LUSTRE FADES

NZ Truth, Issue 1175, 7 June 1928, Page 14

LUSTRE FADES

Peep At Diamonds In New Light (From "N.Z. Truth's" "Wellington Rep.) Diamonds lost some of their championship sparkle on Saturday when a hard- playing V.M.C.A. team put them down .by the odd goal m three. It was a win merited all the way. THE first round of the Wellington senior contests now closes with Diamonds two points ahead of Marist, whom they beat by .the narrowest of margins m the first round and who have collected the scalps of Thistle and V.M.C.A., both equal m third place. With Petone also showing good form it is yet anybody's championship. Saturday's loss was the first that Diamonds have • suffered and it came because they were slower to think than a solid, but less brilliant team of opponents. Matters would have been even, more interesting but for the fact that Thistle flung away a good point m their contest with Petone. The hardest thing about it for the Scots was that the goal which cost them the victory was scoi-ed' by one of their own men. . In the flashing second half, with Petone showing pretty form, Hopper stuck his foot In front of an easy-going shot by Leslie, which Fletcher had well covered, and deflected it into the net. *:■ THOSE RICOCHETS The thing was all the more foolish because Hopper had almost done the same thing m thp first spell, and had seen his goalie make a miracujdus save through sheer instinct. The sort of kicking which Hopper attempted is hopeless with a greasy ball. . Petone certainly would have been unlucky to lose. Their work m both spells was better finished than that of Thistle, and their failure to run up goals was solely due to the patchy centring of their wings and' the superb play of the Thistle goalie. ' Fletcher's beautiful work between the sticks was worth at least two points to his side. On the left wing t>f the village team, Hamilton showed that while he has many of the qualities of a great, player, he still lacks judgment m handing the ball to his centre. Often he could not raise the leather, and -when he did it floated , away over the line. . He must study the wind'if he is to be the player that his ability stamps him; The Scotsmen threw away valuable time m the second spell by falling to kick. high and hard when they had the wind m their favor; Instead of clearing, both backs and halves were playing too much and often losing possession. At no time were they: the link with their forwards that the Petone men forged. It was a fatal mistake, for , when close m, their forwards were ■ much more dangerous than the villagers, as Lothian and Campbell showed. , The Thistle centre should have left the field with at. least three goals to his credit, two of them from clever work m the opening spell. Petone would like more men such as Hamilton, Leslie, Campbell and Farquhar m their team.. Neeley, the Scots-left-winger was weak. .. Marist had a lot of trouble with the , low-running Institute team 'because they failed to take advantage of the weather. Oh the change-over, after the breeze ■ had been blowing along the Marist attacks, Institute were only one goal to the bad. Just how 1 much their morale has improved since their, early-season reverses, Institute showed when they penned tip the Chatham Cup hunters and at one stage were running even at a score of 3-all. It was determination, grit and bustling tactic:? that did it. There is no-; thing like wind and rain to bring the teams together. BARTON'S DELIVERIES ; That Institute did not get home was not due to any marvels of combination on the part of Marist, but to ' their ownership of the brilliant ■'. Barton, who twice found the net after nippy work, a,nd to the solid qualities of Fitzgerald, Rudolph and Thomas m defence. The first taate of winter this season left the greens without their kicking legs and there was "."much loose stuff flying about m the opening spell. Cudby, Barton and Durnirig were the Marist Big Three m attack, while Institute, if Tarrant had played, would have been at least a goal better. Gill, Byng, Brownlee and Bilby were the mainstays. Unless a miracle happens, Seatoun are sure of the wooden spoon for this season. The miracle will come only if the blue team throws behind it memories of past defeats and plays as if each game can be won. Making. every post a winning post will be their salvation. At present Seatoun are much 'better than their record, ana if they could recapture the form which they showed against . T.M. and Marist at the opening of the season they will be respected by their opponents. : They should remember that Institute had about 20 goals scored against them m the first two matches of the year and that they yet drew with Petone and Hospital, two formidable sides. Until they do this, , drubbings such as they received from Hospital on Saturday will continue to come Seatoun 1 s way. Monday's try-out for the Wellington representative eleven against the willing Westlandteam augurs a good season for the blacks. There is quality and quantity about m local football for the selectors to count upon. • Bright halves, sound backs, a great goalie, these' are Wellington's strength. That chain formed by Findlay-Camp-bell^McCormack will take some beating. . Wellington's score would have been greater if the home side had not done so well m the first spell. As* it was, with half time score 6-2, the local men were inclined to sit iback and let Westland play themselves out. That Is 'bad policy, no matter how many goals you may be up, and the visitors showed that they could die fighting, for they halved the honors of the second spell. ■ '.. .