SUPERIORITY OF ENGLAND

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22112, 7 June 1937, Page 7

SUPERIORITY OF ENGLAND

HIGH STANDARD SET MOST BRILLIANT SIDE TO VISIT DOMINION [THE PRESS Special Service.! DUNEDIN, June 6. The English Association football team is undoubtedly the most brilliant that has ever visited the Dominion, and fo'r combination, clever footwork, well-directed passing, and shooting ability it has set a standard that a New Zealand side could not hope to approach. On attack the forwards and halves worked like a machine yesterday, and their interchanging of positions and short passes completely demoralised New Zealand's half-line defence, and while the visitors had little to do in the way of strict defensive work, the full-backs were always equal to the occasion and very few of the New Zealand attacks were allowed to reach the shooting stage. B. Joy, the centre-half and captain of the English team, was a tower of strength throughout the match. He was frequently in the forefront of attacking movements, but his chief ability lay in his powers of covering up as third back. The general team work was so excellent that it would be wrong, however, to singl* him out before anyone else. At centreforward Mathews held his line together well and distributed the play to both wings equally, and was strongly supported by the inside play of Thornton and Eastham. In Finch and Collins the English team had two outstanding wings, and although the former shone more because the tun of the game came his way more often, Collins was never found lacking when occasion arose. Lewis and Leek, the wing-halves, were always a thorn In the side of the New Zealand team and showed cleverness in stopping attacks. The English full-backs, Strasser and Robins, were never extended at any time, but all their kicking was clean, while the manner in which they placed for their halves instead of kicking strongly was a lesson that could well be taken to heart by players in the Dominion. Huddle, the tall English goalkeeper, had very little to do, but on the few occasions he was called upon to save he handled the greasy ball confidently. In comparison with the display by the Englishmen, the work of the New Zealand team suffered severely. It lacked the positional play of the Englishmen, and the passing generally of the halves and forwards was without judgment. The few attacks which reached the Englishmen's area were without cohesion and method, and on the rare occasions on which any actual attempt was made to score the shooting was badly directed and in several cases wild. The most trte forwards could do was to force Joy to concede two corner kicks. These movements were short-lived, however, and in the closing stages England practically scored at will. Cameron was called upon to save time and again, and no blame could be attached to him for the large tally of goals, the majority of which gave him little chance. Had it

not been for Cameron, a much heavier defeat would have been suffered. On more than one occasion he had to save as many as three hard shots in quick succession. It was the failure of the New Zealand half line which was, chiefly the cause of the debacle. The Niw Zealand forwards would have required to have been much cleverer and faster to have made any impression on the opposition, and, as it was, they seldom appeared dangerous. Leslie, in the centre position, had few opportunities, the failure of the two wings to crosskick accurately preventing him from showing his recognised dash in front of the goal. The team played only as well as it was allowed. In all departments the Englishmen outplayed New Zealand. They were more at home on the heavy ground, and their short-passing game, brilliant positional play, and deftness at controlling the ball demonstrated the class of football which New Zealanders would find hard to copy.