SENIOR CUP.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 177, 29 July 1907, Page 2

SENIOR CUP.

CENTRAL (3) v. MOUTERE (0)

The Central team used to complain last Year of having no luck; after -Saturday, that plea does not hold good. On the play, Moutere were the better team, although they left the field three points to the bad. • Ihere was not much football on either side, -the game resolving itself into a desperate scramble; occasionally, however, something would-happen whicn redeemed what was otherwise an unscientific, ' but withal interesting, gaj> eiitral won the toss, and soon had th« whites in trouble, a couple of long kicks by Manning putting them, on the defensive. A forward rush headed by Joe O'Dwyer brought temporary relief, but a couple of marks by Central soon had the ball back in Moutere quarters. Again the white forwards, with T. O'Leary, J. O'Dwyer and McDonald m the van, worked the ball away from their line; soon, however, they were.forced by a long Central kick. After an attempt to pot by Manning, Nedl got offside in front of his own goal; the ball was placed for Manning, and no charge allowed. The Central skipper, however, handled the ball when it was on the ground, and Nolan charged and kicked it away. Aided by a .couple of forward rushes and a free-kick, Moutere took the ball to half-way, where they essayed a passing-rush. The ball went from W. O'Dwyer to Spear, who made an opening and then passed to P. O'Dwyer-; but the latter let the leather drop. 1 Moutere kept on attacking, and W. O'Dwyer broke up an attempted Central passingrush ; then the blue forwards relieved. Central were at this stage generally getting the ball, which enabled their backs to start a few passing-rushes; and one of these ended in Parker's finding touch in the Moutere 25. An interchange of free-kicks was followed >by a foi ward rush by Gane, 1. O'Leary and J. O'Dwyer. Much of the work of the Moutere vanguard, however, was spoilt by the inability of the backs to take Manning's kicks on the full. The scene of play was now shifted to the Central 25, chiefly through the instrumentality of Nolan. Offside play on the Central line, however, gave the blues a free-kick, which took the ball to the half-way flag. A good kick along the line by E. Hegg- - lun (three-quarter) and a forward rush by O'Sullivan, Simmonds and Horgan took the ball to Moutere territory, where Grace did some good line-work. The Moutore forwards got the ball from a scrum and a passingrusli was started, which ended in Spear's being collared. Grace, at the head of the Central forwards, set up, a rush which put the whites on 'the again until Spear, by a • good kick, brought relief. Then, after a kick by Murphy, the Moutere- forwards took the scene of play into blue territory once more. Maddock stopped an ugly rush, but the whites kept at it, and Spear was the means of hemming the Centrals into the corner. A series of scrambles resulted m . Murphy and W. O'Dwyer nearly, getting over, but Maddock forced. The whites kept up the pressure, and Masters passed to P. O'Dwyer, who missed the ball. A free-kick to Central put them out of danger, untir they were threatened again by a mark by Murphy. Nolan's , kick, however, went wide, and Maddock again came, to his team's rescue. W. O'Dwyer kicked high, and Sheridan nearly got across from the resultant scramble; then Masters dived over the line, but lost the ball as he was falling, and Central forced. "A forward rush by C. Hegglun, O'Sullivan and Hogg took the leather away from the blues', line for. a, few moments, but Moutere soon came back. P. O'Dwyer passed to W. O'Dwyer, who sent the ball on to Cameron; but this player lost a good chance of scoring by dropping it. From the "line-out Nolan got possession and. kicked to Central's 25; Manning retaliated by making a good run to half-way. O'Sullivan, F. Sowman and Foster carried the scene of play to Moutere quarters, and C. Hegglun kicked almost to the whites' line. Then Manning and E. Hegglun indulged in some passing, which was - stifled in time. Nolan next got offside,, and Manning had a drop at goal, the ball going too close to be pleasant— for Moutere. After an interchange of marks between W. O'Dwyer and Manning, Masters made a bad miss, which had his side in trouble, but the forwards came to the rescue. Masters __found the line, and half-time sounded •with''Central attacking. Moutere opened the second spell by rushing the ball to Central territory, where Waters and Hogg (who had changed places with E. Hegglun) each got in a valuable kick. A "solo " by ~Nolan, a passing-bout in which Spear was prominent, and a kick by T. O'Ljeiary were the means of putting -the.jCentral line in danger, and a "number of scrums took place in their 25. However, an opportune free-kick saved the situation. The blue forwards, with O'Sullivan, Simmonds and F. Sowman in the lead, took the ball down the field, and a free-kick saw Moutere on the defensive, until D. O'Dwyer came to the rescue. Manning got away, but was collared by Spear; then the whites were awarded two free-kicks. A mark by Manning and a kick by Jordan, and Moutere were forced. O'Sullivan and E.. Hegglun brought the ball back after the kick-out, but Gane effected a good save. E. Hegglun next bad an abortive attempt at goal from a free-kick, and Moutere were again compelled to force. A number of lines-out took place in Moutere territory, in which McDonald and Nolan for Moutere and Grace and C. Hegglun for Central "shone"; eventually Murphy and McDonald put their side out of immediate danger. Before long, however, E. Hegglun marked, and Manning's kick nearly found its goal.

Central still attacked, but W. ! O'Dwyer and Spear kept them off by marks and good line-kicks. A number of free 7 kicks to Central followed, from one of which E. Heggiuu nearly planted three points. After a rush in,which Foster was prominent,. E. Sowina'n passed to Manning, who transferred to Hogg; but the Moutere tackling was very sure. W. O'Dwyer and T. O'Leary in turn relieved the pressure, and then came the only score of the match. Getting the ball from the scrum, Maddock whipped it out to E. Sowman; thence it went on to Manning, and from him to Parker, who had a clear run in. E. Hegglun's kick was not, quite successful. Central 3, Moutere 0. Both sides now redoubled their efforts; Central rushed the ball to their opponents' quarters, where Gane and Spear relieved; from a free-kick Manning found the line in Moutere territory, but Nolan, J. O'Dwyer and Spear took to halfway. A Central passing-rush ended in 'Moutere quarters, but two freekicks in quick succession had the ball on the Central side of half-way. Then Moutere attacked, but hard kicking enabled the blues to force. A period of play in neutral territory followed; then Grace, F. Sowman and O'Sullivan set up an attack, which was stopped by Nolan. Passing among the Central backs followed, but D. O'Dwyer opportunely marked, and Gane, T. O'Leary and J. O'Dwyer, by fast following-up, neutralised the j ground gained. A passing-rush by | the Moutere backs and a kick by Cam- ! eron saw.Central defending, Maddock being called on repeatedly to save his side. A high kick by Nolan went over the line, and Central forced. , The whites were soon back at the attack, E. Sowman saving; and two or three free-kicks assisted. Central to keep the invaders out. A hard kick by Murphy faced the blues again, and then the whistle blew, with Central winners'by a try to nil. Of the Central backs, Manning put in a lot of valuable kicks, many of which, however, failed to find the line; he was too well marked to do much running. An unpleasant feature of his play was the way in which he appealed almost every minute; this got very monotonous, and at last the crowd took it up, for which they cannot altogether be blamed. The Central captain should also, for his information, read again the rule relating to" marks, which stipulates definitely and clearly that the man who claims a mark must make a mark in the ground-with his heel, and. not call out " mark " when in the act of running. Some referees are more easily "bluffed" than others, but a player does not, in the long run, gain anything by "pointing." Parker did not very often see the ball, and was not very comfortable when he got it; however, he made no mistake about his try. E. Sowman's collaring and spoiling were the best features of his play, while Maddock was always safe, and got his passes well away. F. Sowman, on the wing, was responsible for some good work, while the Hegglun brothers, O'Sullivan, Foster and Grace (the last-named-particularly on the line) were oftenest seen among the forwards.

There was not much combination among the Moutere backs, but.what there was was mainly owing to Spear, who, at five-eighths, worked well both in attacking and defending. He beat his man generally, and gave his passes in good style, besides collaring well. Of the Other backs, W. O'Dwyer and Murphy,were the best; the former's kicking was his strongest point, while the latter, at half, was in the thick of all that was going. J. O'Dwyer played a good all-round game on the wing, and of the, forwards proper (whose rushes were often almost irresistible) the- best were McDonald, T: O'Leary, Gane and Sheridan. Nolan was, as usual, on-side and off-side almost an equal number of times. If he could only stay on-side, he would be a valuable forward. Mr N. Neame refereed.