PETONE DEFEAT HUTT.

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 114, 18 May 1925, Page 11

PETONE DEFEAT HUTT.

The final scores, 24 points to 10 in favour of Petone, cannot be taken as an indication of tho respective merits of the Hutt and Petone senior teams, which tried conclusions on the Petone Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon. Petone's victory was of course well earned, but it must be said for Hutt that on more than one occasion they wero decidedly unlucky not to score. They kept at their opponents all the time, and their fine aggressive tactics were certainly deserving of better results. Petone Had the better set of backs, and their concerted movements wore pretty to watch. It was the rearguard which won for them the game. The teams turned out as follow :—

Petone (blue): Ashton, Cornag3, Gardiner, Hawkins, M. Nicholls, Corner, Rodger, Fitzgerald, Cameron, Warder. Haddock,' Williams, Love, Thomas, and King. -■-;■.

Hutt: Cudby, Hansen, Munroj M'Dou : gall, M'Kay, Baumber, Fisher, M'lntosh, Fawcett, Silva, Whiterod, Sullivan, Crotty, Dawson, and CaTter.

Playing against the sun Hutt kicked off, and immediately carried the game into their opponents' territory. Fisher showed up well in an attempt to break through the Petone defence, and Sullivan, a few seconds later, almost succeeded in scoring near the left corner flag. .', Petone forced the lieds back to their own twenty-five, and. following a scrum, Corner secured and passed to M. Nicholls, who scored near the posts. Ho took the kick himself, and added the additional points. Petone 5, Hutt 6. M'Dougall was well on his way towards the Petone line when the referee penalised him for a "knock-on." To those spectators in a position to sco the play clearly it wa3 quite obvious that the ball came off the player's boot, not his hand. Twice in - §accession M'Kay got away well, and by accurate, kicking, improved his team's position. A free-kick for off-side gave Cndby a chance to place-kick a. nice goal —Petone" 5, {fjutt 3. M'lntosh just missed a try,' and a scrum was given right on Hutt's line. Petone got the advantage. Hawkins broke through a few seconds later, and scored in the left corner. The kick at goal failed. —Petone 8, Hutt 3- Munromade a creditable attempt to score, but Petone's backs combined in a determined movement, the ball passing from Rodgers to' Corner, to Gardiner, to M. Nicholls, who scored. By converting his effort the last-mentioned player made , tho scores—Petone 13, Hntt 3. Just before half-time, Fitzgerald, the Petono. wing-forward, and Ashton, full-back, exchanged positions. Early in the second half Fisher made another good attempt to score, but one© more was unlucky. M'Kay, who had been playing a really splendid gamo for Hutt, at this stage made his one mistake of the match. He crosskicked when his side were on tho defensive, Petone's ■ back secured, and tha spectacular rush which followed resulted in Corner scoring a fine try. , The kick failed—Petono 16, Hutt 3. Hawkins was on the point of scoring when M'Kay vindicated^ his previous mistake by collaring the fastmovin^":' Petono thxee-qnarfeer. s Mark Nicholls ■ showed great dash and speed in scoring a try unopposed. Additional points uimo as the result of his kick—Petone 21, Hutt 3. Sullivan sustained a severe kick on the head, and was obliged to leave the field, returning after a few minutes. Gardiner sent an accurate pass to Corner, who scored. The kick failed—Petone 24, Hutt 3. Hansen passed to Cndby at the right moment, and tho latter kicked a fine goal from the field. Just before tho final whistlo, Mimro secured and "gave tho dummy" to Mark Nicholls, following which he scored in the right corner. Tho kick failed, and the scores when the final whistlo sounded were—Petone 24, Hutt 10.

Mr. T. Fletcher was referee.