ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 9

ASSOCIATION.

/ :. (Br Centrß-HAu?;) . firat - of : the championship'' matches nayed last Saturday were rather a surprise !f as' the form shown was concerned. Jn. the opening '.day a 'certain:margin genor-' Ulj; has to bo mauo for rawness'or want of .raining,' but on Saturday the various teams ippeared to bo in excellent form and full of inthusiasm. ■■ : 'The_ Diamond : Potono ; 2amo was not as me-sided' as ...the/score;'6 to 2, would indi!®te. InJhe'.'first' terra Diamonds didimost ».:• tha : attacking,-tho; Petono, backs lifting l • up ' llto • w ' nd > with the result forwards' did not get'the leather >ften» enough, to allow! them to become dangerous.. The wingers,'.Taplin and' Ball, how)veiy tried tho Diamond 'backs on occasions, >ut Taylor. .Roberts, and Ovorond proved a Hffi'K.vfw was" moro even in the* second lalf,; lind.'.l'itzgorald's successor, Hutchin»n,. was frequentlv called on to save. On Saturday's form " tlio/new- goalkeeper ii deiidedly safe; ond should frbve an acquisi-' .ion .to the, club.., Hawkins, Taplin, : and Ball JUt in some capital .work for tho suburban »ain..cHa\ykins proved- a' rock' in' the way >f;|the .Diamond .left-wing,'.his defensive work semg of great service to his side. Waddell, ;ho 1 ex-New South ales representative, appeared to lack condition, and found, some lifficulty in following tho-play. ■ of kioking' done-during '»« Petono-Biarnoiid game was exception-1 illy good.; Barnett ;sent in a'beauty,- which }iiablcd';S. Reddy to score, and Ball* sent icros3 several dangerous ones for Petoue. Tho Swifts-St. John's match was not given iri extended notice; in our last Monday's • issue, so it may be 'dealt "with now. - Althotigh .Svvifts won by 2 to nil, their opponents, a promoted junior team fonsistiilg of ''young players, put up a tog fight, and ifc'TFill'ilot bo surprising to see ,them extend somo moro ,of' tho older Seams. The first ten'minutes of tho game given •.over.. .to . a-.vigorous .attack.:by. St. John s, but their shooting was rash and wide 3f_,tho:mark. 'A niiskick by J. Pye-Smith ■eft Ferguson in a : good position to score, but the shot just missed tho mark. swiit3 took a turn at attacking at length, ind P. Pye-Smith, who was playing'a dashing game on the . right wing, sent in two ?ood shots, one being a particularly hot ono, vhich just passed outside tho posts. Several •allies were made by St, John's, but each assault was spoiled by overeagerrioss in mooting. Tho first , goal for Swifts was scored by Sparrow, who kickcd high ovdr Ins head. The wind: took the ball, and carried it nicely under tho bar, in such a position, as to make it impossible for tho goalkeeper to save. From tho kick-out P fye : Smith finished up a good run with a pretty shot, which grazed tho bar. From tho goal-kick St. John's rallied, and one of the cleverest picces of concerted work of tho match took the ball to within shooting distarico, but Shane's shot just failed. Almost immediately Mooro got awa.v, after beating the Swifts' halves, but finished up with a ivido shot. Just before, half-time Swifts scorcd their second goal, Sparrow Bonding the leather through from a corner kick by Lruiso. With tho wind at their backs, St. John's made things brisk, but their halves kicked too. hard. On ao fowor' than three:

occasions Shaw sent in rattling good shots, which just missed tiio posts. Linley and 'Ferguson also sent in shots, but without success. Mr. Davidson carried the whistlo. Mays, a half-back from tho Old Country, appeared amongst the Wanderers last Saturday., and was second only to Milno. .Bradbury and Gwilliam were a'good combination for Wanderers, but Cornish was not up to .tho:highest standard.. Ash put' in a l somo fine work early in tho game, and got 3 r of. tho ball , nicely, but, as ho warmed id "Pi his old love for tho ball obtruded itself, ul. Ash 'should-put a noto in his memory tc r]j' the effect that no matter how good an ino,. dividual may bo, it is'no uso his trying tc 3r P la .V a whole team single-handed. Ip ' of combination was tho- noticeable !g defect in the .Thistle team, somo excellent rallies ■ being spoiled at' tho moment when |) combination should liavo told. There is the ; ]j making of a good team in the. Blues, howr. ever, and they should. improve with anothoi , B couple of games. ~ 10 . Rowan, who was ■ goalkeeper for Thistle: j_. last year, is missing from the team .this „ year, having left Mow Zealand for Suva. Is . Clapham, who has been home to England i; since he .last, played in Wellington, rcy appeared for Wanderers last Saturday, and .g put in some rattling good work. tl Milne, the, Wanderers' new half-back, whe has a South African record . behind him, 0 created a favourable impression last Saturi) day. His play in the early part of the game _ was excellent, but he had the misfortune {[ to injure one of his knees before half tim'o. The , injury is not'.considered serious, and is n hot oxpecte3 to keep the Wanderer off the 0 field to-day.. it ' The action of tho Rovers Club in taking e Oldnallfrom the Ramblers Club to aot as their is _a matter which most spccer players are said to bo viewing with a j good.deal of adverse feeling, more especially as Rovers Jiad a goalkeeper who has served - them wellror the past three or four years, Mr. H. G. Mayer. has been appointed as tho Auckland Football Association's delegate j to the New Zealand Football Association, in plaod of Air. G. F. Brodie, transferred to New Plymouth. ; Mr. Mayer, has, always been > a conscientious workor 'in the: cause of the game,' and will no doubt do excellent work J m his new appointment. . 1 ; In reference to a player being ordered ofi " the field at Potone last Saturday,, a pror mirient'member of the Management Com- * mitte©,'pointed out at, this week's meeting t that the, time has how arrived for a firm >, stand;to be taken, up with regard .to those players who are ordered/off, more especially ! for tberuse.of bad language. "The speaker ■ stated that, in the. past, there had. only been [• .ft' handful-'of players, and one had to'be a ' littlo. lax, < but 'now,' with "sixtjr, teams, the > association could afford to bo a little indepen- > dent without being unduly severe. It was 1 advisable, especially at the. start of the season, to'take such: action as would meet ' with the support'of all'referees. ■ The offence ■ referred, to aoes. not seem .to "be a particularly ' bad one; and standing down for one Saturday together :.with" a . go'od admonition rtfrom the i chairman would seem a sufficient punishment. '"Centre-Half" is glad-to learn from the secretary, of the N.Z.F.A. has persuaded Mr. W. Monckton to'take up feotTball work again: Mr'.; : Monckton ,will act as Taranaki's -representative on the council. Those who. know what good, work he did for !the local 'association, and also as a referee . some years 'ago, .will agree that, the' council and Taranaki have got hold of. an enthusiast, whose ability as a football legislator is above ■ the average. - . Thoro aro now, fifty-nine teams : in 'he various . competitions of the W.F.A.. Senior League:-first division, nine teams; second division, thirteen teams. J,unior Lebgse: first division, six' teams," second division, fourteen- teams; third division,., seventeen teams./ These show an increase of twelve teams'on last year's number. .. This increase isTnainly in. the boys'leagues. ■ ,Mr. 'A. Williams; iho popular secretary of the'.W.F.A., has. resigned from the Senior Selection Committee owing to 'pressure of secretarial work; The vacancy has been filled by the appointment of Mr. H. G. Mayer, wellknown,, to all- local players. 1 _ Tile Rover-Ramblors match at Newtown Park provided a,,modorato exhibition of ,football, the most noticeable' feature being the falling-off in the form of the, Rovers, as compared with their prowess of tho previous season. Both : , ; teanis lacked, combination,. although Ramblers.'were .better, "set" than their opponents, and played a moro scientific game.; Tho wing's played-well up to-their centre,, the back division did conscientious iwork, - and' the team> generally, 'though certainly not brilliant, showed very promising form. The weakest showing on the Rovers on their.right wing., Tho forwards did not keep their, place, the centre beiiig frequently left to himself;. Breaches of the offsido,rule .were less frequent'than at the corresponding period of last season, and- evidence is ndt wanting that moro careful, attention is' baing paid .to.tliis important .law of the came. ; .One of the least understood, but.most important tricks of the game , is heading the ball. It: is easy .enough to head the ball; the .difficulty is ft, .head it', to' somo purpose. The writer has -frequently, witnessed, during the progress of a-first-class Association game on a Scottish League, ground, the ball headed from a tlirow-in well up-field—from one player to; another and right between the posts. • .Another .point ; worth studying is stopping the-ball before it bounces. A really good ptar will meet a fast ball on the drop, get his foot on it, and stop it dead, £o gaining, often, a few' seconds space' wherewith to study the field. Much valuable time is otherwise lost in manoeuvring the ball prior to- passing it on. r -'