MATCHES DESCRIBED

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 7, 8 July 1935, Page 4

MATCHES DESCRIBED

OH, FOR A FULLER !

In the days when Fred Fuller; was on the job and at the height of his form it was usually sheer folly to present Eastbourne with a penalty kick anywhere within range of the goalposts. But Fuller is no longer on the scene, and, judged from what happened in the match against Hutt at Athletic Park, a free-kick to Eastbourn* nowadays does not carry with it the same potential danger. Eastbourne had a plethora of free-kicks, but in this department of the game they were entirely impotent. Fuller would have reaped a rich harvest and Eastbourne would have won hands down, but the trio now called upon to do the work so ably" performed in the past by one man failed dismally. Not one goal point from the superabundance of opportunities was registered by Eastbourne, and it was only as a result of a last-minute dash that they managed to make a draw of the game—nine points all. The game did nothing very much to remove some of the disappointment felt over the match the previous week. There were high hopes of better football, but even the most benevolent old gentleman would agree that they were far fr.om fulfilled. The real highlight ■ J in this patchy game of missed oppor-; tunities was the finishing effort of ■ Eastbourne by-which the side, in the nick of time, averted defeat. Still, if not good, bright football, the game provided some entertainment value which in the end, so ineffectual was the kicking, was almost broad comedy. Hutt were without Lilburne, Andrews, Hanson, and Coulston, good men all, and their absence most certainly was felt. Seldom did Hutt play as a team, with backs and forwards co-operating smoothly and effectively. On the run of the play and with so many. free-kicks given to them, Eastbourne had a glorious chance and they were unable to accept it. The teams were:— Eastbourne: Crisp; Walling, D. Plank, Common; Fleming, J.. Plank; Foley.; Griffiths, Clarke, Robertson, Berry, Waite,, Sleep, N. Dellabarca, Avery. Hutt: Jarman;- Nees, Ball, Phillips; Feeney. Cochrane; Greenbank; Stevenson, Barry,, Roberts, Lynch, Peck, Saulbrey, Shepherd, Foster. Eastbourne, playing with the advantage of a. light southerly, set out to force the pace, and in the early stages kept Hutt on the move. D. Plank and ' Walling were associated in a sharp burst, that looked dangerous, but Walling fumbled. Then later Dellabarca just missed a try. Eastbourne were'successful in the scrums, but their backs were unable to do very much, due in the first place to rather faulty handling at times and also to the sound tackling of the Hutt backs. When Hutt did get under way Crisp showed reliability, saving Eastbourne a number of times. 'He was usually in the right 'spot and/his line-kicking was powerjful and well directed. After having missed with an earlier shot—the plenitude of free-kicks already having- set jn—Lynch landed'a goal to open Hutt's account. Eastbourne endeavoured to make the game open by throwing the ball about, but achieved little success in this respect. Dellabarca and Waite were, prominent among their forwards. Greenbank sent Stevenson off in . a i kick-'and-follow-up dash " which just failed, Stevenson being tackled in goal. Eastbourne had been awarded any amount of free-kicks, but Fleming, 'Foley, and Crisp, each of whom had had a turn, had been unable to turn any of them to advantage. Just before the end of the spell Barry led a strong Hutt forward drive, which was carried .on by Roberts and then nullified by a forward pass to Lynch. Eastbourne jumped right into action in the second spell. They suffered an Nearly setback, though, Stevenson, who iwas operating largely as an extra back, paving the way for Nees to cut through and pass to Barry, who crossed for a try. Lynch failed to goal. Hutt 6,.Eastbourne 0. Smart, determined following up by Sleep bustled Jarman. The Hutt full-back was unable to. get the ball away, and now, with the rest of the Eastbourne pack up in support, Hhey swept the ball on towards the iHutt line, where Griffiths went down |for"~a try. Crisp was unable to' confvert. Things were lively for a time. 'Walling had the Eastbourne supporters ion their toes with a fine weavy run. JHe beat half a dozen players and was [stopped just short of the line. Phillips, jwith a try, took Hutt's total to nine (points. At this stage Foley was injjured arid Burridge was brought on, .Ihe backs being rcrrangcd. No sooner had play been, started again than Sleep forced his way though to score a fine try for Eastbourne. Fleming failed to make the ball rise. Eastbourne were still receiving free-kicks, but they were iinable to do anything with them. Then came the finale. With less than a mmiite to go, Common made a great bid ■for the line, only to be sent into touch. ■Eastbourne, as they had been doing, •took a scrum. They got possession in this and the ball came out to Walling Cnow playing centre three-quarter) and ho cut through nicely for a good try. Fleming had a chance to register winning points, but now as before Fortune frowned at his effort to convert. The ball went wide of the posts. Hull 9, Eastbourne 9. The referee was Mr. J. A. Wilson. PETONE AND MARIST Petpne were fully extended to win their game against Marist. They had the advantage in the first spell, the forwards gaining more of the ball from <he scrums, and the backs displaying better combination, but their'defenco was well tried in the later stages of the second spell. Marist launched a series of almost irresistible forward rushes which iorced -rßetoneiiback; -into. their

own twenty-five and placed their line in danger. • If the Marist backs had had the combination necessary to finish off many promising movements, the game might have ended differently. Their handling was patchy, however, and they lacked the thrust which would have enabled them to pass the Petone defence.

The teams were:—

Petone.—A. Edwards, R. Cleland, Potbury, N. McGurk, H. R. Pollock, C. Hudson, F. Spence, S. Sundgren, A. Lambourn, R. Pescini, A. Pickard, E. Reid, M. Palmer, P. Leahy, P. Ashton. Marist.—Frost, Glading, Spillane, Timmins, E. McGreevy, Langdon, O'Connor, Gill, Keegan, Meadows, L. McGreevy, Ropata, McLean, O'Donoehue, Blatch. Petone' started oft with a forward rush which took play into Marist's twenty-five, but although they hooked the ball cleanly, Spence's pass -was too low, and a promising movement broke down. The two packs soon settled down to work, and there was some vigorous scrummaging inside Petone's territory, which ended when Spence nipped round the blind side, and Pollock came through to put his side on attack with a good kick. Petone's first try was a perfect piece of work. The ball was,hooked cleanly, and Spence went through an opening like a .flash and passed to Pollock, who sold E. McGreevy a beautiful dummy, and passed inside again to Spence, who went over. Edwards converted. Petone 5, Marist 0. . Soon afterwards,'O'Connor was hurt in stopping a forward rush and had to be carried off. Frost went up behind the scrum, and Stiver came on in his place. Not long after play •'was resumed, Pollock secured from a scramble in Marist's twentyfive, and cut through the defence to send Hudson across. 'The kick missed. Petone 8, Marist 0. Petone.were caught out of position when E. McGreevy kicked through following a sudden forward rush, and Glading, winning tho race for the ball, drew, the full-back' and passed to Spillane, who scored an easy try. Meadows converted. Petone 8 Marist 5. Just before half-time Marist attacked strongly, and L. McGreevy pushed his way across from a scrummage almost on Petone's _ line. The kick missed. Petone 8, Marist 8. Marist smartened up in the second spell, but faulty handling Caused several'promising rushes to break down. They were penalised and Pickard goaled with a fine kick from ten yards inside half-way. Petone 11, Marist <3. Petone were forced back on the defensive for the next five minutes, .but Pollock relieved the situation. He kicked out towards the right wing and Cleland chased the ball, gathering it in and scoring. Pickard converted. Petope 16 Marist 8. Marist launched some vigorous thrusts in the closing stages, and only determined tackling kept them out They were awarded a penalty for a late tackle, and Meadows sent the ball between' the posts. Petone 10, Marist 11. Then E. McGreevy put his side only one point behind by snapping a neat field goal from a scramble 15 yards from the line. Almost on time, Potbury staged a brilliant dribbling rush which ended m a try. Pickard goaled. and the game ended: Petone 19, Marist 15. '■~_. The referee was Mr. R. J. Paton.