Association Football.

Free Lance, Volume XIX, Issue 993, 16 July 1919, Page 30

Association Football.

Despite the inclemency of the weather and the slippery nature of the turf on the Basm Reserve the Thistle-Y.M.C.A. match for the First Division championship was of' a very interesting nature although right throughout the game the former team always appeared to have slightlv the upper hand. More than usual interest was/ given to the play owing to the reason that the winner might ultimately he declared the champion team of the season. There were several absentees from both sides, the principal ones being McKenzie and Bell, who received an injury during the play of the game against Porirua the previous Saturday'and on the Y.M.C.A. side Ives and Jarmy. Y.M.C.A., however, appeared to suffer most in this respect owing to the. gaps being filled by less experienced players compared with the Thistle substitutes. A welcome reappearance was that of Colin Reid who was again seen m his old position as centre half tor the blues. .He played in quite his old style and his resourceful play had a lot to do with the winning of the game, and it is difficult to say what would have happened to his team had not he appeared on the field. The best player on either side, however was McArthur who played right rull-baek for Thistle. His judgment was superb and right throughout the

game I did not notice him kick the ball out of bounds. His placing of the ball, too, to either of his halves or forwards was perfect and taking everything into consideration he gave a most finished exposition of the ganie. Perhaps he is not at present as well versed in the finer points of, the game as, say J. McKenzie, but there is no doubt about him being -the best back we have seen for years] in fact since the time of the New ;Zealand back, Archie Clapham. He is still young and I understand that he played a few years ago for the West Coast .against Canterbury in a Brown Shield game. Claude Cunningham who was in great form played with any amount of dash. Regarding Egerton, in .goal, I liked him better than on any other previous occasion in which I have seen him He shaped like a tradesman to the ground shots put into him, and gathered in the ball in rattling good style. So far this season he has had only six goals scored against him, but of course, he is considerably helped by the great backs he has had in front of him throughout the season. Of the halves there was little to choose between Bradbury and McGoram with the exception that the former was better with his head-work, better on the day too than even Colin Reid. The most versatile forward was H. Smith, who worked very hard and had the satisfaction of scoring the two goals gained by his side. Y.M.C.A. did not like the second goal scored against them as they considered the ball wasi out of bounds, but. my impression is that this was not so, and that the linesman was quite right in allowing the play to continue. A few more games will see W» Gibson a thorn in the side of the opposing teams, as the big fellow is fast getting into form/ some of his play being reminiscent of pre-war days when he played so many fine games for the Brown Shield. H. Hart also played well and made many nice runs up the wing a s <%well as following up well, but E. Edwards appeared to be a bit off colour. A coming player in the team is H. Hanson, who was a Fourth Division player last season. He passld the ball very well indeed, and_with coaching will be first-class in a year or two. On the Y.M.C.A. side Sinclair had no chance with the two shots which beat him. . Wiri Baker played splendidly at full back. Wiri is a "take down," as he gives one the impression that his opponent will beat him all the time for the ball, but he gets there, just the same. He played a very defensive game and was ably backed up by Roy Coad. Stephenson worked hard in the half back line and wa s the best in that position: s ■ To my mind Knowles Smith was the best of the forward line and the goal scored by him was the best of tli6 day. Charlie Ballard was playing in the centre, but this wa s not by any means his position. . He was lost to "hi s side and should • be shifted out to the wing. Certainly he played a hard game, but he is altogether too selfish and it would have paid on many occasions had he passed the ball out his wings. I/. Smith and C. Trott both combined nicely together and- J. Elford played a hard game, but Charlie Ward was not a success. On the day's play Thistle thoroughly deserved their success. All enthusiasts of the game regret, to hear that Frank Thomas, the brilliant . half . back of the Brooklyn

United Club sustained a broken leg during the. play of the game with the Diamond Club. This is very Hard luck, for the young player had more than a possible chance of gaining a place in the representative team to play for the Brown Shield later in the season, as 'his form has been beyond tlie ordinary during the last few games. When playing as a Fifth Division player some years back he won a game against an Auckland team, and at that time was the best boy foot- = bailer ever seen in the Association code in the city! An illness, however, kept him out of the game' for two years and, it was only during the present season that he was able to again devote his attention seriously to the game. ■:-■■' A the last meeting of the management committee of the W.F.A. a letter was received from a supporter, of the game in which he gave a list of players - whom he considered should represent "Wellington in Brown Shield games. His team is: Goal, A. Webster; backsj E. Cross, J. McKenzie, J. Ives • and A. Wallace; halves, It. Bell, F. Thomas, A. Auld or Rene; forwards, C. Bold'i A. Loadsman, C. BaUard, J. Elford and A. Lowe. Well, I am afraid that this team will hardly suit the selectors as not more than five of the playersi mentioned are likely gain a place in the team. To my mVhd a more likely team is: Goal .A. Webster; backs, J. McKenzie and A. McArEhur; halves, R. Bell, C. Reid and A. Auld; forwards, J. Smith, M. McElligott" ,L. MeGirr, C. Ballard and Knowles Smith.