VIGOROUS SOCCER

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 173, 19 April 1937, Page 11

VIGOROUS SOCCER

Senior Championships Begin MARIST IN FORM Diamond Score Surprise Win Over Petone Association football of an encouragingly high standard was provided in the opening matches of the First A and First B division championships on Saturday afternoon, and despite the inevitable be-giuuing-of-season rawness, it was apparent that most of the players have been in solid training in view of the approaching visit of the English amateur team. Tile promoted Technical Old Boys' team performed well against Marist, but youth and experience prevailed over youth and enthusiasm. Marist winning decisively at the finish. Diamond outplayed Petone at Petone, but Hospital had to fight hard to beat off Institute Old Boys. At Seatoun Park, Seatoun bustled Waterside to score a 4-1 win. GOOD WIN FOR MARIST At the newly-formed Te Aro Park, Marist and Teehuical Old Boys opened the 1937 season before a surprisingly good crowd. Though they had the advantage of the wind they were only one goal to the good at half-time, but as often happens, they settled down in the second spell and played better against the wind, adding three more goals to their total. Technical kicked off against the wind, but Parker and Ronald were soon defending strenuously. Marist had scoring chances, but their forwards found the bail hard to control, and missed easy shots through overeagerness. Numerous cornerkicks were forced by the greens, mostly on the right flank, but they were not put to the best advantage. Appearing for the first time in A grade football, Technical Old Boys showed themselves by no means overawed by their more experienced opponents. Many daring raids were made on the Marist citadel. B. Clentworth, at centre-half, made manygood openings for his forwards, the most prominent of whom were Liddicoat and Gates. After several sorties by the Marist vanguard, Kershaw obtained possession and slummed in a first-class snap-shot which was too much for Redmond. Marist 1, Technical Old Boys 0. Fortunes fluctuated, but neither side was able to put the finishing touches to promising movements. Half-time saw the score unaltered. . , , , On resumption Technical invaded the : Marist goal, but met with stubborn resistance from the full-backs, Laracy and Duffy, and Turkington in goal. On one occasion Technical bad bad luck when a ball was squared across the goal-mouth to Gates, who had Turkington well beaten, only to hit the cross-bar. After a good upfield move, M. Quirke slipped a neat pass to Kershaw, who registered bis second goal. Then Hatchard went through iu his usual neat manner, beating both full-backs and the goalkeeper. Marist 3, Technical 0. Despite good defence by N. Gates, M. Quirke scored with a swift-rising shot. Marist 4, Technical 0. The teams were: — Marist: P. Turkington; J. Laracy, J. Duffv; T. Hindle, L. Foley, H. Laracy; R. Quirke, P. Traynor, E. Kershaw, J. Hatchard, M. Quirke. Technical Old Boys: Redmond; Parker, Ronald; E. Pullen, B. Clentworth, N. Gates; Stewart, J. Clentworth, R. Liddicoat, A. Gates, Wrigley. SEATOUN ON TOP On the run of play, Seatoun -were greatly flattered by their margin of three goals over Waterside at Seatoun Park. Bv adhering to the dose-passing game Waterside fell an easy prey to the robust tactics of Seatoun, who crashed their way to victory aided by the fine opportunism of McKenzie. As the game progressed tempers appeared to become ruffled, and in the second spoil a player from each side was ordered off. The Waterside forwards failed badly m front of goal, whereas Seatoun snapped up all their opportunities and won well in the end. Both teams took a fair time to get under way, and play at times was scrappy. After a period of attack, Waterside had a scoring chance with Parton out of his goal, but Janes’s shot went wide. Even play followed till Wilson broke away in a solo dash and beat Ward with a high drive. Seatoun 1, Waterside 0. Waterside made strenuous efforts to draw level, but could not break through Seatouu’s dour defence. Almost at the halftime, Reid coolly slipped the ball past Parton for the equaliser. Waterside began well in the second half, but Jones and K. Yeoman held tbenj up. Seatoun, on the other hand, were always dangerous in breakaways in one of which McKenzie put his team in the lead. With Bolton heading through his own goal and McKenzie adding a fourth score, the discomfiture of Waterside was complete, Seatoun winning by four goals to one. The teams were:— . , . „ — Seatoun : H. Parton ; A. Jones, K. Yeoman; J. Gibson, H. Salt, D. Scott; T. Wilson, D. Gendall, D. Gibson, G. McKenzie, I. Gendall. , „ _ , t. -o , Waterside: S. Ward; R. Cocks, R. 80l-

ton; R. Reid, A. Longbottom, J. Jeromson; J. Dunsmuir, W. Thompson, R. Janes, A. Jordan, F. Atkinson. HOSPITAL EXTENDED After being a goal to the bad at halftime, Hospital were fully extended to beat Institute Old Boys by the odd goal in five. The ground at Forirua was in splendid order and the spectators were treated to a fast aud clean display. Hospital owed their win to the excellence of their halfline and the penetration of W. Woods at left-wing. His crossing of the ball Was effective in the extreme, aud he was always dangerous near the goal. Ward worked hard in the Institute forward line, but was well watched by Jeffery. He received good support from Sutherland and McNaughton, and this trio kept the Hospital defence on its toes. Hospital attacked in the early stages, King conceding a corner, but they took some time to settle down, Institute scoring the only goal before half-time. It came from Sutherland's boot, and he gave Wyatt in goal no chance to save. Hospital were attacking strongly at halftime, but Webster was out of luck. Hospital equalised the score within a few minutes of resumption, W. Woods beating several players aud then sending in a hard shot which beat the goalkeeper. Play was fast and exciting as each team strove for the lead. S tanbridge was successful with a shot which grazed the cross-bar, but Ward, after a good run, equalised. From then on it was anybody’s game till a pass from Todd and Staubridge enabled W. Woods to secure the winning goal. Institute were still full of fight, and Marshall was unlucky when a hard shot struck the crossbar. The teams were:— Hospital: Wyatt; Miles, Salisbury; Todd. Jeffery, J. Woods; Lawlor, Stanbridge, Webster, Shankie, W. Woods. Institute Old Boys.—King; A. McLean. W. Hicks; R. McLean. Boyes, H. Hicks; Marshall, It. Sutherland, Ward, McNaughton, Tanner. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

(Letters to Editor on Page 13.)