FOOTBALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15003, 25 May 1909, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

OLD BOYS' SHIELD.

The final match for tho Devenish Old Boys’ Championship Shield was played yesterday between Christchurch High School Old Boys, the holders of the shield, and Nelson Collego Old Boys. Christchurch .won a fast* game by eighteen points (three goals from tries and a goal from a mark) to Lon points (two goals from tries). In. the first spell Christchurch scored ’ all their points, while Nelson failed to score. From a mark by Taylor on. tho line-out within ten minutes of tho start E. E. Crawshaw kicked a splendid goal from the side line near half-way. A few minutes later Guiney made a good run to the Nelson line and kicked, Dougall just getting up in .time to scoro. Then passing between Taylor, Crawshaw and Utley saw the ball passed in to Crawshaw and Dougall, the last-named scoring. Then Guiney and J. Guthrie were associated in a good run, and Guthrie badly heat, two men and scored. E. Crawshaw converted all the tries with good kicks. In the second spell the Christchurch backs slackened off perceptibly, and Nelson taking advantage of their opportunities t To swill scored and Vercoo converted. Give and take play followed until Harley scored for Nelson and Vercoe again converted. Time was called with play in mid-field. CANTERBURY v. ASHBURTON COUNTY. ' Canterbury met the Ashburton Countv team at Ashburton yesterday, and the game throughout was very even, and quite the best of the games that have been playod since tho inauguration of the matches. In the first spell Rhodes scored a. try for Canterbury, which was not converted, and then Borough, tho Ashburton full-bacA, whose place-kicking was one of the features. of the game, kicked a penalty goal for Ashburton., Shanks, l>3 r a good piece of footwork, Scored a try for the visitors, and Moore also scored after a good run by Morrison, but the tries were not converted. In the second spell Shanks again scored by a good piece of footwork, and Weston converted. Then Daly charged a kick by Dingle and scored for Ashburton, and soon after the same player, after a. fine run, scored , v another try, which Boroughs converted, and the scores were Canterbury fourteen and Ashbur,ton County eleyen. From this out the visitors had the. better of tho game. Borough made a good run and INI Kenzie scored, Weston converting. HaseU also scored a try, which was not converted. The final ecore was: Canterbury two goals four tries (twenty-two points); Ashburton one penalty goal, one goal from a try, and one try (eleven points). Mr I’. Robilliard was referee. •

CANTERBURY v. ELLESMERE. Tho elect Christchurch backs, in combination with the second selection of forwards, were beaten by Ellesmere at Leeston yesterday, in a very stubborn game,. by sixteen points (two goals from tries and two tries) to ten points (two .goals from tries). The Ellesmere forwards were a stronger pack than those from Christchurch, and worked well together, spoiling the efforts of the opposing backs, who failed to develop any. very dangerous combination. Tries were scored for Ellesmere by Murray (two), Walker and Howell, Feldwicfc converting two. Fryer scored both tries for Canterbury and converted them. Of the Ellesmero backs Gordon, Feldwiek and Rich were the most successful, and Howell find M’Millan gave the forwards a good lead. Burns, Fryer and Gray were the best of the Canterbury backs, and Anderson, Wigley and Husband were very prominent among the forwards. Mr H. Wright was referee. TOURNAMENT AT TIMARU. The South Canterbury Rugby Union’s annual seven-a-eide tournament wad held in Timaru yesterday. There were nearly. 2000 people present. Thirty-six teams competed, the only teams from clubs other than, those of the South Canterbury Union, and the Waimate and Mackenzie Sub-unions being Springburn and Southern Cross (Ashburton). Owing to the large number of games, two of the finals had to be postponed. In tiro fiual for tho Senior competition Birates A (three) beat Temuka (nil). Temuka. and Celtic qualified for the final of the Second Grade, and Athletic and Celtic will play off in the Third Grade contest. Tire Fourth Grade competition, was won by Star, who beat Celtic in the final by three points to nil. '

In the Ellesmere Sub-Union, competition, Lincoln defeated Dunsandel by eight points to six, at Duneandel, on Saturday. In the Malvern Rugby competition Springfield defeated West Melton, at Springfield, by twepty-two points to ml. Tries wqre scored by White. Foster, Sullivan and Kennard (three). Kcnnnrd- and Taylor converted a try each.