ASSOCIATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 133, 12 June 1909, Page 14

ASSOCIATION.

(By "Vanguard.") .

It cannot be said that the standard of play reached in last Saturday's senior matches was high. In most games there was observable the usual tendency to lofiy kicking and erratic shooting. When still' gusts of wind sweep over a ground it is worse than useless to drive tne ball forty or fifty i'eet in air, since in nine ca&es out oi ten it is carried right oil' the field. This is especially noticeaole on ntu'vow grouucib —aucl there are muia iliau ouo aucii ub ALmuiiar. as an iiib ounce of v. game almost completely spoilt by the wind, the Rovers v. Wwifts match at Miramar wa* typical. Players on both sicks would do well to exercise more judgment in kicking. At times the gamo looked like a certain win for Sv.'iits, but faulty shooting when near the posts was responsible ior the draw, fciwitts' men were suiiering iroin the absence ol Sparrow from the forward ranks, while Sanders seemed to bo handicapped by circumstances. Marshall was played at centre icward, but cannot keep up with his other forwards. Graves worked hard in the halves, but made the mistake in one case of standing and appealing, instead of playing until the whistle went. This gave Rovers their lirst goal, Bairy handling in front of goal and then kicked the ball through. Robinson, in goal i'or Swifts, made a great mistake in letting a long shot go through, thinking the ball was going outside. Oldnall saved his sido on several occasions. Martin and Duignan were decidedly "off colour," as were tho Swifts' tull-b'acks. Betholl and Perks _ were, the best of tho Rovers' backs, and stopped many rushes. Some indignation was expressed at this week's meeting of the association at the apparent negligence of the Canterbury Association m not defraying some small living expenses of the Wellington representative team at Christchurch. Ihe amount involved was not large, but the fad that the Wellington players had to pay, it looked as ll Canterbury displayed a lack of hospitality on the occasion. One member attributed ib to inexperience on the part of the Southern secretary, and stated that the players themselves were irreproachable in respect to sportsmanlike qualities and hospitality. The Canterbury Association are rightly to be aeked to pay the small bill. While members were discussing the general matter of treatment given to visiting teams, an appreciative Reference was made to the Mental Hospital Club in this respect. At Porirua an invariable hospitality is displayed, and while, as one speaker humorously put it, "players could not always make themselves at home," they were nevertheless awarded very considerate and homely treatment. A visiting team are always in a certain measure guests, and a distinct obligation rests upon the local men to take an interest m the welfare of their visitors. In this respect Wellington compares, and will doubtless continue to compare, very favourably with the most hospitable association in Now Zealand. The second grade match Thistle y. St. John's was uot a very good exposition of Association football. It was played on Seatoun Park, and the strong wind at times took the baLl right out of control. In the first spell Thistle scored from a scramble, and St. John's by a free kick for hands, taken by StraUon. The goalkeeper made no attempt to stop the ball, thinking (with others) that the goal would not count unless the ball came from some one else. Club secretaries would do well to obtain a few copies of the revised rules, and distribute them amongst their players. In the second spell St. John's had things all their way, and goals were scored by P. Smith, Downes, Thompson, and Warner (2), and another from a scramble. Bowden had a day off, his centreing in the fust spell being very erratic, several good chances being lost, but in the second spell all the forwards played well, as did G. Smith, Stratton, and Williamson in the backs. As usual, Thistle had to pick up three or four men on the ground. The seven or eight who are sports enough to turn out Saturday after Saturday, and to take their beatings well, deserve a word ot praise, and certainly much t>etter support from their club-mates. The individual play of St. John's members against Diamonds last Saturday was decidedly below the standard set by them in the last few matches. The play in the first spell especially was very feeble, only one or two roa'l dashes being made for the opposite goal. There wa*> little or no advantage taken of the wind, the ball being held tight among the forwards, instead of being dropped into the vicinity of the Diamonds' goal aud battled through. St. John's had the misfortune to lose the services of A. Johnstone, the inside-right, through injury received in the rop. match against Canterbury Ui6t Thursday; and Dick, a eocond-divuion player, who acted as subBtitufcOj throw away a nvxober oi good

chances through rash kicking. Moore and Schofield were evidently suffering from the effects of tho Canterbury trip; Mowre especially lacking his usual dash. He is rather inclined to let the opposing ba«ck off too lightly. He does not tackle energetically enough, and thus loses the ball frequently. Trevethick was the only one of the rep. quartette who played up to his usual standard. His tackling was decidedly good at times, and he centred well on several occasions. Shaw was the best of the half-line, and played well throughout. N. Johnston, at centre, lacked dash in the first half, but brightened in the later stages of the game. Phillips was, suffering trom a bad ankiu, and was not so useful as he might have been. Cross, at full-back, was the best of St. John's team, hie clean kicking saving several trying situations. 'Martin, in goal, has not recovered from the effects of the Petone match; and although one leg was practically a useless appendage, he saved some hot shots on more than one occasion. The team should give a better account of themselves against Rovers. Against V.M.C.A. last Saturday .Ramblers had an uphill fight, particularly so in the first spell, when a strong wind and the absence of four players weakened their defence and practically rendered impossible any combined attack on the ST.M.C.A. goal. Goals resulting from corner kicks havo been a frequent occurrence lately, and may be credited either to a favourable wind, good heading, or defective goalkeeping, but in the opinion of the writer all three combined to produce ithe result in Saturday's game. Without detracting from tho merits of the custodians of either goal, it must have been patent to onlookers that two shots might easily have been saved had the goalkeeper closely watched the ball vhenj at the t'eet of the shooting forward. A wild ineffectual sprawl for a ball already through the posts is a sure sign of faulty timing and indecision on the part of the "keeper." On the other hand, some of the work coming from goal was neat and attractive, and the " fielding'" of the ball' at times smart and clean. The wind was fatal to all attempts at sharp, low passing, but both forward lines achieved a fair amount of success in steadying a bobbing spihere, and the fchooting was not so wide as might reasonaoly have been expected. The backs on both sides fed the front line iairiy consistently, and oh occasion defended in a creditable manner. | Lord Charles Berpsfcrd, in presenting a cup to a victorious English Association team, is said to have made the following observations on the game :—: — This game of football was a national game. It was a game that provoked and encouraged the best characteristics of the British race. If a man played at all he must get fit, and to get fit, to get into condition, a man must practice self-denial and control. Tho game called for pluck, endurance, and much perseverance, and even then a team was not sure to win. The more they encouraged the game the better, and the interest taken in it. Many people had climbed up the trees at considerable discomfort to see tho match, but they had been rewarded. They wanted their players to be fair, honest sportsmen. II was easy to win, but it was more difficult to know how to take a beating. Later on, his Lordship said that the Navy, the service with which he was connected, was very keen on all sports. Football, perhaps, held the first place. They had seen some fine players that dj»y, and he was very glad to meet them and shake them by the hands, for he had never scon finer specimens of the British nation than the men who had played on that field that day. On Saturday last, in their match against Wanderers, the Petone combination considerably astonished their supporters, even going to the length of surpiising themselves. The re-adjustment of the various positions of the players wrought marvels with tho combination, which on the day's showing would have graced any senior eleven. To begin with, the services of Bumper Wright, who is manifestly a better Kugby player than a soccerite, were dispensed with,Eeynolds being transferred from insideright to fill the all-important position of "centre." The blank left by this adjustment was ably filled by Robertson, who moved up from the half line. Then again, after having experienced a patient spell on the "bank," Mick Joyce was once again given a chance to display his kicking powers, which he did with telling effect. His presence was particularly noticeable in the way that he assisted the back division in clearing their goal in timesjjf danger. In this connection it is "the common belief of several supporters that had the selection committee made the above alteration earliear in the season, more honours would have fallen to the lot of the club, lleverting to the game, it was noticeable that Dick Ball's play at wing was not far off being equal to any yet witnessed at Petone, while Reynolds played a good and useful game. As regards the Wanderers, the inclusion of several weak players — notably Clark — tended to lower the standard of the team. Ash also did not play in the proper style. While taken as a' whole the team's exhibition was but a poor one. There were no special individual faults on the parj, of any one player, the team's beating bcin£ simply attributable to tho fa<-t that they did not form by any means a strong combination. Somewhat pleasing exceptions, however, Mere to be foiuid in Webster, Jardine, Cornish, Hether, and Dalzeill. All through the game the subordinates had the upper- j hand, excepting afc times when shortlived rushes were inaugurated by Wanderers, _ only to bo beaten back by the opposition defence. A good game in the Junior League First Division was witnessed at Petone between V.M.C.A. and St. David's last Saturday. The first spell, with St. David's having suu and wind at their backs, ended I—l.l —l. In the second spell V.M.C.A. (who were playing with one man absent) completely outplayed their opponents and eventually won A—l.A —l. On V.M.C.A. side, Milne, in goal, made some good saves, but often left his goal open by running out when not absolutely necessary. The full-backs, Coate and M'Girr, played well, though M'Girr leaves his place more than he should. The two halves, Weeklay and Wilson, had plenty to do, and acquitted themselves well. On the left wing Mawby, as outside, and M'Kay, inside, played well, as also did Wilkins (centre forward). Hughes, inside, and Warne, outside right, did some good work, but both arc somewhat &low in getting away with tho ball, and in passing. V.M.C.A. A are now leading by five points for the junior championship.