SOCCER

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 261, 2 August 1939, Page 14

SOCCER

North Island Final Of | Chatham Cup WATERSIDE FAVOURED Keen Interest In Match Against Ponsonby (By Hotspue.) Despite their unimpressive showing against Diamond in last week’s club fixture Waterside will have a substantial following when they play Ponsonby in the North Island final of the Chatham Cup competition on Blandford Park, Auckland, next Saturday. Ponsonby were beaten by 4 goals to 3 by Onehunga on Saturday but were possibly taking things easily in view of the more important game ahead. From all reports, the surface of Blandford Park is much improved this year but if it is heavy it will be all the better for Waterside, who played . their best game this season against Swifts in the Wellington final when the Basin Reserve was sodden after heavy rain. In the national final last year, Waterside beat Mosgiel (Dunedin) by 4 goals to nil On that occasion, Waterside played first-class football despite a greasy ground, strong wind, and frequent showers which made accurate passing difficult. This year ■Waterside have not been so impressive in club games, but they are always a hard team to beat and with such a, valuable trophy at stake they can be relied on to rise to the occasion. If they play the football they turned on in the 'Wellington final when they piled up six goals against Swifts in the first half and won easing up by 7 goals to 2, they will take all sorts of beating on Saturday. Few Exciting Moments. The match between Petone and Hospital proved disappointing as it early developed into a dull struggle, with the respective forwards unable to pierce the opposing defence. Petone looked the more dangerous, but Leslie was well marked by Todd and his play seemed to lack much of its usual vigour. Hughes and Haines combined well, and the ex-Wanganui player, Healey, was always reliable in goal. He will be a decided acquisition, as he dealt crisply and decisively with all types of shots. , . , An absence of first-time shootlug spoiled the play of the Hospital forwards, whose combination in midfield gave promise of better things. Harris and Jeromson on the left were well served by Lambert, who worked hard thiroughout the game. To Todd, Jeffrey and Wyatt the team owed their partial success, the first two being outstanding on defence. Waterside Scrajic Home. Waterside appeared to take Diamond a little too cheaply on Saturday, and the game was by no means the foregone conclusion many expected. Diamond scored first, and it took Waterside all they knew to draw level at half-time. Diamond finished the game with only ten men, and it was not till the dosing stages that Waterside scored two goals to win 4-2. The absence of Hazel' necessitated a rearrangement of the team, but this was no excuse for the team’s uninspiring showing. Harris was the soundest back, and Hazel could. hardly have improved on Calder’s fine display at centre-half. The Waterside forwards, though showing good combination when converging on the goal area, were given few chances when close in, so keen and resolute was the tackling of the Diamond halves and full-backs. Diamond went down fighting, and if they could have turned on this form earlier in the season they would have proved decidedly troublesome to the teams higher up on the cbanlpionship ladder. McLaughlin and Bold shone on defence, and Osten and * Nicol were first-class halves. Hugh Tucker, playing probably his last game for bis old club, showed surprising dash and initiative for a veteran. Page, at inside-right, was just settling down in the second half when he had the misfortune to have his . leg broken. With only ten men. Diamond battled on'to the but could not improve their position. Swifts by One Goal. The Swifts-Alurist game was fairly evenly contested. Swifts showed better combination than their opponents, and this enabled them to turn their scoring opportunities to better advantage. Both teams clapped on the pace and the game was full of incident, though not really spectacular. Hickmott, Baker, Chapman and Salisbury were the pick of the Swifts side and for Marist, Leonard, Thompson ami Turkington were most prominent. Soatoun Win Well. Seatoun thoroughly deserved their 5-2 win over Technical Old Boys as they played much better constructive football. Despite the absence through injury of H Salt and C. Yeoman their combination often had the Technical defence beaten. McKenzie in goal did not have a great deal to do, and the full-backs, K. and B. Yeoman, proved a real stumbling-block to the Tchnical forwards. All the half line played well, with Boyes outstanding. Webster and D. Johnston were the pick of the forwards. Turner, in goal for Technical, played his usual reliable game, and could not be blamed for any of the goals scored against him. The full-backs and the'half-line had. a hard time trying to cope with the tricky Seatoun forwards.'but they did not let up for an instant. Liddicoat and 'Wrigley were the best of the forward line, and would have been more dangerous if they had been better supported.