ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2553, 30 August 1915, Page 7

ASSOCIATION

CHARITY CUP SEMI-FINALS. As a result of Saturday's senior games Thistle, the 1915 champions,_ and Hospital, runners-up, will play off for the final in the Charity Cup. These two teams have been old rivals for several seasons, and seeing that they were so close together in tie championship | matches the cup fixture should be worth witnessing. The two games on Saturdayl—Thistle and Diamonds,' and Hos- I pital and Y.M.C.A. (A) —were well contested and full of interest from start to finish. THISTLE-DIAMONDS. Spectators on the Basin Reserve on Saturday afternoon witnessed one of best games of "soccer" s»2n in Wellington for some considerable time, when Thistles defeated Diamonds by 2 goals to nil. The' game was conspicuous for its good play, fastness, and cleanness. Although both teams played all th«j knew tho best of spirit was shown. At times it was most exciting, and at the call of time neither side had scored. As the game was the semi-final, twenty minutes' extra time had to bo played. Both teams were now all out for a win, Diamonds being particularly prominent. Within three minutes of the change of ends, however, Thistle scored, Barnett, the outside left, placing the hall between the uprights with a .well-judged shot. Half a minute later Walker sent in a beautiful shot from the right wing which gave Diamonds' goalkeeper no chance. On several occasions J. Taylor, in goal for Diamonds, distinguished himself by -saving what appeared to bo impossible shots. , HOSPITAL—Y.M.C.A'. (A)." After a well-contested, clean game, Hospital just managed to get into th_e final of tho Charity Cup round by beating Y.M.C.A. (A) by the narrow margin of 3 goals to 2. • During the first half play was of a very even nature, but in tlie second spell Hospital had slightly the. better of the game., For Hospital Batten played a sterling- game, and Ballard played well for Y.M.C.A. D. Ferguson, Bissell, and Pratt scored for' Hospital, and Roberts and Ballard for Y.M.C.A.