PETONE BEAT THISTLE.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 148, 25 June 1928, Page 14

PETONE BEAT THISTLE.

A combined championship and Chatham Cup game between .Petone and - Thistle, played; on- the Pe'tone-Recreation Ground, i-csulted.;iu a meritorious win for Petone by 4 goals to 2 after Thistle had been leading 2-I'.at half-time. ■ The state of the ground; ,Vras rather good football, a pool of liquid mud in one goal-mouth and a similar ; patch .opposite the. other'goal proving^ handicaps. Jsut the play .as a whole: jpas exhilarating, and Petonc thoroughly ideiserved their win. The. teams ware:— Petond".—M'Vean, Steclc, Haines, Stubbs, Campbell,, Farquhar, Maekenzei, Dunlop, j Leslie, .Cleverly, James. Thistle'.—Fletcher, Jack, Hopper, M'Lelkn, Hanlon, Wheelan, Smith, Campbell, Lothian,: Cunningham, Jolmstone. During -ille first spell there "was not much to choose between the two teams, play fluctuating from cad to end. Petone opened;<tke scoring; Cleverly being responsible. Thistle, however, retaliated, Johnstone scoring and then Cunningham; and ends were" changed with Thistle leading by 2 goals; to 1. But after half-time quite a different* complexion was put on the game, Petone pleasing their 200 or so barrackers/by taking charge of the game. After one or two futile shots on Petone's part, Mackenzie equalised with a good cross shot. Thereafter Petone .continued to press,, although every now and again ThisUo.'.finonientarily broke away, only to bo held lip by the Petone defence. A bcautifiil centre by James from the leftwing enabled Mackenzie to put Petone in the lead; (3-2). Petone's fourth goal was obtained'; by Leslie. He gained possession from a.free-kick near his own goal and, practically unmolested, went right through to score.- ; Thistle's goalkeeper made many fine saves, otherwise Petone's score would have been increased. Towards the close of the^game Thistle had a chance when Petone's, custodian was-■ stretched full length in the mud, the ball trickling slowly across1 the. goal-mouth, but no one was there to" put it through. Just before the final whistle sounded thn Petone forwards jnissed an easy' chance of registering yet .another goal. Mr. -R; :Ball was referee.