LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 September 1929, Page 6

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

NELSON CREEK WIN, The match between the Senior Grade Nelson Creek team and a combination of the best from the Marist, Grey and Runanga clubs, played at Cobden yesterday, proved a fitting ending to the League’s programme this year. Throughout play was vigorous and in- i ter esting, and there were occasions when it was really spectacular, while the football was of as high a standard as in any other game of the season. Nelson Creek supporters were elated' ■it the success of the Club in proving its superiority so convincingly, and the success achieved was well-merited. Mossop was the only defection from either side, his place being taken by O’Loughlin, so that the best players available participated in the game, 1 which was really a test between Country and Town. The teams were :—- Country. —Lamberton, Tobin, Sadler. Tibbles; Dodds, Kinsella; Southall; Clark; Butterworth, O’Brien; Calder, Malloy, Kennedy. Town. — Wright, Marriott, O’Loughlin, Lynch ; Doogan, Anisy ; Harrington ; Griffiths; Long, Coulson ; O’Brien, Tallentyre, Delaney. Doogan kicked off against the sun, and a gentle westerly breeze. In the early stages Southern was penalised and Griffiths essayed a penalty, but his kick fell short. Lamberton at midfield extricated Creek from a difficult position, and the Country players invaded the Town quarter, where Tibbles picked up nicely at top speed, but dropped the ball when the advance appeared likely to produce results. A kick by a Town back was smothered and Lynch had to force. Creek kept up the pressure until Tobin tackled Griffiths without the ball. The penalty removed play to half way, where a passing rush ended in O’Loughlin kicking info touch at the Creek quarter way. Town livened play inside the Creek half, but Tallentyre was off-side. Then Griffiths sent the Town backs away, and when the wing was crowded, Marriott tried a long reverse pass infield, but the manoeuvre did not succeed, and play was quickly ’transferred to the Town end, where Tobin knocked on a yard from the corner. The ball was transferred through several pairs of hands, but Sadler twice failed to accept at the critical moment, and from the ensuing play the ball went into touch in goal. Creek had. it all in its favour, and some sparkling play was witnessed close to the Town line, where Sadler again threw away a try. The pressure was unrelenting until Marriott snapped up tike ball, side-stepped two or three and removed play to midfield. A long-range penalty kick by Griffiths was partially smothered, and play went rapidly to the Town end, due largely to the efforts of Calder. There Tibbles kicked across to Marriott’s wing and the latter chased the ball, which went across the dead ball line. A little later a long pass I by Dodds to Marriott was accepted, but the reverse was intercepted by I Long. Creek stayed in the attacking I zone, Kinsella kicking too hard over the dead ball line. After that fia'llentyre headed a strong rush and downed Lamberton. This gave Town a temporary advantage, but the bustling efforts of the Country forwards took play back to the other ehd, where after a lively minute Butterworth beat the defenders waiting for him and, amid applause, scored a nice try in a liadny position, but Calder’s kick was a poster. Nelson Creek 3, Town nil. After a minute or two of even play Creek again put on the pressure, despite good defensive work by Coulson. The ball then went from Dodds to Kennedy to Tibbles, who missed the pass, and a scramble ended in Town forcing down. Just on half-time, Calder missed a penalty goal from a frontal position. When play was resumed an initial attack by Creek was frustrated by good defence by Harrington and Long, but it was not long before Creek came again with O’Brien and Calder to the fore. Anisy was prominent in defence when Wright had failed. Malloy beat Tallentyre for the ball, and it was sent to Dodds, who kicked across to Tibbles, but a force down by Town was the outcome. Then an exchange of long kicks ended in Lamberton finding touch on the full and Town attcaked. Doogan tried to force his way over and then he sent out a long pass to Marriott, who did not accept. Another attempt to put the Town backs in action resulted in Tibies intercepting. However, from ensuing play, Anisy sent the ball to Doogan, who drew the last defence, and sent it on to Lynch, who raced Lamberton and scored a good try well out, creating great enthusiasm. He took the kick himself, but it fell short. Creek 3, Town 3.

Soon afterwards Town went up again but the fast following of the Creek forwards held them out and a fast movement went to the other end, where Tobin overran once when Kinsella kicked across to the corner. From ensuing play the Creek forwards got possession, and Calder, going at top speed, picked up and literally forced his way over between the posts. He was held up by (Wright, but the referee ruled that he had touched down properly. Dodds made no mistake with the kick. Nelson Creek 8, Town 3.

Creek launched another assault, and it resulted in Calder having a penalty shot, which fell short. A period of midfield play was followed by a great dribbling rush by the Creek forwards, with O’Brien prominent for the greater part of the way. Doogan tried hard to find a way through, but the defence was very solid. Then Creek attacked for a time, but play was transferred back to midfield, where Doogan created a splendid opening and sent the leather on to Marriott, who carried on with Lynch in support to score a good try. Griffiths failed to equalise the score. Creek 8, Town 6. Within a minute or so Creek launched another offensive and Kinsella kicked across to Tobin’s wing. The ball bounced back and Kinsella regain possession and passed to Tobin, who got over, well out. Calder’s kick failed. Creek 11, Town 6. With barely two minutes to go Creek forwards gained possession again, and a vigorous rush sent Tobin over for the final try, to which Dodds added the goal, the game thus ending in favour of Nelson Creek by 16—6. Mr C. Dewar was referee.

JUNIOR KNOCK-OUT FINAL. The final of the junior-grade oneround Knock-out Competition was the curtain-raiser to the Town v. Country match between Runanga and Blackball, and it resulted in Runanga winning by 20 points to 5. For the winners, Currie scored four tries,, Mathieson and Newton one apiece, one i

of which was converted by Maddison. Mi- Smith was referee. AUSTRALIANS DEFEATED. x LONDON, September 28. In the Rugby League, Wakefield defeated the Australians by 14 points to 3.