FOOTBALL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6153, 10 August 1921, Page 2

FOOTBALL NOTES.

(By "MatahXkJ/O

.Saturday's match, which really decide tlit** Senior Competition, was a keenly-fought contest with honours • iisy until veil on in the second spell, when City forwards Blackened off a Little, allowing Y.M.P. to gain two tries. Just at the ■ena. City came through -with a desperate burst, scoring from a forward rush, but the effort came too late. 1 rcni the start the game' developed into a struggle between fairly evenly-matched forwards, with Y.M.P. occasionally playing to their backs, and Haiti alert to break up quickly and h*-!p their backs with ihe tackling. Y.M.P. played with the wind and sun in their favour in the first spell, but even with these advantages could secure only three points from a penalty. Piki Smith set his backs going on several occasions. Tu- • reia passed out. cleanly, but trie passing then broke down, partly through jyjor handling and partly through good tackling by City. Y.Ji.P. looked danl get out, but their passing lacked £n- ‘ ieih, and the efforts came to nothing. in this spell it could be seen that* some of the City backs did not .relish trying to stop forward rushes, ‘ iiny they were often lucky in getting i out of difficulties. Even Pollock and j Covie, usually exceptionally safe hand- | Jets, fumbled the bail occasionally, and ' the others followed suit.

Tire*? point; w-i mot muc-h of a handicap to start the second spell, with van and wind hi their favour, so Kaiti started OS' hopefully, still depending on tiiair lorward; to puli on the game. And again the result showed how difficult it. is for forwards to scoie when the -opposing backs are fairly safe. After a period of strenrjouk play of rush and counter-rush, Cowie (full-back) followed up a kick, the b‘f! 1 was driven back. Haiti backs ,ve;e caught out *f position, a rush was started. a%d Matthews scored a jted a dashing run. It is one of the first 'point- in hack play that when the full-back follows up a kick someone must drop back to take hi; place. Tb r - gam* now steadied down somewhat, many of the players tiring, and Y.M.P. fell back, gaining periods of rest by well-j udg-d kicking over the fence. Then from loose play. Macdonald (who changed to half this spell) made a good rum and a good opening f,.i Scott to &cor*. Time was now about up, but with a final rally Haiti drove their way over and converted their try.

Y.M.P. deserved to win, for they did try to open out -he game, and with a little luck would- Lave capped some really good play. Haiti never attempted to use their backs cu attack, and with other point - equal. the attacking side sh-ou]d win. Y.M.P. are quite a g-'/od team. Kiund in the forward division and steady in their rearguard, with Tureia often brilliant. The forwards did wei! against a strong pack. Matthews especial]*.' distinguishing himself, apart from hi? score, by lineout work and easily play in the loose. At present he i; somewhat of a lonehanded plaver. but with experience will probably grow out of the habit of

hanging on to the bail. Jones played a hard game in the. first spell, but in the later stages of the

mine the ball did not seem to come his way. In the second spell, when P ity were using the long line, Huroki pere did some fine work on the line-

outs. Down- was probably the most prominent of the others. Of the two Y.M.P. halves tried, •piki passed out more frequently than Macdonald, most likely through being better served by his forwards. Tureia at five-eighth made an occasional dash, but was well marked. Matching Pere played a solid game, while binder and t'cott showed .some dash. Mahanga I-’ere made a safe full-back. Ellery and T. lleenev were absent from the Haiti pack, of whom Collett, Scott and J. Heen-y were most prominent. with McN’dt doing good work or; the line-out and .a ii:> tight, and Mfelior in the To--. Mi! r made some nice da;!u*- and -’s'-wed himself a hard man to tackle. Both Scott and Heeney bad the sat inf act'.on of getting Tureia with a clean tackle. C. Pollock had a rougher time than usual, but did fairly well. He speculated one* or twice —a very bad habit in a five-eighth especially. J. Pollock was uncomfortable at centre, and hie wings were no better. Cowie. at full, played a good game, but past short or Lis beM.