FOOTBALL.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 59, 7 September 1885, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

No more oxoiting match has taken plaoe at Nowtown thjs winter than that which came off on Saturday, and decided the possession of the Junior Cup Matoh for this season. The game was a moat interesting one, and was a fitting termination to'lthe series of Junior Cup matches which have been played during the present season. The contesting teams were the Wellington second and the Poneke first. The latter were the favourites, some of their admirers laying as muoh as 3tol on them. T. Hempton and G. H. Smith, of the Egmont team, were seleoted to play for the Wellington Club, hut a protest being entered against them, on the ground that they are not now members of the oity olnb, although at one time belonging to it, the Union decided that they could not be played. The ground was extremely hard, and the game, more particularly towards the olose, was fast. "Tuoker" Robinson kicked off for the Wellington Club. The Poneke fifteen rushed the leather down the field, and foroed their opponents down in the first two minutes. The Wellington representatives now shifted the locale of the play to about the Poneke 25 line. The ball, however, was not allowed to remain there very long. The Poneke lads again rushed it down to the other end, and Dodson nearly scored. Another force down resulted. On tho leather being kioked out, Robinson and itarr oarried it well up the field. From the $5 line it was kicked along the ground and went spiDning over the Poneke goal line. B. Blaoklook (three-quarter back) ran to secure it, but J. Hempton was too quick for him, and underneath the boundary rope the Wellington man tonohed down. The attempt to convert the try into a goal was a failure, the angle proving rather too difficult. When play was resumed the Poneke team invaded the Wellington quarters, and some loose scrimmaging took place in front of the goal. A Poneke man scoured a mark, and tried for goal. The effort proved unsuccessful, although it led to a score. After being kioked, the leather glanoed into a corner of the ground and was taken possession of by Blacklock, who quiokly tonohed down. The try could not be converted into a goal. The score was now equal, eaoh side having obtained a try. The most notable feature in the play daring the remainder of the spell was a splendid dribble from the oentra line by Muir and Robinson (full back). The ball was beautifully brought along, and there appeared to be not the sbghtest doubt that the Poneke team would score. When the ball hod been carried over the Wellington goal line, one of the dribblers dropped on it in order to secure a try. Somehow or other the leather slipped away, and, going on to the bank, became dead. When halftime was called, the score was Btill even. The play in the aeoond term was moßt exciting, the Poneke team obtaining no fewer than 11 points, while their opponents were unable to inoroase their score. A desoription of the play in the final term ia quite impossible with tho limited spaoe at our disposal. The Poneke team had the best of this part of the game. The Wellington fifteen played well until Muir, who was well backed np by F. Dixon, both getting behind about the same time, obtained a try. Ellison was entrusted with the Mok, and he succeeded in placing a beautiful goal. From this time the Wellington team lost heart. Their opponents confined them almost entirely to their 25, and although the Poneke representatives obtained only three mote tries, the sooting being done by Nicholla (oaptain), Astill, and Beck, they were almost over the Wellington goal line a dozen times. The match waa won by tho Poneka team by 13 points (four tries and a goal) to 2 points (one try). Tho umpires were Mqssts. Knapp and Dnmbell, Mr. Firth acting aa referee. The matoh between the second fifteens of the Union and Rugby Clubs came off at Newtown on Saturday, resulting in a win for the Unions by a goal, prettily kioked from a mark by Burns, to a try, gained by Overend. At Newtown on Saturday tho first fifteen of St. Patrick's College dofeated tho second team of the Wellington College by 16 points to 2 points.