LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 211, 5 September 1921, Page 7

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

KNOCK-OUT SEMI-FINAL. MARITIME BEATS FIREMEN. . AFTER AN INTERESTING GAME. ■Before about three thousand spectators mi C'arlaw I'ark on (Saturday afternoon Maritime succeeded in lowering Fire isiigade's colours by finishing up on the right side of a score of twelve points to three, after a game that was not lacking In incident. The ground was hard and dry, and conditions generally were good for football. Maritime did not appear to lie fully extended for the flrst ten minutes of the game, but it was soon evident that the spirited play of the wlnte-ciad Ureuieu was giving their opponent* serlouniy to think. The game was the semi-.ma: of Ihe Hoopc Koostor knockout competition, and it wus being fought to see which or the two teams should have the right of meeting City night's lime.

The spirited nature of the Klre Brigade work soon had the crowd on their siiie. and it seemed as if Maritime were not playing the same with the usual dash which has come to bo associated with them. At any rate, tiny were very often hard at work defending their line, and this defence, though sound, did not appear to be so thorough as usual. Fire Brigade were very heavily handicapped by the failure of their forwards to get the ball from the majority ..t the serums, and although their nveeighlha and three-quarters made up in some measure for this by losing no time in their efforts to break up the Maritime passing rushes, yet the disadvantage remained on their side. Towards the latter half of the second spell the same became very Interesting indeed. The flrst spell had ended with tile sctjres iv favour of Maritime by seven to ttve. and (luring the whole of the second session there was only one try

scored, that being the result of an unusually fine effort by I'rien, who scored for Maritime.

It may be said that the same played by the I'ire Brigade came as something of a surprise to those among the crowd who have not had ninny opportunity of sceinz this team in action. They have a set of cl.ver breakaway forwards, but the pack is somewhat weak in scrum-work. . The backs are all deserving of commendation, espcci ally Joseph, the Maori half, for the way he went down to the hard work behind tlie pn.-k. The other hack* shone for tlieir tackling, though they are too much inclined to Co high, and "or their smart and accurate handling of the ball.

fin tbe Maritime side the forwards plnved their usual close same. Averv. Webb md I'larke .nil di.l useful work in the loose.

Tlip backs did not npppnr to work together ' with any ereat amount of prerUion. and spoiled ii Rood opening. Vet tlic ram" on ' !he who!,- was goo.l. an.! iii'-ite well worth soeins. I A fionp GAME. ; Mn'iifestly Fire P.rizade hn 1 Maritime thinking before tho flr-'t sppli whj» half done fnr tl'» spirit an.l combination of tl-Mr p!a<- showed :\ vast Improvement upon | thpir earlier efforts this season. Iv fact, the nipninpss of the Fire Brigade Wki should hrin? IhU new team into prrnnlinp'i gain a lillle rnnro experience in the enr]i>. It was lIPviT expected that they -lini-icl rmt up «uch a iroo,i fight nsnlnst Marltin<p. who. if nnytblne. were not onitP up to tlm standard of comliinatlon they usually show lbs n team. lint they were right 'there with the kp-n and Btn-Wmrn llpfenre that is one of thpir most mn'kc'l pharac-tPriKtlrß, nnd their winning try hv P.rleti was liie result of one of those opportiu>lti»s diiiiklv seized which are a feature of the I-eague same. _ The fi-st score came pnrl.v in tiif irnmo. when Litttewood finished up n Maritime pnoslne rush with a Hood try. which Flynn goaled. After that play bcame r ery spirited. Coate* eventually snapping up nn opportniiltv ami RPorina a try for I-ire nVlsade. which Wnrelns roaled. That nut the scores pvpn. and nothing more "ime tint 1 ! well on in Hip spell, when V ynn goileil n free, the snell endlnc Maritime I. Fire Brlso«lp •'■• Net* sn, " n w »* n , , b " rl, strußSle all the time. lUlen Rrorlnc his try from :. Bylue ell.ince within nhoiit seven miiiu'es of the timelx-11. Flynn nzaln " TTie Fire Rrirnilp not up to thf Maritime standard, this hems psneruilly notieeni.lP in the serums and .lose work xenerallv luit the white harks wer» tilay|n E a finp gamp, nnd this went far towarddestroyintr whatever adrnntase the r«l----white-ind-blues S a:ne<l from the scrimmazes. The same endp.l: » Maritime r z Fire Bricadp ' SELECTED FOR TRAINING FQR RKP. TEAM. Thp Auckland selectors. Mppsra. .1. ("lark, f, Whitley and K. Stallworthy. request the following player* ,o K° iul " t"> inin P ;lt L'arlan- Park' on Tuesday an.l Thursday evenin"« at T.::o o'clock, iv view of the fnrthromfng representative flxtnre between Auckland a*na South Auckland, to W played at Cirlaw I'ark on Saturday. September 17: Flvnn (Maritime.. Woolley iFire Brts.'.rtfl. \V Davidson (Cltyl. B. Davidson (Marlti'iiei I.ittlewood (Maritime!. Wetherall (Pity). Grey (Maritime). F-anc (Tit.y). Smze iMa'rist Old BoysK Somers .Newton). I'aki (f-itvi Stormont (Marist Old Rnvsi. Hawkes tClth. Wery .Maritimel. McNelll fKire Rrizadei. c. James (Newton), and Peckham fClty). ForitTH GRADE. ■City ?.. drew with Manukau ?■■ Broomflelrt i scored for Manukau. Ah Chep scored for j City. ntahuhu 17. lient Tonsonhy 3. This jilvcs Otahuhn Ihc cliamplonship. SIXTTI GKAUE. Cltv Rovers v. Iliirhmond. —r*ity won 10 to 7." For City. Byron and Collins scorwl tries, and L. Crcon convertPd one ami kicked a penalty goal. CAMBRIDGE V. HAMILTON. CFrom Our Own Correspondent.) CAMBRIDGE, this day. Cambridge representative teams met two teams from Hamilton at Victoria Square on Saturday before about 800 spectators. In the spnior reprt*seDtativr match a tino pain* , resulted in a win for Cambridge by IS points to 10. For Cambridge, trips were scored by McMillan. Mrlvor. Carroll Stewart, Pou. For Hamilton : Bass. Payne (2). IJuftv converted two tries. Mr. T. Smith refereed. Cambridge B verstis Hamilton l> resulted in a win for I'amlirldße by live points to nil For Cambridge. scored and Kelly kicked a coal. Mr. Melvor referred. In the final of the Schoolboys' Competition for the Challenge Banner. Cambridge I! defeated Lcaminston by three points la try by Granville) to nil. Mr. \V. Webber refereed. _^^__^_^^^^_^_^^