LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 155, 4 July 1927, Page 12

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

MARIST IN THE LEAD. HARD GAME WITH DEVONPORT. RICHMOND DEFEAT CITY. i In spite of adverse weather there was ' an attendance of 11,000 spectators at Carlaw Park on Saturday afternoon ; when the leaders in the senior competil tion, Marist and Devonport, met. After a desperately hard game, in which there , were occasional good flashes of concerted work, Marist won by 16 points to U. A section of the crowd made a demonstration against the referee (Mr. Taylor) as the teams came off the field. Richmond proved too good for City, winning by 16 points to 11. The NewtonPonsonby match, set down for decision at the Domain, was postponed. MARIST SUPERIOR. Hay started to sea-saw from the outset. At midfield Shore sent up & high kick and for once the faultless Gregory, the grecen's fullback, fumbJed. lie made a good recovery, but the Shore pack was on him. Seagur gathered the ball up, swung out on a lateral line and passed to A. Scott on his right. The centre kicked obliquely and as the ball landed behind King, lieattle, the Shore wing, came In a brilliant burst of speed to gather the ball on the first bounce and flash across by the llag. It was a great try with the honours to Scott, who made it possible. Devonport 3, Marist 0. Devonport were playing with wonderful (lash and dominating the play. With play at the centre, Webb gathered the ball, shot round the side of a scrum, that was breaking into the ruck, handed out the dummy to the Marist inside backs. Challenged by Gregory, the Shore half, whipped the ball to L. Scott, to Douglas, the latter, amid excitement, diving across at the flag. Devonport 6, Marist 0. It w#s fast, hard - fighting football, although both sides were finding a slippery ball singularly elusive. The green forwards went through in a devastating rush, on the line Perry let the ball through his legs and Graham, In a desperate dive for possession scored. Gregory sent the flags up and the score. Devonport 6, Marist 5. Another Marist rush had the Shore backs 2 a * an S'e. Klrwan dribbled through, over the line, and Graham, the opportunist, was again on the spot to added the finishing touch with a dive for possession. Marist 8 Devonport 6. King sent to Klrwan to Brisbane. The latter made a glorious straight dash and then perfect handling between Keenan and .Tnhnson sent the latter across—a fitting climax to superb concerted play In which the pace straight running and dash wore admirable. Gregory kicked a lovely angle goal. The midway scores were :—Marist 13 Devonport 6. In the Shore twenty-five the Marist backs got off two good passing runs. One attack broke down in the goal mouth, and there was a swirl of scrambling plav until the van for Marist arrived. Playing the game or his life, Graham took another long (live, and his hat trick, three successive tries, was cheered to the echo by the big crowd. Gregory missed an open goal. Marist 16, Devonport 6. A great deal or unnecessary heat and bitterness was creeping into the play at this stage. There was a roar from the crowd when a Shore man let a right swing go at a Marist man, and uproar a moment later when the referee sorted out a tangle of players and gave J. O'Brien (Devonport) a free p««« to the side line, the crowd cheering a sympathetic action when J. O'Brien (Marist) stopped to shake hands with his namesake. Playing in better spirit the teams settled down to hard-slogging football, although there were many Infringements, th. crowd finding it hard to follow some of the rulings given. Devonport fought It out to the bitter end, and ifcey were having a shade the best of things near the finish. The end came with an accompaniment of rain and the scores: Marist Devonport g CITY AGAIN OUTPOINTED. In their match with Richmond on Carlaw Park No. 2, City experimented with several new players, who have previously figured amongst the Rugby ranks. Godkln (Bay of Plenty) was seen out on the wing, while the pack was bolstered up with Pascoe (Manakau) and Spencer (a Canterbury representative). Play opened In lively fashion with both sides trying to work their backs. Richmond attacked, and within three minutes of the commencement, Parkes 'secured from ft loose melee In the corner and dived over. When next Richmond were on the offensive the ball shot through from the base of the scrum to Davis, who wormed 1 his way across. The maroons continued to apply the pressure, and scrambling forward play saw Telford battle his way In. Taylor found the sticks with a well-directed kick from a difficult angle. Richmond 11, City 0. The reds besieged, and a fast-moving passing rusfr, In which the! ball traversed the hands of Ferrall, Lewis, Wetherill, Perry and Wnde, ended In the latter scoring a try pretty wide out. Just before the spell was announced Taylor placed another penalty kick for Richmond, and the scores rend: —Richmond 13, City 3. After ten mrnutes of bnttling In the second spell. Davis whipped the ball away to Jenkinson. to Prentice, to Parkes, who tossed a low pass to Swift. The winger kicked across, and flopped on the ball In the nick of time for a try. In a spasmodic dash by City Into enemy country, up-and-under tactics allowed Ghent to beat Taylor in a dive for possession, and reduce the deficit by three. Richmond 16, City 6. When the reds were next besieging, "sacks-on-the-mill" in the corner, In which the majority of both teams partlcipted, saw the referee award a doubtful try to Godkln. City enthused a new life into their work, and attacked with vigour. Richmond infringed in their anxiety to keep them out. and Wetherill placed a neat goal. Richmond 16, City 11. The game ended without further score, with Richmond forcing the Issue. Mr. A. Rae controlled the game. SENIOR B MATCHES. Klngsland 23, beat Parnell 7; Ellerslie 13, beat Otahuhu 0. JUNIOR RESULTS. THIRD GRADE. Richmond A 3, beat Richmond B 0. Ellerslie 6, beat Point Chevalier 3. , Devonport 9, beat Klngsland 0. J FOURTH GRADE. Athletic 38, beat Ellerslie 2. Devonport 21, beat Remuera 0. SIXTH GRADE. City B 6, beat Athletic 0. GAMES IN THE SOUTH. WELLINGTON. League football matches played on Saturday resulted : Albion 47, beat Fetone 11: Hutt 3, beat North 0. ! CHRISTCHURCH. League football matches played at Christchurch on Saturday resulted: Hornby 9, beat Marist 8; Walmakarere 14, beat Sydenham 8. DUNEDIN. League football matches played In Dunedin on Saturday resulted: Kalkoral 9, beat Pacific 3; Athletic 19, beat Christian Brothers 3.