FOOTBALLER'S PLUCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19215, 2 January 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

FOOTBALLER'S PLUCK.

EIGHTY MINUTES' AGONY. tl. J. Lezard, the famous lawn tennis "blue" and the captain of the Cambridge University team, was the hero of a stirring exhibition of wonderful pluck during a football match at Chelmsford. Lezard, besides his activities at lawn tennis, has represented his college at almost every pastime, and is reserve goalkeeper for the 'Varsity Soccer team. The bad old days, when Town and Gown were at daggers drawn, being happily a thing oi the past, there was no surprise when Lezard, hearing that Cambridge Town F.C. were short of a goal-keeper owing to injuries, volunteered to keep goal for the Town in their East Angjia Cup-tie with Chelmsford on the latter's ground. A few minutes from the kick-off, whin the Chelmsford forwards were swarming round Lezard in a fierce attack, the goalkeeper was accidentally kicked on the knee and swept off his feet. It looked a bad case, but he refused to listen to all suggestions that he should retire to the pavilion, and remained to the end of the game. Although. Chelmsford just won by four goals to three, no blame for the defeat could be laid on Lezard's shoulders, for he kept a wonderful goal and saved many hot shots. The sportsmen of Chelmsford were so moved by. the injured goalkeeper's pluck that they waited after the match to cheer him, and as he was being carried to a waiting motor-car they gave him a rousing send-off. Had they known the extent of his injuries their cheers would doubtless have been increased a hundredfold, for, oh his return to Cambridge, medical examination revealed the fact that for eighty minutes Lezard had kept goal, and kept it so well, while suffering from a dislocated shoulder, a. twisted knee, and a sprained ankle.