WEEK-END SOCCER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 91, 19 April 1933, Page 12

WEEK-END SOCCER.

GAMES IN WELLINGTON. DOMINION REP. TRIALS. WELLINGTON DEFEATS AUCKLAND. The Soccer matches played on the Basin Reserve, Wellington during the week-end, in which the North Island and the South Island teams played a trial match in connection with the New Zealand team to tour Australia, and on Monday the first interprovincial rep. match between Auckland and Wellington for the Frank Campbell Rose Bowl, a challenge trophy for competition between' Wellington and Auck-| land, attracted wide interest on account of the importance of the games and the influence which both were understood to have on the picking of the All Blacks for the oversea trip. The game on the Saturday . was certainly far from being a " classy " display of the code. The playere appeared ; to regard the game frorn the individual point of view, and this undoubtedly ; accounted for the complete - absence of cohesive work, or any attempt to work np combination in the respective teams. Changes were also made in both teams I during the game, strangers making their appearance in the second spell on both sides. the game from a purely spectacular point of view, the man most in the eye was Kay, of Auckland. The Auckland defenders in the North_ Island team appeared to instinctively swing the ball to the left wing, and the local winger was found to be on his best behaviour. He was favoured by a weak opposition, and did some impressive work that ought to make his inclusion in the All Blacks as certain as any trial could do. The goalkeepers on both sides, Zuill of Onehunga, and Timlin of Westland, were both exceptionally safe and reliable, but the local man appears to have impressed the sole selector, Mr. B. L. Salmon, and unless the injuries he was unfortunate enough to receive prove worse than is thought, he would appear to be a sure starter for the trans-Tasman trip. R. Stone, Glen Innes, along with Peter Gerrard, of North Shore, performed much better than did any of the South Island backs on view, but the latter were a surprisingly poor selection. In the half-back line, Christie, of Auckland; was not surpassed, though Brown, of Ota go, played with credit, but on the Monday, Campbell (Petone) gave probably his best display for a long time, and made himself a hot favourite for Australia. Owing probably to the effects of the game on the [Saturday on Christie, and a weakness in the Auckland forward line, Campbell completely overshadowed any defender on the field on Monday, with the exception of iStone, who agiun rose to the occasion with ;i display characterised by enterprise and dash that met with the unstinted approval of. all present. The forwards in Saturday's game were deplorably weak, and Kay was the only player "to show anything like worthy form. Leslie attracted much attention, owing to the fact that he has'just made his reappearance in New Zealand Soccer after a visit to Scotland, where he spent .two seasons in first division football. He did fairly well, but there was not the team work that is necessary to bring out centre, forward ability, and Leslie, while he was successful, was by no means brilliant. Trotter, the veteran Canterbury, centre, was not good enough for Christie, but showed some ability in the distribution of the ball, and Ives, of Otago, art: outside right, was much more promising towards the close than he was earlier in the game." But' otherwise the South attack was less than mediocre. Barton, at otuside right for the North, was far from outstanding, and Kershaw wail Condon, the inside men, were also only very moderate. Much' better football was seen in the game on Monday, and the score might have been a draw without doing either team an injustice. Wellington's superiority, or rather Auckland's weakness, was in the centre. Williamson was far from successful on the day. and Campbell was brilliant. This weakened the whole of the visitors' tactics. Stone was the other outstanding player on the field. He gave a great display of vigorous defensive as well as offensive play, and the two goals that Auckland got were due to raids into the Wellington territory by the Glen Innes back. Gerrard, his partner, was always reliable. Zuill showed great pluck in saving as he did with a splintered finger. Grant and Jeffrey had several vigorous encounters, with honours even. Dunsmore and Hislop could not take their usual place in the attack owing to Campbell's preponderance, and, the Auckland front line did not work 'with anything like its .usual rhythm. Kay was occasionally to-the-fore, and Blackie flhorie in the second spell. A most regrettable - change -cams' over the game following the unfortunate accident to J. McLeod, who had a-shin bone fractured in collision with Gerrard, just after Auckland had added their two goals in as many minutes. There were signs of a slashing finish, but the painful .injury to the plucky and popular right half on the Wellington side quite upset the players of both sides, and the finish of the game was exceptionally tame. Wellington's victory was deservedly popular, and will ensnre a keen game when the next challenge match is played.

SENIOR FIXTURES. The senior division committee of. the Auckland Football Association met in the Y.M.C.A. last evening. • Mr. Geo. B. Sawers (Thistle),.wras elected to the chair,.and Mr. J. C. Sibbin (Onehunga) was elected secretary. The main business of the meeting was to make the draw for the senior competition games for the coming season. The first round draw, to be commenced on Saturday week, resulted as follows: —Glen Innes v. Onehunga, Comrades v. Tramways, North Shore United v. Y.M.C.A., Ponsonbv v. Thistle.