffeVnan, McKay D. i WooUer.B-^ race, fa d been effoeted in Gash- H?£- neither Keefe nor the 9£ u p,S Conway waa shifted p^ towN »V> d wakerly, a man of toWrtK took his place at P'^JSr tnan of the second ftf^SV ?ia f Art >__ Gash — „ -nd elected to defend If® the *__! Grafton kicked off, and W*_!E__ Kyan sent the ball out -- Conway retuin^ njw S( . nmis ei _. r•* B. wh Grafton had the best of if, l*d'_lS&gh,and then Hobson, \ vwS to Mackie s? o[l*i a rt«£?SSn had. Ryan liacl the 'S^Tand made a good run ball Pf^ kicking out of bounds by across M fl» V worked Iha play into itfliSeiißraund picked np and ?^l 'dented. The ball went right into Ryan's hands Ate£oal,ancl ho droppeda beautil »& had scored 3 point, L^gKlnute,. Ponsonby kicked rtSandgained a lob of groo„d by a c ff, jotubu b touch. \\ oils came H3U kicking down the fl_S Combined play by the £td tS* backs gained a lot c Lnlawi ««veralfierce scrums wore .C in neutral territory, when Muir fODg 2 ou» by a barefaced piece of offthebatt to bo taken 'ffiKninsh of Grafton. Arbe.lpiokod i «ff.L_>ro6s rush of the maroons, and dffltm neld, the Grafton Stock returning half-way. A splendid •1 nf «kv by the Ponacnby forwards butßvanbyagood ran soon bad it back }WU^ * _rDeil ■%*• SO _| Bruce spoiled Ryan, and then Stephen byabeautiful.passgave Comvay siaiid Hooker was into Grafton a 25 before Ryan doWed him. A rush by the I maroon forwards was stopped by A. Eraand, and play for some time was centred half- tty. Wakerly from a grand pas< by Braund made an erfeiitruii, and Bruce took tbe ball into Grafton's _, 'Stephenson passed out to Conway and J. Braund hacking up, took play into dangerous proximity bo Grafton s W. Grafton rallied, and by a good rush, in which Lecky and Wolls were conspicuous, wfcoW- pity to Porisonby's 25. Grafton keeled out and Graham passed to Kiffllingiffisjluigsent the oval onto Kyan, ; tt__ mine a _lh teMs the line. .Bran nd ■ tackled him' -well, and as he brought him j down bock„ the ball oub of his hand*, i: andKisaiin^eiiJred a try. llyad took the ■;.:*, "'hi 'Wid nothing; Ponsonby '.kicked o\ii,tfm\ returned, and Kissling markedoSs, return by Braund, aud play centred in PonsorvWs ■ 25, Mnokie made a good uaijV Arneil grass ing him, arid then a (food rush by Grafton forced Ponsonby down. Arneil kicked otifcand Wooller downed Ryan before he could return. Stewart kicked hard down td J. Briund, who i-art and then kicked oat at tho fewonty-five flag. Some rough play by Higgins, wbo raised bis harid to strike a plAyfeb oh tho oppo- . rite.side, was promptly hooted by the public, who did not care to *cc a good game spoiled by brawls. _ grand rush of the Grafton forwards Was stopped by Arbeil, who carried the play out of danger, and then A. Braund kicked down the field and Brown letaraed halfway. Bruce came away with »dribble, and Hobson spoiled Kissling, and Stephenson gained some ground by fast Mowing up.., Stephenson marked and tacked down to Brown, wno lent tho ball }}ong the ground, but it went out of bounds. Ine ball was passed out from a scrum, and some fast play by. Grafton spoiled tho -onsoiiby backs, and Mackie securing the aubyasinartdash; l-an behind and secured i woud try for Grafton. Ryan took the a «i and placed a magnificent goal. &T_ 7 I*B ' Ponßonby, Ml. Ameil m off, and the ball was. ordered back by ore few. McKenzie came through, and Wed stopped the rush. Grafton, howMa- n°, fc t0 bo denied» an(i two fast w'i?" 6 after th° other' took play into JPby'a quarters and over their line, wen they saved. Stewart came through er2S S2ojfbencei,lwasta^nbya Hf «Un Wakerfy- A. Stewart Ird W \t rUu nh and beinS passed by $ffit*?M'- Sanson picked P and punted down the field, and MM! grfS3ed before he could M art P«»«d rashly, and Laird Kt£u Dg' a"r d 4* Bra«nd sent the !t";7 Grafton had the best of mSAlws^- Stoart Wol'k by __sSSV Mackie'and fchen Ki««----m&* ]l J?* 0 tou«h at the 25 flag, SJWIWI called, the score standing r™> ; Ponsonby, 0 ff;i kickel°^ a»d Stewart making i^' h ffu ab °»cc in-the L fcraund got two marks her but gained nothing by Mc m._ yi ?? s,ome fcime was very **S t al; bla, ClfS threat«ning the m\\ml , .l be hne- and the at--sffifJ__3h d _acn^anß,e' wMaInndef tl y A? C,L, McCausland !;CS c SS Rwli and?o»B behind fe tt? k n °Ut', and Wakerly m _J aU made a g°od d»ot »' l^d kHW" .raL arkln ° under the >* lcn «Uhfl & £* he Bent the bah into b« yfia«- Ponsonby came k BBSiSRipS *_* fche ball back KSl.^ J^lßßll^ dribbled be# neutrft klcked fch« ball into touch iKSJ^- Stephenson was 0 »»nd by a l„u a, fimarb rush, and A. W- WWtnihw revJ,P unt stopped a - hfffc^ raar°™forwards oo* ¥ to 4 ,lo n*>*by-s twenty- <** Mil fe tb«f «ward, as «,ted of ?^s. C by Stephenson -.feared » iQtah am nfcS^ y Carrißd tho ecruffi, 4 lorn Wakerif "Up Pas*»«l to Mackie, ric* isS„,Wi a"d Conwa^ taincdthe P a»B- Ci«!U_ I «B*B?fe «der for sometime 1? V'«n* raiS?kad UP off a fast (1°! aßrow». who ,_- S , Pantßd d °™ s4 d the* T n J«turned to J. Braund, f\ 6tf ■•■«*fl__ v full-back »t ? £ falT ay- Ry fln a >r; s?»«s dribbUn?rush "y the Jl ™ S&TOiIS_ ia *' bat was stop onbh«Parkofthe back? te r i al>- Rvan^ »°^»Me "ith .a jl»l p.ottt r_iM >an K°b into his stride 4* I Mm well and

made a Bplendid run up the field, but was grassed in fine style by Wakerly, who secured the ball, and, when tackled, passed. Stephenson missed, but Arneil, backing up, kicked far down the field. The forwards were too slow in following up, and allowed Brovm to return. Play, however, was taken past the half-way liag, when Kissling camo through and, being collared by Laird, passed, and Lecky carried the ball on, but passing forward a scrum was formed half-way. Ryan by a long kick into touch transferred play to the blue and blacks' 25, where Wooller came away with the ball ab his toe, bub could nob geb far. Ponsonby s lines were cleared by A. Braund punting into touch. Kissling passed out to Mackie, bub Conway hold him. Stephenson was noticeable with a dashing run, anil a random kick by Grafton sent the ball into touch within a few yards of the blue and blacks' Una. A scrum was formed from the throwin and bho ball heeled oub to Kissling, v. ho passed to Mackie, but Conway was too quick, and securing the oval, was into neutral territory before being grassed. Fast work soon had it back in the 25, when Gash camo away with a fast dribble. Some very peculiar work now took place—everyone seeming to be in one another's road- —until Mackie came away with a fast dribble that was only stopped by J. Braund falling on bho bail, fctephoiuon cleared his lines by a lasb dribble, and Wooller assisting took play to neutral territory. Braund, Stephenson and Wakerly further assisted with a nice passing run, tho latter kicking down to McCaustland, and Arneil sent the return out of bounds. Play was fast in the extreme —Ponsonby having rather the best of it and keeping the ball on Oral ton's side of the half-way ilag. .Wakerly made a slashing run, and when tackled parsed to Laird, who ran out of bounds. .Stewart tackled him, and was hooted by the spectators for rough play by needless:y throwing Laird when tho latter was out ot play. Fast work by Grafton removed play to thoir opponents' 25, when Wooller came away with a dribble, and Hobson picking up ran into neutral territory and passed to Wakerly, who was almost half-way before Wells stopped him. Gash came away but the ball went out. Grafton rallied, and Arneil stopped a rush by picking up. Not putting the ball down at once, McKenzio snatched it and, being collared, passed to Muir, who ran behind, no one attempting to stop him, but the ball was ordered back, id having been held in the lirst instance. Grafton had the boat of the scrums, play being kept in Ponsonby's 25, and the maroons looked like scoring until Arneii cleared his line by punting in;o touch past the 25 flag. McCausland returned a kick by Laird, and J. Braund foolishly attempted to run instead of kicking, and was downed by Spencer within a few yards of his line. Hob&on came to the rescue with a line dribble, and picking up wus almost through. Albie Braund saved scoring oh a brilliant rush by Grafton, and tho latter made play very interesting with fast rushes, keeping tho ball in the blue and blacks' line. Wooller cleared his territory, by fast following up spoiling Kyan, and Graham making a mis-kick, Conway sent the ball into touch hair way between the 50 and 25 flags, when time was called, the match thus ending in a win for the Grafton by 7 points bo nil. Grafton had all bhe besb of the firsb spell, bub were repeatedly pressed by Ponsonby in bho second, save in the last 10 minutes. The blue and blacks played a good defensive game, bub had all the worst of the luck. This match gives Grafton the Cup, as Gordon wera defeated by Auckland. The umpires Were Messrs Orchard and G. Osmond, while Mr T. Mucky acted as referee. Gokdon v. Auckland.—This match was all in favour of Auckland, who won by 6 points to 3. In the first spoil Caradus for the Auckland potted a goal from the held, and Fisher obtained a try m hk-h he converted into a goal. In the second spoil W. Meldrum secured a try for the Gordon, aud Jervis by a splendid kick from tho touch line converted it into a goal. No turther scoring took place. The Gordon backs were rather better than the Auckland's, but the latter* forwards proved to good for tno blacks.