THE ASSOCIATION GAME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21505, 31 May 1933, Page 17

THE ASSOCIATION GAME

SENIOR GRADE CONTESTS BRIGHT FOOTBALL WITNESSED TEAMS REALISE CAPABILITIES Evidence of the fact that senior teams competing under' the control of of the Auckland Football Association are beginning to realise their capabilities in so far as combined and speedy play are concerned was witnessed in nearly all'matches on Saturday, when bright and fast football kept spectators in an appreciative mood throughout the afternoon. Particularly was this so at Blandford Park,, where in two thrilling matches the best characteristics of the code were revealed, The games were played at a pace which is seldom seen in club football. The excellent surface at Blandford Park materially assisted the players. In the early game Onehunga held Ponsonby to a draw, which was a sound indication of tho respective strengths of the teams on the day. The main attraction saw the youthful Y.M.C.A. side go down to the more seasoned Tramways team in a game packed with thrills from whistle to whistle. A drawwould possibly have been a better reilex of the run of the play. A large factor in Tramways' victory was the work of 1). .Jones, the former Auckland and New Zealand representative, who was seen in action again after a spell for» one season. Performed without any spectacular flourish, liis work bore the hall-mark of excellence, his passes which set his van working time after time, being of a type which made the gathering of them a pleasure. In defensive work he was equally good. Although his work was made difficult by the bustling play of the opposing forwards, Batty was an efficient custodian for Tramways, tho only weakness being in his clearing kicks. Against a somewhat erratic forward lino Tinkler and Simpson showed up well, -while in the forwards McMillan and Donaldson had the defence guessing on several occasions.

Fine Display By Qowie Although he rather badly misjudged the only goal scored, Cowie set a high standard in his work, and undoubtedly deserves the ho:iour conferred on him by the selector in choosing him to guard the Auckland goal against the Navy next Saturday. His prodigious clearing kicks and clean handling made his exhibition one of the features of the game. Strong defensive work came from Mowat, while Farquharson gave a greatly improved display. The halves were solid with Chapman outstanding, and in the forwards the main aggressors were Hill and Riddolls, the last-named spoiling his field play, however, by a decided weakness in front of goal. Hill impresses as a very promising left wing, combining opportunism with fine passing and accurate centering. In the curtain-raiser tho teams took some time to settle down, the lively ball presenting difficulties for some time. However, the teams' - adapted themselves to the fast conditions and gave an exhilarating display. The play at times was'very reminiscent of cuptie football, mainly in tho manner in which tho scene of activities changed so rapidly. An outstanding player of earlier days, Craxton, was between the Ponsonby goal-posts, but he proved to be only a shadow of his former self, and was fortunate in having two such stalwart backs fronting him as Stewart and Haggitt. Stewart has been responsible for very consistent play throughout the season, and Saturday was no exception. The Ponsonby side was strong in the halves, where Diamond and Masters operated with customary bustle on defence and brightness on attack". Like Y.M.C.A., the Ponsonby forward line was deficient in finishing ability. Flashes of his erstwhile brilliance came from limes on the right flank, while Jepson at centre was a hard worker and a forward with a keen eye for an opening. He distributed the ball well and kept well up among the backs, a characteristic missing in most players in this position. Strong Onehunga Defence

Onehunga's strong point was its defence, with Zuill, ,in goal* and Alexander and Blockley at fullback, taking the honours. Each had a fino understanding of his duties and executed them in a meritorious manner. Dick was prominent in the halves, while the best of the forwards were Scott, a dangerous factor on the left, Davis and Wilson. Starting off with rare dash in the forwards, North Shore ran up a large lead in the first spell against Abels at Devonport and this advantage stood '■* the marine team in good stead when Abel's made a strong bid over the latter stages of the game. The ability to finish its moves put North Shore to the fore right from the start, clever forward work, which was for the most part individual, upsetting the opposition before it had time to settle down. With A. Smith in goal and H. Smith and Hart at fullback the North Shore team had a defence which was difficult to pierce. Hart, being, if anything, fhe stronger "back. The halves offered a fairly solid defence, but were lacking in constructive play, this being particularly noticeable with regard to Chapman. In a bunch of fast-moving forwards, Walters, Moore and McCluskey shone most conspicuously. The Abel's rearguard let its "side down repeatedly, the backs being very shaky on many occasions, while the halves were of very little value to the side as an attacking unit except in the closing stages. Gill and McLeay did their best to form an attacking unit, while Ansteed, on the left flank, T\yis responsible ■for many pretty touches which should have been productive. New Lynn's Good Showing Supported by a strong Navy contingent, New Lynn made a good showing against Thistle and although tlio latter secured victory by three clear goals, the margin was rather flattering. The New Lynn side held its opponents in midfield, but when it came to a question of shooting, fell well below standard. Thistle played its usual constructive game, taking advantage of most of its opportunities. Au unexpected result was seen in tho Comrades-Glen Innes encounter when tho former took the points in a convincing manner. Tho young Comrades team caught its opponents napping in the early stages and held its advantage when Glen lanes began to assort itself in the second spell. It was a game in which speedy and pretty football predominated.

The return match between the Auckland representatives and the Navy will be played at Blandford Park on Saturday. .In the first match this season tlio Navy team secured a convincing win, but it is hoped that the Auckland team, which has undergone several changes owing to tho absence of members in the New Zealand team, will on "this occasion make a better showing. The Navy team will also show several alterations, some of the former players having returned to England. Reports from Australia dealing with the first match played by the Now Zealand side against New South Wales stress the lack of combination among tho visitors. The general feeling is that the team is below the calibre of the 1923 combination which visited Australia. Critics were most impressed by the splendid gonlkeoping of Zuill, who is reported as having given- a magnificent exhibition. Tt is felt that the New Zealanders will need to show great improvement to have any chance of success in the test matches.