SOCCER FOOTBALL

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 170, 19 July 1924, Page 21

SOCCER FOOTBALL

Last Saturday's contest for the Brown Shield was productive of an interesting game, and found the Auckland defenders once more victorious. South Auckland, who brought up their best available team, opened the game, and for a while played fust football. For the first twenty minutes they were always in the picture, their combination being good, and shooting accurate, but just lacked the necessary luck which terminates in goal-getting."' After Auckland had secured their second goal, the visitors' forwards fell away, and their attack lacked finishing efforts. Barnett, at outside left, was | given a lot of work, but mention must be made of the splendid display given by the visitors' custodian. Not by any means a small man, Allsopp seeemed to dominate the goal mouth, and on several occasions his height and reach stood him in good stead. In addition, he displayed a quickness of eye that was keenly apppreciated. Moon was the pick of the backs, and played a good game, but the fault with the team seemed to lie in the halfbacks, who fell away when Auckland got going with a forcing pace. The Auckland team, who Were a trifle lucky in securing a two-goal lead in the first half, were a well-balanced eleven. Merritt, who was playing his first representative match at centreforwardi, acquitted himself well, and kept his wings nicely fed. It would be hard to criticise the team individu- | ally, as both in combination and solo play the eleven did credit to the selection committee. Whilst sympathy is extended to the losers, it cannot be overlooked on the general run of the play the better team won, although possibly a smaller margin would more adequately represent the run of the play. In the evening the competing teams were entertained to dinner at the Albert Hotel. Mr. Menzies, chairman of the A.F.A., led the proceedings, and welcomed the visitors. Other speakers who helped to lessen the blow of "defeat vere Professor Maxwell Walker. Messrs. "R- Bannister, and L. C. H. Daw son. Thanks on behalf of the South Auckland team were rendered by Mr John McKinnon (deputy Mayor of Hamilton) and Mr. T. G. Wilks, the secretaiy and n|tnager of the team. A correspondent asks if it is a fact that the referee in a senior match played at Victoria Park a fortnight ago, attended a meeting of one of the contesting clubs prior to the game and " gave valuable advice" to that team. The answer is that the referee in question did that very thing. Clubs gener- [ ally were curcularised to the effect that I members of the referees' association were willing to attend meetings of the clubs, and give talks or lectures on the finer points of the game, and several I clubs availed themselves of the offer. | The sinister suggestion contained in the I correspondents's inquiry, namely, that a j referee acted as ccach to a team during 1 theo week and on Saturday refereed a match in which that team was playing, is entirely refuted by the facts disclosed.