EXCELSIOR v. AOTEA.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 295, 17 June 1909, Page 3

EXCELSIOR v. AOTEA.

Ar :i.2ii the above teams lined out. Eoppy kitkod r.ff-foj 1 Ad tea. ' Kelly slipju'd and lost the ball, Rangi Kotua with a flying kick landed the ball over the Excelsior line, where Hill forced. Harry Nut-tall kicked out, Puru sadly mulled the ball &iv} a score for Excelsior seemed certain, but Te Hekata with a good line kick saved his side. Bob Drink.vater passed out from behind his scrum to Kelly, who in turn passed to Taylor and back again to Kelly, the last named scoring in a good position. "Bob" took the kick at goal, •but tho ball went wider Excelsior 3: Aoi-ea 0. From the kick out H. Nuttall returned well down the line. At this stage of the game things were going very slowly, no vim or spirit- seemed to be in the game, speculating kicks being the order of the day. This was relieved by Johnny Mason trying a pot, but the ball went wide. From this on Aotea had Excelsior penned on their line" but a breach of the rules gave Excelsior a free kick/ H. Nuttall landed the ball well down the line. . A throw forward to- Johnny Mason lost Aotea a- certain try. At fthis period of the game the old veteran Hoppy was playing' sterling football, giving glimpses of his old form. Taylor got a mark right in front "of a goal but "Bob :) seemed to be off color at goal kicking. After, the ball was set going, Te Hekata and Johnny Mason got going, but were timely nipped in the bud. by Hill, who by this was excelling his previous game. Excelsior seemed to be gettimg the ball from tlie scrum but seemed to do nothing with it, the game was exceedingly slow, and was not a patch on the game of the previous Wednesday. Te Heketa spoiled a passing rush for Excelsior, he taking the ball down.' the field hi nrst-class style, but failed to score through no one bacldng him up. Excelsior were hard pressed and 1 Kelly had to retire hurt, some one evidently'kicking him very severely on the ankle. Half time found Aotea pressing Excelsior, who were defending strenuously. Oai changing ends Excelsior rushed the ball, over tlie Aotea. line, Harrington scoring. "Bbb :: again failed with his kick. Poor, uninteresting play followed, llaeon again had hard luck in not scoring, he losing the ball within a yard of the line. The whistle sounded "time" and so ended one of the poorest exhibitions of football witnessed this season. Excelsior 6, Aotea jO. . ' Mr Harding" was referee, and ruled tho game with his usual efficiency. The game seemed to.be played :n a very friendly spirit, wrangling' and talking being conspicuous by its absence. The crowd behaved well, there being no encroaching on tlhe playing ground, and no unseemly Temarks were passed. Of the. Excelsior forwards Sid Eaton, Harrington, McKay md H. Nuttall were perhaps the best of a good pack of forwards. The backs were all good as far as the. game went, but should be fed more by -the half and five-eighth. Aotea forwards were slow; often they stood looking at an Excelsior back until after he got his kick in.

Hopy, Puro, To Heket-a, aaid Ita-ngi Kotua were the pick of the backs.