ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13958, 18 July 1907, Page 10

ASSOCIATION.

Br Left Wing.

Tlio following lable shows the .relative positions of the Junior teams in tlio Cup competition:—

ft £<$ p o oofM Northern A .. 12 10 1 1 47 10 21 Southern .. ..12 8 22 33 12 IS Maori Hill ..13 7 3 3 32 25 17 Northern B .. 13 7 3 3 45 31 17 ' Eavensbounie 12 5 4 3 45 21 13 Koulyii ... 13 G 6 1 41 31 13 Wakari .... 12 4 6 2 ;26 24 10 Mornington C 13 4 9—22 42 8 Battalion .. 13 — 13 — 8 EG 0 The matoh between a Dunedin team and the Corinthians (Timaru) at Culling Park last wook was not altogether inspiring. The.Dunedin team was not a very strong one, but the ■inexperience of the visitors mode the .result of the match a foregone conclusion from the outset, and robbed the game of interest. It would have been a wiser movement if the Corinthian team had arranged to play Wednesday instead • of Saturday players. The fact that thero was a fair number of spectators made it the moro regrettable that the match did not provide a display o£ good football. ' The visiting forwards wore-only good at ihe-outer edges. M'Gouitney was the-most 3lever. He knew how to keep tho ball Erom -his adivereary, but he ..appeared to suffer from lack of energy. The other ffing, G. ■ Keen, got away nicely, though without any speet!, and screwed across some lice oentros. ; The remaining ' forwards junclied together at times, and were rather ilow in front of goal. In the half back ine P. Eden had plenty of dash, but was •ather lacking in judgment ami was overfflger, tlio result being that his headers freniantly went in tho direction opposite to hat intended. The two full backs, Keen ind W. Eden, played soundly, the ,former )oing easily fhe best of the- Corinthian lacks. Of course, it was not to be expected hat a newly-formed club could , send a team >f experienced players. The material, howver ia tJusre, and possibly the next Dimdin team viating Timaru will find that naterial vastly improved.. Tho Dunediu earn wore not veyr successful in tho'forra.vd line. There was very littlo combined vork, and a good deaJ of tho wing work, nore eepecially on the right, ended up in ;oal kicks for the Corinthianß. Astrbon fas not as sure as usual in front of Brady. Ihepherd is showing good form this season, nit does not always take, hia position criously enough. Hay ward played a »pital game as half back. A feature of ho day's play was the excellent corner [ioking of Wright and Hayward. More than half the Corinthian players voro cops throughout the game. Thia is .n absurd habit, although observed amongst liany local players of much longer cxperimoo than the'Timaru men. How a player an expect to do any delicate and accurate loading whilst wearing a cap is beyond lomprehensibn. As well attempt to play i-piano with gloves on. A captain would k quite justified in insisting upon his men aking tho field without headgear. Tho match between Kaitangata and Southern was mostly a succession of long

kicks, relieved by some capital headinj principally upon the part of the viators The ground, lie it noted, was in very gooo order. The two Pcmnans are- very steady

full backs, their defence being particularly sound and their kicking strong. The younger (J. Penman), whom I saw for the first time, is a very promising back. Ho is tall and rather slim, but has a good deal of confidence and a remarkably strong kick. He takes the ball in difficult positions, but has not mastered the art of keeping it down. The rearrangement of the Southern team is not altogether judicious. To take Ashton from amongst the backs at this late stage' in his career and place him in the responsible position of left wing forward was a. hazardous experiment, and it is not to be . wondered at tihat tho experiment has not proved conspicuously successful. I am a firm believer in Ashtou's usefulness in the backs, but necessarily he has not that faculty for beating a man and working up the wing with tliat finesse which is essential in wing forward play. A. Middlomass, playing his usual sound game, had no grout difficulty in cheeking an inexperienced forward. M'Hutchon, too, is more successful as a full back than as a centre lialf back. In the latter position he shows plenty of activity, and does a lot of good defensive work; but the position domamds much moro than tiha/t, being, as it were, the pivot of the machine. His kick is too strong, and the result is that when he ossays placing to a forward the ball goes to the opposing back more frequently than to his forward. Milton would, I think, fill eitJier of those placee (wing forward or centre hnlf) to much greater advantage, as he has considerable judgment in boating a man and plaoing tihe'ball. Dcnniston. certainly does better as a half back than he did m a forward, No match has been more eagerly looked forward to by Kaitangaia people this eeason than the Northem-Kaitangaita fixture, to bo played at Kaitangata on Saturday. The sensational match toward i\m end of last season, when Northern, after an evenlyfought first spell, won in double Bgures in tho second half, is still remembered, This season Kaitangata. turned tihe tables in Dunedin, but still no doiibt have a hankering to w : po out tho memory of last year's defeat on the ground where "ib was bus- - teinod and amongst their own kinsfolk. .Northern are giving attention to training this week in expectation of a strenuous tussle. At the time of writing it is uncertain whether M'Clelland's ankle will bo recovered sufficiently to permit of him taking part in the game. Tho Wakari v. Mornington B return' fixture proved rather an interesting game, homo very good combination was shown by both teams, although- the Blues' forwards ac titnos crowded together. Perhaps ■ this was due.to tho• alteration of thoir forward line in the absence of Robertson, thoir bustling left winjr. Morrison, ri"ht ' wing for the Whites, kopt the Morning • ton baoks busy, and, especially in the 1 second half, v/oi in some well-timed and ( accurate centres. Wilson (left) and 1 M'Millaii (centre) were in good form, and it wan from a capital centre by the former ' that M'Millan was enabled to score with a neat header. ■ Wakari possess in Wright, Hayward. and Clyde a very strong trio of > halves, who caused tho Blue forwards no littlo trouble. Knowles and Allen, full backs, lucked with judgment. •Mornington forwards could not bo recognised as the eame who put up snoli a good fight against the Northern the pro- • j vious Saturday. In tho second spell especiI ally, easy chances wore lost, either through misundorstandlne, or bad shooting. Smith, although a good centre in somo respects, lacks that dash necessary to a firet-clats centre half, his tackling and heading ■espoci•i*J!y beip?2j»k, y&S asd lilppkin ytero

only mediocre, and their play would'bo much improved if they stayed in their respective positions. To Nioolson is due tho doubtful honour of scoring two goalsagainst, his side. Notinan made his roappoaraneo in the backs, and ■ played his iuual steady game. M'Leod saved well at times, but is rather slow .at clearing. In rospoiKO to tho request of the enthusiastic secretary of tho Schools Committee the O.F.A. has placed on Culling Park, prior to tho Roelyn-Southorn niatah, a fixture between the Maori Hilt and Walton Park school teams. The two school teams in question play romarkablj good football, and those- interested in schools football should take the opportunity of attending early hi order to see tho boys as well as the seniors play. WarTinsrton, who kept goal for Northern four years ago, and wlio played a steady gamo for Corinthians at Culling Park last week, is returning to Dunedin, and is prepared to play again. ■ Mornington Bhavo lost the services of Robertson, who has gone to Kaitangata.