PONSONBY COLOURS LOWERED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 183, 5 August 1935, Page 13

PONSONBY COLOURS LOWERED.

Shore players are to be congratulated on being the first to take full points from lonsonby this season, and Ponsonby are also entitled to credit for having carried through the season since April without a defeat. The match was one of the most interesting and stubbornly contested seen for some time, and the spectators were Kept on the qui vive of expectancy till the final whistle. In fact it was a real hurricane finish, and the fact that Ponsonby did not at least split the honours was due to their own carelessness In front of goal—in fact, practically right underneath the bar. But it was the vigorous, fast, end to end coutest that pleased most, with both teams to a man throwing their entire energy into the struggle for mastery. Ponsonby team work and understanding were shattered at times by the wholehearted If unorthodox methods of Shore The Devonport middle line contained- no artists or artistry, but it did contain three deadly-tackling, spoiling players • who never rested and never gave the opposition any rest. In the forwards there was the same element of first time play, slashing the ball! freely ahead and sometimes from wing to j wing. If there was little finesse there! was no lack of vigorous action. j Shore had a great asset in Cowle. As an arm. of attack he was outstanding, for every time he got the ball Shore started an offensive by the goalie's kicking, which generally covered a range of three-quarters of the field. Peter Gerrard was off form, a thins that very, very seldom has to be chronicled, luit this only served to bring out the best in his pnrtner, C. Kktuan, who played a splendid game at left-back. Blaekie was much more serviceable at right half

Archer stood up to the robust game with line effect. .Sometimes bis placing was faulty, but like most of the Shore players he has plenty of time to learn the finer points. Walters played a plodding game throughout. Shore forwards were here, there and everywhere in their attacks, positional play being; seldom seen, but they were nevertheless u hot handful for the opposing defence. Scott has been seen to better advantage. Stevenson was generally successful, as was also K. Eknian at inside left. McCluskey save a deal of trouble I>y his turustful play, but had to do much foraging for the ball. Ilitchens was elusive without being very effective.

There was not much at fault with Pon- ; sonby, only that they lacked thrust in the forwards aud their finishing was weak. Kiggans ini«sed one or two chances that should have been certainties, and did not quite seem to carry through the movements executed by the wind's. lunes and McCallnm showed understanding, and several nicely combined runs were seen from them, I while on the left Mullane improves almost weekly, thanks to the openings supplied by Karnan, whoso footwork was again outstanding. The defence was sound and was severely tested. Fraser deputised for A. Watson, whose injured shoulder is likely t<> bo again fit before the Wellington Hospital match in two weeks' time. Haggett and Sims at back constituted a solid defence, while in the middle lines Jones was safe and clever, Masters strong and dogged in his game, while Wiseman was inclined to get out of position, acting often as a. sixth forward. Ponsonby, however, if they lost the points, must be given credit for having shown the better team work. DRAW AT ST. HELIER'S. Superiority in weight rather than in skill enabled Eastern Suburbs to hold ST.M.C.A. to a draw at St. Heller's on Saturday. After giving oue or two really good displays lately, the latter were, however, vei'y much off form again, and Suburbs' bustling, aggressive tactics badly upset their attempts to combine. Promoted from the juniors, Deoki, on Y.M.C.A.'s right wing, justilied his elevation by scoring his team's only goal. Quick on his feet and accurate in his passing and shooting, his worst mistake was in centring when often he could have had a shot at goal. A solid defence was maintained by Mowat.t and Dobsoi:, the latter being particularly active in breaking up Suburbs' attacks and sending the ball up to his front line, while Smith, in Y.M.C.A.'s goal, was almost impossible to beat.

Well supported by their half-back line, cousisting of lioss, Chapman and Sims, the Y.M.C.A. forwards staged some very pretty passing movments which brought them often within range of the Suburbs goal, but ill luck and the two hefty Stone brothers. Suburbs' ffull-baeks, spoiled the most ifomising chances. The Jatter relieved Hoyte, their goalie, of a loj; of work— though he etill had plenty to do and did it well—and turned defence into attack with long clearing kicks which reached their forwards. In the front rank It. Welch was always aggressive, but was inclined to take too much ou his own shoulders, when more might have been gained by distributing the ball, especially as Gilbert, at outside left, was playing an excellent game and scored Suburbs' only goal.

GRADE GAMES. SECOND GRADE. Thistle 5, beat Y.M.C.A. 4. Abels C 7, boat Henderson 0. Kastern Suburbs t>, beat Ponsonby B 1. Mount Albert Grammar 0.8. 5, beat Alicls B 1. Y.M.C.A. 0, drew with Thistle A 3. Oneliunga A 2, beat Comrades 0. THIRD INTERMEDIATE. Comrades 4, beat North Shore 3. FOURTH GRADE. Mount Albert 0.8. 10, beat Ponsonby 0. FIFTH GRADE. Metro College 7, beat Abels 1. Now Lynn i, beat Marist 0.8. 0. SIXTH GRADE. Thistle beat Ponsonby by default. SECONDARY SCHOOLS. SENIOR GRADE. Mount Albert A beat Takapuna by default. JUNIOR GRADE. Kowhal 3, beat Otahuhu 1 , . 1. Ota hull u A3, bent Mount Albert C 1. Technical College :!, boat Mount Albert A 1. Auckland Grammar 4, beat Mount Albert B 1. GAMES IN THE PROVINCE. i HAMILTON. Huntly Star 4, beat Claudelands Rovers 1. Intermediate Grade. —Glen Massey 9, beat Hamilton Wanderers 2. GAMES IN THE SOUTH. "WELLINGTON. Hospital 2, drew with Marist 2. Petone 8, beat Lower Hutt 0. Auld Memorial (replay).—Waterside 4, beat Institute Old Boys 1. First B Division.—Seatoun 3, beat Stop Out 0. DUNHDIN. Mospiel 1, bent Maori Hill 0. Mornington 4, beat Scacliff 2. Northern 5, beat Technical Old Boys 4. Hifrh School Old Boys, beat KoslynWakarl 3. The result virtually gives Mos-siel the premiership. CHRISTCHURCH. Western A 7, beat Weslern B 0. Nomads S. beat Technical -. / Rangers 2, beat St. Albans 1. Llnwood 5, beat Thistle 3. PALMERSTON NORTH. Athletic 1, beat St. Paul's 0. Rovers 2, beat To Aueaue 1.