FIRST DIVISION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1941, Page 11

FIRST DIVISION

v ATHLETIC AND PETONE

In, tactics' Petone., making their first appearance of, the season.'-,at Athletic- Park, did not measure up to ■Athletic, though the suburban sldei showed, resistance" which. gave ' their strong opponents few opportunities of topping off many spirited advances. -From sterling work' by the.two packs,- the Athletic rearguard found itself favoured witjt much the greater serrice, arid it struck hard and often at the defences. " :. 'Statt .was generally a source of danger by reason of his thrustfulness. Petone's retaliation did 'not present the .same danger, but their solid defensive -play kept Athletic down' to two"tries.' Goal-kicking, which did not pfoduco the anticipated keen duel between Thomas and Mallett, helped Athletic very materially, and the points gained thereby did not exaggerate their superiority on the day. i It was a.lmost on the call of time that Petone's" only score was ' " registered. For Athletic tries were scored by Stott (after 'a flna^Ssß"^b7 i~JatnftsDTi) -and Badland (after good'work by" Thomas and Scott). Thomas converted one try, and kicked " a splendid penalty- goal, and'O'Halloran kicked a neat fielC goal. jrcGurk, with a smart followup, Petone's try. The result was: AtHettc 15, Petone 3. Mr. A. Hooper was the •' referee.