FOOTBALL NOTES.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13934, 17 July 1917, Page 7

FOOTBALL NOTES.

V (By "Hover.J') The (contest for ihe junior flag has now reached 1 a very interesting stage, < and football supporters may be assured of somo'capital contests during the . next few weeks. Old B.oys have, iiqw drawn even with Waitaki A team, with Excelsior only one point behind, the Athletic following three points behind the. two leading clubs,

The game betwep the Old Boys and the Waitaki High School'. A team proved to be the toughest and most interesting of the scries played in the flag competition to date,,the spectators being kept in a state of expectation as first one line and then the other was menaced, while the of the score kept up Hie 'pressure of excitement until the call of "no side." Even nt';er Rooney's try had increased the lied and Black's margin, it only re(luiri'd a cQuycrted try Jto give the School team victory,

The south-cast comer of the ground was in a sodden state, with water still nu it, which increased the diffcultics of ■•the, players, the, wet'ball' proving very . elusive oil occasions, lip to' tile time "McQuin scored,: the Blacks had been all the attacking, but after this Old Boys' forwards commenced 'to'use their weight in the scrums,.and getting good support from the back division with well-placed line kicks matters evened up considerably, first '■one "then the other side being in the ascendancy, Both Mollison and llurrcll were safe with their hefty line kicks, being of considerable.assistance to the forwards. Robertson, who was in his old place behind the scrum, as the the play went, was in his right place, handling the greasy ball with confidence, his all-round work con-

tributing in'no'small degree to his side's victory. The Old Boys' forwards stuck to their task with fine determination, never for a moment relaxing their efforts throughout the full limit of ninety'minutes. Fleming, the Cameron brothers, and. Cooney were at times in the limelight, all doing very well, . The team arc to be congratulated on being the first to'cross the School's line tliis season, and the hearty applause which greeted them on returning to the pavilion was well desrveil. Perhaps it is only right to state that the School were without the i assisiance of Elder and Kirkland, but ■whether their presence would have averted defeat is •problematical, for it is possible under prevailing conditions : Elder might have failed as some of the other School backs did, yet it must be admitted that Elder is a player of class, and at present is one of the best fiveeights 'playing in local football. The School forwards, although lighter, were by no means outclassed, and well 011 in the second spell wero- more than '' once'" masted of 'the situatioh "fit the scrums. Although it did not always do so, there were times when the ball came out too suddenly for the scrum half, and then again they energetically followed up the centring kicks of the back-division, often to discover that the ball had gone too far and was safely resting in the arms of Mollison or Murcell, For a quarter of an hour after kick-off the School played with plenty of dash,'but once the Black and Red forwards commenced to worry them •with their persistent rushing, they became disconcerted and mistakes were • not infrequent. Orchard, at full-back, did well, but Kerr's performance was below par, and once or twice he seemed to get. the ball before it. was clear of the sei(um.

Before the Athletic-Telegraph game was three j parts through the Athletic forwards were a tiVcd lot, and it was mainly due' to McCombie, with good support from Mansell, that the. Telegraph Gallery lads did not further add th tli'cir total during;, the last twenty minutes. The outstanding .features of •the game were the line play of McConibie. and tlie of feteenev Brown.

It is anticipated that a North Otago team will shortly mee; a Waimate representative team, either at Waimate oi' (Jamaru. Mr V. K. Jloran has been appointed by the local'sub-union to select the North Otago representatives.

On Thursday- afternoon, after a closely-contested game, Middle School defeated the South by 8 points to 3.

The local sub-union are endeavouring to procure somo scats for the use of the ladies who attend King George's Park. P FLAG POINTS. The following table shows the positions of the various,, teams in the junior flag competition at the conclusion of 'the last matches played:—

Old Boys played drawn games with Excelsior and Athletic. » v «... SECOND KOUNJ) DRAW. The following is the draw for the second. rouJid of the junior flag competition:— ■ July 19— School A v. School B, at , School; Athletic v. Telegraph, King George's Park, at 1.15 p.m.; Old Boys v. Excelsior, King George's Park, at o •p.m. . ~-Jjily 26.—Athletic v. School A,, at : Park, at 3 p.m.; Excelsior v. Telegraph, ■at Parle, at l;la pim.; Old 'Boys v. School B, at School. ,2—School .B: v. Athletic, at Boys .v.v Telegraph, at Park]-

at 11.15 p.m; Excelsior v, School A, at Park, at 3.15 p.m. August 9.—School A v. Old Boys, at Park, at 1.15 p.m.; Athletic v. Excelsior, at Park, at 8 p.m.; Telegraph v. School B, at School.

August 10,—Telegraph v. School A, at Parlt, at 1.15 p.m.; Athletic v. Old Boys, at Park, at 3 p.m.; Excelsior v. School B, at Siihool. .).!'.

rS 01 c3 s U 0 (3 to ri «5 -u .H 'o y' s 0 JO 2 ** "S 0' §' Oi £ d PH •n 0 fc" to rt r* High'School A . Excelsior .. . . 0 4 1 80 11 s . u 3-5 11 37 25 7 Old Boys .. . .. 5 -i 1 20 10 S Athletic'.. •• . . 5 2\ 21-27-50 5 Telegraph .. . . o 0 5 3 71 .0 High School B . . 5 1.4 35 •IS 2