FINISH LACKING IN SHIELD CLASH
No tries were secured in the Harding Shield elimination match between Otamatea and Northern Wairoa. Northern Wairoa won by a penalty goal landed by Stanaway 10 minutes after the start. They were lucky to do so. as Otamatea held the upper hand in the first spell and again towards the end. and let at least four comparatively easy chances to kick penalty goals go begging. Not since their 16-10-nil defeat of Rodney a month ago have Otamatea engaged in a serious game of football, and to this may be attributed many of their faults in handling. The Wairoa side, although very much the same in personnel, was. in performance, only a shadow of that which defeated Whangarei early in the season. The packs were evenly matched, with the exception that N. Fergus hooked the ball consistently for Otamatea. For the winners, Simons, Stanaway and Tito showed out best in a hard forward struggle. Flavell, the exNorthland rep. played with little life.
Of the Otamatea forwards. Les Snelling proved himself as good as ever, while D. Moloney and D. Neil worked consistently throughout. Penetration Lacking.
Penetration by the inside backs of either team was definitely lacking, and the ball passed monotonously from half to wing without much ground being gained. There was also a regrettable tendency to hang on by Fergus and Woodhead (Otamatea). and by Smith (Northern Wairoa). Panapa, at least, tried to open up
the game, but threw some shockingly wild passes at times. Had Lysaght, a comparative newcomer to Northern football, been handed the ball earlier, he could have been expected to have used it to advantage, for, when given the slightest chance, he was quick to use it well. The Wintle brothers turned on fair games. Guerney, also a new arrival in Northern representative football, suffered from Otarnatea's tendency to crowd the outside men. However, he proved himself as a winger of distinct possibilities, and on several occasions made flashing runs, co-operating well with his supports. Except for one occasion when ho fumbled a rolling ball badly right in his own goalmouth—how Northern Wairoa failed to score on that occasion it is hard to say—Homan gave steady service as a full-back. Te Rorc, the Northern Wairoa custodian, was j also safe, but by no means brilliant. Colmore-Williams. although given j few opportunities, moved well in a j confined space. Only in tackling did j the game reach representative stan- j dard. | Best Movement. |
The best movement of the match was seen a few minutes before the when Guerney broke away in his own 25. and was well supported by Woodhead. Two forwards in Snelling and Bell chimed in and the passing rush gained half the length of the field, when it ended in a loose scrummage when an Otamatea try appeared to be in prospect. It was then that Otamatea made their final bid. C. Wintle and Lysaght. in turn, being brought down just on the line, and Northern Wairoa eventually forcing. Mr L. G. Miller refereed.
FINISH LACKING IN SHIELD CLASH
Northern Advocate, 16 August 1937, Page 3
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