LEAGUE GAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 170, 19 July 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

LEAGUE GAMES.

a * A GREAT GAME. MAR.ISTS BEAT CITY. ATHLETICS WIH EASILY. PONSONBY DOWN DEVONPORT. The meeting of Marist Bros, and City this afternoon at Carlaw Park was generally regarded as being the star club game of the season, and it was not surprising that there should be a big attendance. City fielded their best side of the season, and with Marist Bros, at full Etrength everyone looked forward to a great contest. And so it proved, and j from bell to bell there was not a dull moment. The ground was wet and muddy | and militated against accurate handling i of the ball, but even so there were many spectacular movements, which brought applause from the crowd. In the first spell the Tykes rattled on 13 points against City's 2, and up to that stage had much the better of the play. But it was in the second half that the thrills came. Both sides tore into their work, and gave no quarter. The crowd was at high tension throughout, and it was the kind of football on a wet and muddy ground that one dreams of. Marists could not penetrate the City defence in the second spell, but on two occasions Brown got over for City, but in each instance the try was disallowed. It was hard to understand the ruling on the second occasion, and the crowd expressed disapproval by hooting vigorously. On the day the better team won, but it was a great game, hard and brilliant. After the match the referee, Mr. Bull, admitted that he made a mistake touching the second occasion when Brown crossed Marists' line. He explained that as Brown gathered in the ball he (Mr. Bull) noticed two hands held up on tho line. He took these as belonging to the line umpire, but learned a moment later that it was really a member of the ambulance brigade running on the field from the side line. Having blown the whistle before Brown crossed Marists' line he could not then allow the try. Playing on No. 2 ground at Carlaw Park, in a sea of mud, A.hletic did not experience any difficulty in winning from Richmond by 25 points to 0. In the first half, and particularly in the first few minutes of the second spell. Richmond played gamely, but then went all to pieces and threw in the towel before time was called. At Devenport a hard game was witnessed between Ponsonby and Devonport, the "Ponies" winning by six points to three.