THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18387, 1 May 1923, Page 5

THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

; ; } NOTES -: AND COMMENTS. .:■ 'Under splendid weather conditions and before large numbers of interested spectators, the 1923 Soccer, season got -an excellent " i-.end oS" last Saturday.; Players have evidently realised: that their cranio has a laitge and much more critical following nowadays, . for Saturday's games were marked; by keen and clever : play, which gave ample demonstration of conscientious training - and. practice.lt would' perhaps be speaking too early/- to - take the . opening games -as-- a. criterion, but . one could not help noticing " the improved shooting of the forwards in. the senior games, a very important . feature," which was a lone way below standard'even at . . the end of last season. With players doing their best to make the game attractive, the ; Management Committee'must see that /every consideration is shown' to the public. The matches set down for 3 p.m. at Victoria Park on Saturday were auite IS minutes late in. starting. ■ . ■ A welcome addition to the ranks of senior clubs is the Thistle eleven. Up against the strong Philomel team for their first match, they played clean, clever football, and thoroughly .deserved !to win. the scores, 5 to 3 in their' favour, just' about 1 indicating the difference in the merits of the two' teams on the day. To the . clever footwork and perfect understanding among the forwards the victory can be attributed, although the backs,- with perhaps one exception, did .all that was asked of - them in a very capable manner. There are only two changes in .the Philomel eleven from that s which tied for championship honours last year, but the players have been changed round and lack of understanding is< undoubtedly the failing. 'However, the season ie young y«tf. and, with practice, .the material is certainly.. there for a "first-class eleven, if not. cup Winners. The absence of the' New. Zealand' representative centrehalf, •' : Corbett,. whose masterful - play - was. always the bright spot in a team of splendid performers, was greatly -marked. It is hard to individualise regarding the form of the Thistle, forwards on Saturday. They are a skilled and nippy combination, without a weak spot.. Perhaps the display of Williams, on the right , wins, calls for special mention. He is well known to followers of Auckland " soccer. Ati a player of a heady : type, and on Saturday was : nothing' short of brilliant. ; H. 1 8,' goal was a masterpiece.: On the other wing, Anderson, late • of Ponsonby, eJso got . through a tremendous amount' of useful work, his centres being a feature. iDodds, inside right, , is a first-class forward, . and a newcomer who. has evidently had. much: experience in high-grade football : elsewhere. Stewart, at: inside left. : who _ has played for Kohimarama . among ■ other clubs, played probably, his .best game for several seasons. f His weakness always was to dally with the ball instead of smartly ■passing it on, but /thatfailure - H*a/ conspicuous by' its 'absence■ on : Saturday, while; he proved himself a goal getter of no mean order. Keane, the. centre forward, a .young player, kept his position , well, fed his. forwards consistently, and, was always dangerous in front of goal. In Brittam Thistle ha,vo a reliable centre-half, who apparently knows the game . well. :'lt ; was fortunate that injuries received in the first half compelled him to drop back. to the ~ full-hack' line for the r second spell. 1 It is good :to see. Bennett, who has followed the game keenly, playing :. several., seasons with weak clubs, i. getting :& ■ chance .in such good comtiiny. Ho played well in . the : half-line on D'aturday. > . McLaren, 1 the other half-back, was conspicuous :at . times, but-is a, shade on the light : side -for senior .football. In Mills and Whowell Thistle .have a hefty . pair of full-backs, .who tackle well and place the ball accurately. • . Thomas, . late of Brotherhood, plays a capable game in goal. . ' v I '-,-'1 For Philomel the best.- performer on . tho day was Lewis at. outside .left. His fast following .up and excellent shooting earned him '• frequent ~ applause. The two insides, Margison and Sexton, did . some good, individual, work, while Hopkins at centre, and j Heatley on the light, wore also brilliant at i times, • Solo work, though, no matter how brilliant, is not a feature to bo fostered in the forward lino of an association . team. ' Combined play, with short, - nippy . passing will win every time in . the long run. Although not up to last year's form McElligott did a, lot .of useful • work at centre half, while the play , of. the two wing halves was rather patchy. v ! Doree, and . Bailey... played solidly in the back lino, the 'latter- doing particularly well after his partner was forced to retire through injures. Batty kept his goa\ well, making only one mistake when he misjudged a long shot from Stewart. The announcement" that K. Innes. of Ponsonby, and. J. Buchanan, of Nvrth Shore, have been included in the " probables" for the New . Zealand team, will .be well received ,by . followers of the gam© in Auckland.' Innes is a clever outside right, with plenty of pace, who keeps in strict training, and has youth on his- side, and Buchanan "is probably the best centre half playing in Auckland to-day. He knows , the game . thoroughly, and > this season is reported to be . right at tho top of his form.