Soccer THE SECOND ROUND

NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 17

Soccer THE SECOND ROUND

sa^/e For Champ. Honors Keen (From "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.) Final tes^: of the surprising Soccer season comes next Saturday, when Diamonds, the championship leaders, meet the dashing Marist men m the first match of the second round. R/IARIST are one of the two teams m "^ the contest that seriously menace Diamonds. IE they fail this week-end there is only the hundred-to-one chance that .Petone will snatch championship honors from the aggressive blacks. . ' On their daj r , the Marist team is unbeatable. Fov three-quarters of- its meeting with Watersiders last Saturday, the Irish team played like champions, and instead of four goals should have hud twice as many on the slate. Then came a 'sudden collapse which enabled Watersiders to run up three goals and come within an ace of demanding extra time. That is the trouble with Marist. ,With a great forward line, good backs and a good goalie, they are thoroughly unreliable. The previous Saturday, though making the Wharfles look like hacks, they could do no better than a draw. Last Saturday they, established themselves m an apparently impregnable position — and took a rest. So kind were they that when Burke took a penalty, erroneously awarded, he did not try to goal. Then came the shattering attack of the Wharfies, which galvanised Marist into action — almost too late. If the Irishmen play like that this week they Will be beaten — and badly. But Marist are a tough nut to crack. Despite the fact that they have piled up only 8 championship points, . they have only once had to acknowledge themselves beaten. Next to Diamonds, that is, they have the best record m the competition. If that flying forward line is pro-, perly geared on Saturday, Diamonds are doomed to be defeated. -' . Marchment, Barton and . Condon shone m: a row which included only.: one man; less than able, and that the; flashy Cudby. Something must be done i ab.6ut Cudby. On Saturday he was a trial to the patience of a saint. t The addition pf the new winger, Hawkins, has given the greens a further strength, and- with men like Wilson, Burke and Thomas behind them, they will' give Diamonds as much as they get. But only if that forward line is working; -properly. Diamonds still look the more solid team and should be one goal better at the end of the day. . , — . The same day will see Petone thoroughly tried out by V.M.C.A. on the suburban ground. Petone are now at top form and there is nothing about the Young Men that should trouble them. . On ; Saturday last the suburbanites held the aggressive Institute team and administered to it a thorough thrashing. The fact that Leslie, ex-rep, centreforward, was not m the Petone team may have had nothing to do with the record score established by Petone, but "N.Z. Truth" thinks otherwise.. Stobbs did the hat-trick m this match, a feat which Leslie will have to improve to equal. Y.M., for 'all their continued success — they have now downed Thistle and look like avoiding the humiliation of the wooden spoon — will have to hold hard and hold everything to keep Petone at bay. Hospital will have to deal with Institute, which they should know how to do, and Waterside will meet Thistle at the Basin Reserve. One of the events of the season has been the success of this newly-promoted team. With combination and dash they have been a worry to the strongest sides m the competition, and their record to date is highly creditable. Fourth on the championship table, they have had two wins and two draws m seven games, and their tosses have been largely, due to misfortune. Watersiders can unleash... forward rushes which have the best "teams scratching, and their combination between halves and forwards/ m attack is pretty to watch. They have. shown themselves onei of the best locai teams m positional play. This will be Thistle's downfall. .