SENIOR CUP.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 135, 11 June 1906, Page 2

SENIOR CUP.

OPAWAT, &ATBBE^ : There, was not mnch: advantage to be gained by spinning^ the>;cioin, as the sun shone from on© "side of the ground .md a light but cold wind blew.from :he other; : however, Best won 5 ihe tossTom Casey. The Opawa captain has lot so far lost a toss—nor his team a natch. Opawa. had. the better of the jlay in the first spell, and succeeded in forcing Awatere several times. :*.Once t looked: Very much as.if ; they had scored, but the referee gave the greens :he benefit of the doubt. Play \tfas of in open nature, but. the blacks^ whose strength-lay in their back division, -did lot succeed in making • the most ot ;heir chances. Erratic* passing -and n judicious kicking Avere mainly reiponsible for their failure to score, and ;he first spell ended nil.all. . In the second spell the Awaterefteam ilayed its forwards for all they were vorth, and on several occasions narowly missed scoring. The game re■.olved itself into a series of feverish ines-out, scrums and loose rushes, one dde now having the advantage, and iow the other. There was ■ not much ootball in the exhibition ; the exist)nce of-the backs seemed to be forgot:en on the one side, and the other did apt get a chancftito.^use then*j : fdr attacking purposes', at" any rate! But or O'Brien and . Fairclough, who extricated the Opawa team from several lasty positions by their timely, welljudged kicks, Awatere must ; havei'woh. Almost the' only chance the'blacks got to score they took . advantage of. Dixon and Cloustori started a dribbling ush, and the ball found.its way into 'he hands of an Awatere back, who ueked. Johnston, who had: almost a Jear 'run' in, marked, and O'Brien olaced an easy goal. Time being called ahnost immediately after; Opawa. were declared winners by 3 points to lil. . . ■■''-.:■! .I ;, .

Of the Opawa backs, particular inencion must be. made again of the fine 'deking of O'Brien and Fairclough; Johnston put in one or two very < serviceable runs, bu^ did not get a chance toi give a proper taste of his quality. Jf a seething-mass of fQnvards it was lifhcult to single any out for meritorious play," bnt Best.jplayed like a Trojan, and was ably assisted by Scott, Olouston and Mart'ello!. Costello, Manning and Daly among tKe Awatere backs got in sonic good kicks, and P. Oasey played a sterling game all through-; of the forwards, J. .Casey, Whelan and Webster were the pick. Mr T.; Keating refereed. ,:. .A *