SOCCER CODE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 299, 14 September 1937, Page 18

SOCCER CODE

Championship Won by Waterside HARD FOUGHT FINAL Wellington Should Play Well at Auckland

(By

Hotspur.)

Waterside won the first A division championship on their merits on Saturday, and will receive the congratulations of all followers of the code on securing the Venus Shield for the first time. The standard of football in Saturday’s match was definitely disappointing, but overeagerness, a fresh northerly, and a slightly greasy ground were probably responsible for the failure of both W atersidc and Petone to produce their best football.

Waterside owed their win to their greater aggressiveness and cohesion, hut Petone offered a stubborn resistance, and a scoreless first half "was a tribute to two safe sets of backs. Haines cleared splendidly in the Petone rearguard, and, with Wickliffe getting his hands on to several hard shots, the Waterside forwards were often turned back. Petone’s attacks were none of the breakaway type, but in the first spell Leslie seemed to get hardly any passes from his fellow forwards, of whom Craig on the left wing was most in the picture. Petone were the first to score, and in an effort to keep his side ahead Leslie dropped back, McLeod going to centre forward. This manoeuvre, however, -was not at all successful, and Petone’s combination went all to pieces after Waterside had equalised with a penalty. It fell to Dunsmuir's lot to score the winning goal, and it capped an afternoon’s steady and resourceful play. There was a good deal of wild kicking by both sets of halves. With Longbottom playing the “third-back” game, Cocks and Anderson had much more work to do, but they were reliable. Hazel cleared with better judgment than in some of his earlier games, and his fine sense of anticipation proved an asset when Petone were on attack.

Auld Cup. Last year Hospital won both the first A division championship and the Auld Memorial Cup and Waterside will be all out to emulate this feat. It is quite possible that Watersidfe and Petone may meet again in the cup final, but the 1937 champions have first to dispose of Marist in a semi-final match next Saturday. Hospital’s default has let Petone into the final, and the suburban team is to meet the winner of Marist and Waterside later in the season. A win for Marist in the Auld Cup would be popular, as they have proved equal to extending all the leading teams and, in fact, did not lose a match in the second round of the championship.

Campbell Rose Bowl. It was generally expected that Mr. G. F. Acre, selector for first A division teams, would not make any changes in the Wellington team to play Auckland for the Frank Campbell Rose Bowl at Blandford Park next Saturday. After their splendid showing against Canterbury in the return match at the Basin Reserve the team will be in great heart to defend the trophy, and if they produce anything like that form they should win. Mr. J. Meltzer has been appointed manager of the team, which is as follows: — Goal: P. Turkington (Marist). Full-backs: S. Haines (Petone), K. Yeoman (Seatoun). Halves: N. Gates (Technical Old Boys), A. Longbottom (Waterside), C. Yeoman (Seatoun). Forwards: T. Janes (Waterside), L. Heath (Swifts), A. Leslie (Petone), W. Woods (Hospital and D. Craig (Petone). Twelfth man: R. Boyes (Institute Old Boys). Queen Carnival. The northern districts queen, Miss Nola Murphy, retains her position at the head of the queen carnival contest, having increased her lead over the suburbs queen from 1200 to 1590. With all three committees working hard in the interests of their respective candidates, a handsome sum should be available for the advancement of the code. The present position of the candidates is as follows:— Northern Districts Queen (Miss Nola Murphv) 7380 Suburbs Queen ('Miss J. McKean) 5790 Association and Inter-house Queen (Miss Oreti Dawson) 5400 CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE. First A Division. CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE.

First A P. Division. Goals. Ch. w. L. D. F. A. Waterside .... 15 10 3 2 50 30 22 Petone 15 9 4 o 50 27 20 Hospital . 13 8 4 i 35 32 17 Mari st ..... 14 8 1 Seatoun .... 14 6 6 29 28 14 Diamond 13 fi 7 30 50 12 Technical O.B. 14 3 11 _ 20 41 6 Institute O.B. 14 J 12 — 20 4