PETONE WIN EASILY.

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 127, 3 June 1929, Page 3

PETONE WIN EASILY.

Fielding a set. of backs containing several players who have reached the veteran stage, among whom' was Corner, who will again be playing regularly with the Dark Blues, Petone won comfortably from Berhampore, mainly because their play had the finish that was lacking on the opposing side. Although outweighted, the Berhampore forwards had the home pack working hard all the time, and, with a little more support from what was, on the day, a weak back line, they would at least have reduced the margin against them. A" feature of the game was the Petone team's weak goal-kicking, a department in which it has generally been strong. Lang arrived too late to take the field for Berhampore, and he was missed. The teams were: — Berhampore: Hurley; Thomas, P. Taylor, Thompson; M'Andrew, Love; N. Taylor; Glenny; M'Donald, Mollier, Cameron, Seymour, Brown, Deere, and Blackett. Petone: Lambourne; Elvy, Corner, Peterson; Nicholls, Byrne; Coman; Carr, Potts, Spence, Reid, Pell, Thomas, Clarke, and Monigatti. Berhampore opened against the sun, and for a few minutes had Petone bustled. There was a sudden change when Thomas sent the leather out to the Petone backs at half-way, and the line handled cleanly lor the ball to reach Elvy. The winger had several men to pass, but clapping on full speed and using his powerful fend to advantage, he went clean through the defence to score in the corner. Coman missed. The ball had scarcely been set in I motion again before, from a scrum on the quarter line, Coman passed out on .the blind side to Elvy, who again beat the defence to Bcore in tho corner. Coman found the kick too difficult. Petone 6-0. For a while play fluctuated, with Berhampore having a good share of the running, and on one occasion Glenny was held tip after he had crossed the line. With Petone on the attack, Coman again worked the blind side, Byrne coming _ round to take the pass, and then sending on to Peterson, who dodged over at the flag. Nicholls's kick went wide. The Berhampore forwards played up and gave their backs some likely chances, which faulty handling nullified. An interchange of kicks in midfield caused the crowd to become sarcastic, but Peterson brought cheers when he raced clown the line after kicking through, and fell on the ball for a try, before the fumbling Berhampore backs could force down. His kick, from the touchline, was not good enough, and at the end of the first spell Petone led 12-0. Petone were aggressive after the recommencement, a handling movement by the forwards nearly bearing fruit, and Elvy being pushed into touch near the corner, when making a strong bid to finish off a back movement. The ball came out of a scrum near the Berhampore line to Fell, and the big Aucklander used his weight to go over near the posts. Byrne missed. Berhampore opened their account

soou afterwards, Love «rossing at the cori ie o a loose rush- Deene missed. Petone 15-3. A powerful run by Elvy put Xetone on the attack, and from a line-out the ball went to Corner, who potted a neat goal. Play became somewhat heated m front of the Petone posts, and the reteree had to administer a caution to ietone, against whom he awarded a free Kick, but Deene missed from a likely posil 'n m? y becam« hard, but ragged. At length Ihomas put the village team in a Jiuely position, and the forwards heeled to Comaii, who dodged over under the posts. _ bpence missed from ■ the easiest ot positions. Before time Glenny added a penalty goal to Berhampore's score, and ftrr T °-red "Q'ler the posts for Petone, alter Nicholls had swerved his way through the light blue backs. Spence added the extras, and the final score was: Petone 27, Berhampore 6. Mr. E. Paton refereed.