FOOTBALL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 9 July 1917, Page 4

FOOTBALL

A FINE DISPLAY

Great interest was taken in the match, New Plymouth High School v. Manaia Senior Cadets, on ■ Saturday at the Show Ground. After a strenuous, hard-fought game victory rested with Manaia by the narrow margin of nine points to five. Play from the beginning of the first spell was fast and good. The bail travelled up and down the field without much aavanjtage to either side, excellent work being shown by both teams. School were getting tne ball hi the acrum, and made use of'their opportunities, the ball travelling across tne field in brilliant passing rushes, but the excellent defence of the iVi anaia backs staved off attack after attack. Hickey, Lynskey, and .Roberts especially showing capital spoiling work. Tnen Manaia attacked. Hickey started a rush and the ball was carried over the opposing line, but McKay dived for it and saved an almost certain try. Again in a few minutes School were forced. School forwards were generally getting the ball in the scrum and also on the line out, where Terry especially was playing a fine game. This gave their backs fine chances, and they attacked again and again. At length, the ball came out to Train, who- beat | his opponents cleverly and scored a really good try. McKay goaled— School 5 Manaia 0 Spurred on by this reverse, Manaia attacked hotly. A free kick given them in a good position, enabled Bailey to place a fine goal— School . 5 Manaia 3 The second spell saw Manaia working with splendid determination, and play was very fast and keen. A loose forward rush took play well into School quarters, where the backs, failing to field accurately, Fergusson, secured and : dashed across. No goal resulted — School 5 Manaia 6 School attacked at once with great determination, and gave some very fine expositions of the pasaing ' game, the ball being thrown about in great style. , Manaia backs were, however, more than equal in defence. Then Bailey, follow- | ing up well, spoilt a return, and securing, passed to Lynskey, and he to ] Roberts, who finished a fine dash by scoring near the posts. The kick failed— School 5 Manaia '. 9 From this out Manaia had generally the best of the play, their deadly tackling upsetting the School attacks. The maicch was played right 'out to the finish. School making a magnificent struggle to cross the line, and almost succeeding on two oiccasions. Shortly after time was called, leaving Manaia the winners, after a splendid game. Mr W. T. Cleaver refereed satisfactorily. The excellent form shown by both teams was the theme of general favorable comment. The High School boys (in the first spell especially) showed really brilliant passing. In the second, however, the forwards were not able to hold their weightier opponents, and they did not get so many chances. McKay played an especially useful game. Terry and Dansey were the pick of the forwards. Lynskey, Klenner, Hickey, and Roberts were the best of the "Waimate backs, whose tackling and spoiling work was very good indeed. They had not the same combination as their opponents. The forwards were good, especially in, the loose.