Saturday's Results.

NZ Truth, Issue 215, 7 August 1909, Page 3

Saturday's Results.

ATHLETIC 3 v. PONEKE 0. The No. 1 Ground, Athletic Park, on which this game was played, was a perfect quagmire, and anything like scientific football was out of the question. The Northern side was practically unaer water, but fortunately the strong wind blowing kept . play lor the most part to the opposite side of the field. Poneke won the toss and played with the sun and wind behind it for the first half of the game. Owing to the mud and slush the backs on both sides had great difficulty m handling the slippery ball, and what little passing was attempted was soon brought to an untimely end. ' Considering all things, the "Backs on both sides were lucky m making no serious mistakes,. The game quickly settled down to a desperate struggle between the forwards, and the Blues, owing to the superior weight and stamina of their vanguard, had the better- of a stubborn contest. At times, especially during the earlier portions of /the second spell, the Blue scrummers carried % the Red advance lefore them, and . nothing but the splendid defence of Slater, Walsh, and especially Mitchinson, saved the Red line from being crossed on several occasions. Immediately prior to the score that won the game Mitchirison came to the help of Ryan, who had several Blue men to stop, and save a score at one corner when bom^Ciie kicked the rolling bail to Organ, the Blue half, who immediately kicked it across to Sim Wilson, and quickly as that player pounced on and grounded it, he had only done so when Mitchinson arrived from the opposite side. ' ■ • • .

It was as near a case of a player being on both sides of the ground at once as has ever been seen on the Park. The ball, was knocked on twice before Wilson scored, but the referee missed the happenings. ' . Slate" 1 , the Poneke full, cajne through the heavy work, of the afternoon very creditably. The slush hampered him a jgreat deal. He is not too .fast at the best of times, but on Saturday he had to move as he has not done before this season. Mitchinson was the hero of the afternoon. .He had few opportunities of opening out the game for his side, but his defence was of a very high order. Time after time he picked up the ball from the feet of the opposing forwards and saved f \vhat would have been almost certain tries. Nearing the close of the game, when the Reds made a dash into the Blue territory, he made a fine attempt by potting to pull the game out of the fire, but luck was against him. . Ryan did not find the ground to his liking and owing to an injured hand he was not given many opportunities of showing his attacking powers. , Elliott was sound, but not brilliant. Flanagan was not prominent. The forwards being beaten, he had no chances. Walsh played a fine defensive game and with Mitchinson saved his side from a much heavier defeat. \ Tilyard, at half, shaped pluckily, but was shown no mercy by the opposing team. They swarmed all over him at times, but he stuck to his work solidly. The forwards met a better lot m the Blues. Though they played pluckily they were no match for their more powerful opponents. Barber, and Tresize, the front-rankers, hooked better than expected, and it was not their fault that the backs did riot get going occasionally. Tannahill and Dennehy, with Calcinai, did some fine work m the open. „ Cunningham, the Blue full, had a heavy afternoon's work, but came through it In splendid style. Macdonald was nervous, and m the first half did not take the ball at all cleanly. He stopped rushes m good style. It was asking rather much of a ■boy of his age m his first year m senior football to mark a man with Ryan's reputation. McKenzie, at centre, was not at home with the greasy ball, but improved greatly as the game progressed. Sim" Wilson excelled himself and justified his retention m the team. He handled the ball arid kicked well. During the first spell he took the . ball on one occasion from a kick by Ryan and made off for the line at top, and had the everpresent Mitchinson not been on the lookout would have scored early. Evensen was too well watched and did not get many opportunities to shine. He kicked and handled well and stopped many a rush at the outset. Denbam was prominent m defence. Organ at half shaped well. He used his/ head and gave the opposition no chance of cutting off passes. Murray at wing-forward was very prominent." Although on the light side he is fleet of foot and probably m better con-

dition than any other player m the district. He makes no mistake m going at an opponent and gets him by the anides. He uses his speed to harass the opposing backs. The pack played with great vim, and !it would be invidious perhaps to pick any of the seven out for special mention. Wilson, Osborn and Bell were conspicuous m any work going on. Reedy and Irvine secured more than their share of the ball, while Rapson shone m the tight work. Kivell was at his best on the line out. , Reedy showed spectators that forwards had not quite forgotten how to collar, as he tackled and brought Walsh down cleanly when tiie latter was on one occasion working his way through the Blue ranks.