MATCHES DESCRIBED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 118, 22 May 1939, Page 13

MATCHES DESCRIBED

MARIST GO ONWARD

DEFEAT OF PETONE

With little more than a quarter of an hour of play left, Marist Brothers' Old Boys were faced with the prospect of defeat by Petone at Athletic Park. But things happened then. McGreevy scored a try for Marist; it was much the same kind of try as that scored by O'Halloran for Petone in the first spell—dash, enterprise, and determination being shown after a scrum near the goal-line—but in the case of the Marist try there was the difference that it was converted, and so Marist, after a very keen contest, defeated last year's champions by 5 points to 3 and were able' to keep their sequence of wins this season intact. O'Mailey, the second five-eighth, converted McGreevy's try.

The game was one which appealed as likely to provide some worth-while football, and in this respect there was no disappointment. Both teams were on their toes with Petone relying mainly, and nfearly succeeding, on the fine play of their pack. A good performance was expected of them. There was even keener interest in the showing of Marist, of whom such good reports had been received in the first three of the season's engagements. They are without doubt a greatly .different side, from that of last season: a transformation has taken place.

It was difficult to follow the reasoning of the Marist captain in parting with the advantage of the strong wind for the first spell after winning the toss. To be given this advantage was a lucky break for Petone. Although Petone were pinned down to a solitary try in the first half, Marist were called upon to expend a good deal of energy, with the result that in the second spell, when the wind was not so strong at their backs, there were times when they did not appear to have quite the same zest. Marist found that the hardest part of their battle was with the Petone forwards; 'When eventually- Marist scored- 3tie' converted! try It'put them in great' heart again arid they took a tighter grip on the game. .

Mistakes were made by both sides, but there ■was some good football, and this, combined •with the keenness of the teams and the narrow margin in the scoring, made it a first-class contest. - .? : ; ■'•/...

The referee was Mr.. J. S. King.