RAGGED FOOTBALL

Grey River Argus, 29 July 1940, Page 2

RAGGED FOOTBALL

SATURDAYS GAMES

Cobden and Celtic Win The perfect weather and ground conditions on Saturday did not bring with them the high standard of football that was generally expected, and there was much raggedness about both senior games at Rugby Park. Cobden and Celtic opened the new competition with comparatively easy wins over Blaketown and Stars respectively, whilst Bell Hill failed to field a team against United. In neither game played was there anything outstanding, most of the back movements breaking down through poor passing, and the forwards lacking the fire that makes for interesting play. There was a fair attendance of spectators.

Senior Grade COBDEN 19, BLAKETOWN 0 Several of Cobden’s best players did not turn out on Saturday through various causes, and although the second Cobden team was withdrawn only last week the club fielded only 14 players, and were unlucky enough to lose Arthur King soon after the start. Heavier in the forwards, and more energetic in the backs, Cobden had an easy win over Blaketown by 19 points to nil. Had the backs handled more accurately the score would have been doubled. Although Foster hooked excellently for Blaketown, McHerron failed to get his passes away from the scrum, and the backs saw* little of the ball. Samuels was the hardest worked and most successful Blaketown back, with A. Panther showing out all the way in the forwards. R. King, Lake and Birchfield wera the outstanding Cobden forwards, with A. Lindbom, Spivey, Kiely and Albert Vaughan Die best of the backs. The teams were: — Cobden: A. Lindbom; Arthur Vaughan, A. Spivey, J. Groufsky; Albert Vaughan, Arthur King; T. Kiely; W. Manning, Lake, B. Watkin, Alex. King. Birchfield, R. King, K. MrLaughlan. Blaketown: C. Samuels; Smith, Pilling, McDonald; de Freatus, C. Pan-i ther; V. McHerron; J. Foster, W. Shannon, E. Preston, B. Gamble, K.. Kent, A. Panther, J. Willis, J. Faulkner. Within the first live minutes, M. Pike replaced Arthur King, who ie ■ 1 tired with a shoulder injury. Blaketown pressed for some time, and C. ' Panther was unsuccessful with a field ' shot. Several chances Cobden had were broken up by good defensive play on the part of Samuels, but Cobden kept up the pressure, and from the loose Birchfield went over for a try well out. Lindbom’s kick missed.—Cobden 3; Blaketown 0. Cobden carried over the line in face of a Blaketown forward attack, but Blaketown did not retain possession and Albert Vaughan put in a line run to half-way. Lindmom missed a penalty kick from 35 yards out. Later ’the ball, came to Pike at the 25, and he sent on to Albert Vaughan, for Spivey to score in the corner after a fast run. Lindbom goaled with a line kick.—Cobden 8; Blaketown '.). Willis Retired before half-time and was replaced by McKendry. Halftime came with no change in the

score. Early in the second spell the Cobden backs staged the best movement of the day when Kiely secured from

a scrum and sent on to Pike who cut in well, sending on to R. King, who handed to Spivey, for Groufsky to go over near the corner. Lind-i bom missed, the kick.—Cobden 11; Blaketown 0. After Cobden had pressed for some time on the Blake-1 town line, Kiely secured from a | scrum and dodged his way past thei Blaketown backs to score well out. Lindbom’s kick failed.—Cobden 14; Blaketown 0. Cobden’s last try came; from a forward rush, after which j Kiely secured and dived over, con-, verting his own try. The final score, was Cobden 19, Blaketown 0. Mr C. F. Cockburn was referee. CELTIC 25, STARS 6 After an even first spell, which ended with the score 6-all, Celtie: backs came to light in the second I half of the game against Stars, to win easily by 25 points to nil. There was little back play in the first spell, the time being occupied chiefly in disconnected movements and ragged forward play. The best Celtic backs were R. H. Scott, W. Clancy and J. Cunningham, with Roulston, Butler, and Croudis showing out in the forwards. For Stars, Furness and Martyn in the backs and B. Dixon, A. Smith and R. Mclvor in the forwards all did a lot of hard work. In the first spell Millett and Clancy scored unconverted tries for Celtic,' whilst Martyn kicked two penalties.! Scott missed a penalty early in the! second spell and this was followed, by unconverted tries by McElwain and Roulston, and tries by Wareham, converted by McDougall, and by Scott, converted by Boswell. Mr N. Eggletbn was referee. Bell ' Hill seniors defaulted to United. Junior Grade After leading by 5 points to 3 at half-time, Star juniors failed to score in the second spell, while Magpies scored 12 points, at Camerons, the final score being Magpies 15, Stars 5. For Stars, J. Harris scored, J. Perrin converting. G. Beardsley (3), Rider and Bond scored for Magpies. Mr G. Costello refereed. United; defaulted to fie Kinga. At Kumara the home team defeated Celtic by 8 points to 3, after a hard, even game. Mr R. Ferguson was the referee. THIRD GRADE In a closely contested game, Celtic thirds defeated United by 16 points to 13 at Rugby Park. For the win- ; ners, tries were scored by Tinnelley, ' Horrack and Cochrane. Horrack converted one and kicked a penalty, 1 whilst Bendall also kicked a penalty. Tries by Thompson, Feary and Brown, 1 two being converted by Watt ana i Cooper, made up United’s tally. Mr i J. Minchin was referee. ! At Camerons Cobden narrowly defeated Magpies’by 9 points to 3. For Cobden, Uddstrom and McLean scored, Skeats kicking a penalty. Magpies’ poirjts came from a penalty kick. Mr G. Costello was the referee. Te Kinga defaulted to Technical. FOURTH GRADE At the Technical School ground, Blaketown fourths defeated Technical A by 6 points to 5, Mr M. Olsen being the referee. Westland Cup Final KIWI SUCCESSFUL, The best match in the Westland Rugby Sub-Union Senior Competition proved to be the final, ip which Kiwi A team on Saturday defeated Kokatahi by 23 points to 18. after having for the greater part of

the gam e played second fiddle to the country team in the scoring. There was a large attendance, and the spectators were treated to fast, willing football, the Kokatahi forwards being superior, and dominating the loose play. After ten minutes Kokatahi had' a lead of ten to nil, Godfrey and Jones having scored tries and Cron converted them. Kiwis, whos e backs wer e the faster, then took a hand in attack, ; their firstscore coming when Mason kicked a penalty goal, the same player agam kicking accurately when Burns gained a try, but h e failed thereafter in all of his kicks at goal. The lead went to Kiwis when Roberts potted accurately, though the Kokatahi full-back, Cron, put his side again in i front with a splendid field goal from near half-way. He increased the lead to 17—12 after half-tim e with u penalty goal. Kokatahi now looked like winning, their forwards still Being on top, and the prospect of tne cup going to the country club appeared to be generally welcomed, xc wa s not to be, however, for Kiwi backs now took the upper hand. com-, bining in fast movements which produced eventually a couple of tries that stood out above anything in tne game for attractiveness. They were preceded by a Kiwi forward rusn from which Mandeno scored in the corner. McLean, • a Kiwi winger, showed up in a couple of runs, ana ( then th e half, Hurren, sent away tne ball 1 from a mid-field scrum, four or five men handling, and Burns scoring his second try. Panther next made a, dash from his own to the Kokatahi 25, after which Hurren, from a scrum, passed to J. West, who executed a clever scissors movement, enabling Roberts to dash from the 25 and register the final score, making the tally Kiwi 21; Kokatahi 17. All of the Kokatahi forwards played hard games, Wilblitz, Godfrey, Monk and Ritchie being prominent. Cron at full-back was very reliable, whil e Amberger (who was injured), Diedrich and Cron gave also a good display. Kiwi backs ail did well, J. West giving his best display for some time, while Burns, Jordan, Roberts, Hurren and McLean showed speed when they had the opportunity to combine. ' Chinn, Panther, and Mandeno were prominent in the forwards. . . PATRIOTIC MATCH. At Cobden Domain yesterday a good crowd saw Railways defeat Dispatch Foundry by 5 points to 3 after an interesting game. A collection, was taken up in aid of th e Cobden Patriotic Fund. IN OTHER CENTRES. Representative games: Auckland Colts 14 Thames Valley 9; Auckland 18 Hawkes Bay 12; Ashburton 21, Canterbury B 14; North Otago S, South Canterbury 0; Wairarapa 6, Bush 4. Patriotic match: Trentham 18, Manawatu 14. College match: Canterbury college 26, Otago 3. City match: Metropolitan 15, Combined Services 6. DUNEDIN, July 27. Union 18, Zingari 16; Southern 11, Alhambra 0; Pirates 19, Dunedin 7; Taieri 16, Kaikorai 6. WANGANUI, July 27. Kaierau 3, Marist 3; Pirates 2(1, Technical Old Boys 3. WELLINTON, J July 27. First division: Athletic 11; Eeastbourne 0; Wellington 17, Poneke 6; Petone 16, Johnsonville 3. Hardham i Cup: University 8, St. Patrick’s Old I Boys 8; Marist Brothers Old Boys 6, Hutt 3; Wellington College Old Boys 14 Oriental 4. Senior second division: Pirates 15 Poneke 7; Athletic 3, Onslow 3; Miramar 14, Petone 6. INVERCARGILL, July 27. Town 24, Country 19.