ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22294, 21 June 1934, Page 4

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

By Corner Kick,

The revival of the five-a-side tournament last Saturday, after a lapse of several seasons, as a stop-gap for the weekly cup games, owing to the absence of players with the Otago team in Auckland did not come up to expectations. The majority of the entrants displayed a poor conception of five-a-side play throughout and only one or two games had sufficient interest for spectators. In the second round, when Iloslyn-Wakari B team defeated Northern A it looked to stand a good chance, but in the semi-finals against Technical it went to pieces. The winners, Maori Hill, and runners-up, Technical, played consistently all through, bub Maori Hill had a dose call in its game with Northern B when it got home by the narrow margin of a corner. FLETCHER CUP MATCHES Next Saturday's matches will constitute the start of the second round in the Fletcher Cup competition, and with the meeting of Technical and Northern at the Caledonian Ground a fast and keen game should be witnessed. Both clubs are well up in the table, Northern up to the present having one more point than Technical. Northern won the points rather easily when the teams met earlier in the season, but on that occasion TehcnicaTs full strength was not available, and the teams should be more evenly matched for Saturday’s play. To date Maori Hill head the table with 12 points, Seaclif! following on with 10, Northern and High School Old Boys being next. with 9 points each, and Technical with 8 points. JUNIOR TABLES The following tables give the positions of the teams in the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions: — SECOND DIVISION A.

No result Technical v. Leith A, played June 16.

No result Maori Hill v. Port, played June 10. FIFTH DIVISION.

No result Technical B v. Y.M.C.A., played June 16. Technical A v. High School 111 still to play. SIXTH DIVISION,

Some o£ the. above tables are incomplete owing to the lack of interest shown by the captains of winning teams failing to send in results of their games, and, as this entails extra work on the members of the Match Committee, the attention of the juniors is directed to the rule on the matter. Hule 20 of the cup competition regulations states: "Notice' of the result of each match, signed by the captain of the winning team and the referee, shall be sent by the captain of each winning team to the secretary of the association by the following Monday after such match. For each breach of the rule the Management Committee may enforce a fine of 2s 6d. THE . TROPHY GAME The disappointment felt locally in the failure, of the Otago representatives to defeat Auckland in the hirst challenge match of the season for the Football Association Trophy, is modified to some„ extent by the impressive display with which the Northern papers credited our representatives. The game was regarded as one of the most exciting encounters seen in Auckland for some time, and, although Auckland won by 2 goals to 1, Otago were considered unfortunate in not making it a draw. The party returned by the first express on Tuesday, when the manager (Mr A. Sharpe) expressed his appreciation of the team’s reception at the hands of the Auckland authorities. The main cause of Otago’s defeat was the failure to score goals, and weakness on attack was apparent mostly amongst the younger members of the team. In contrast the display of the more experienced players of the team was an outstanding feature of the play. Otago’s previous visit to Auckland in quest of the trophy was m 1926, when it suffered defeat by 4 goals to 1.

The following report of the game is takeu from the Auckland Star:— Dunsmore won the toss from Balk and elected to defend the Bridge goal, but there was no advantage either way from the elements. The start was lively. A long pass out from Angus to Kay saw the latter outpace Taylor, and M’Dougall saved a long shot in the first minute. A long clearance let Balk away and he beat Gerrard, but W. Watson cleared. Open play carried Otago back and Skinner beat Watson to let Ba]k away; but the latter’s centre found Hooper well offside. Otago continued to press and Auckland wore in danger when Ives placed a beautiful corner and the. visitors continued to press, Witchall having the hardest luck in having a shot blocked close in. For the first five minutes Otago had all the game, but then Auckland broke away and following close forward play Angus beat M’Dougall with a low shot at the corner of the post. Auckland 1, Otago nil. The South Islandeis continued to play the better football as a team and again pressed after the recentre. Skinner showed clever footwork, but again a long clearance by Chapman to Angus, who instantly sent it_ to Woods, transferred the scene of activity. The home forwards looked like breaking through again, but Anderson stopped the movement. Auckland kept the ball on the right wing, and from the centre Anderson cleared, but Chapman sent to Auckland’s right again. From Otago’s backs the play went to halfway, but Auckland regained their ground. Dunsmore passed to Angus, but his shot was just wide. Woods and Dunsmore held for a while, but Patton broke and kicked right up. From a corner Otago held close in, but a dead ball relieved Auckland, but from halfway a free kick brought the visitors on again. Open play followed in midfield, with Otago’s halves well placed. Witchall essayed' a shot, but it went over. The ball came up to Auckland’s right, and from Dunsmore and Woods Angus was robbed of the pass by Anderson. Otago pressed, and a cross shot from Balk was caught by Watson. From the goalie’s clearance Wright sent to Kay, but from the pass the ball went behind. From halfway Brown passed to Skinner, [ who held on too long, but Auckland quickly lost it for a right-wing pass to Skinner, who headed too high. Brown again played to Skinner from a bit of I close play, but Stone cleared. Chapman I stopped for Otago, but Wright tookpos--1 session and passed to Farman. Kay’s shot was high, and shortly afterwards Taylor beat three Auckland forwards, and Otago went up on the right. Ives j passed through Hooper to Balk, but the angle beat the shot. They kept at it. | and from crowding play Hooper and Tves tried to force the goalie in, but Gerrard cleared. Auckland recovered and through the halves the ball went across from Kay to Dunsmore, who was relieved by Woods, whose shot was too hurried. From left-wing play Auckland secured a, corner. Witchall cleared, but Stone returned to the front line. From halfway again Angus got the ball and passed I to Woods, but Taylor robbed him just in 1 time. In another effort Angus lost the ball. Chapman stopped for_ Auckland, and Brown took his kick with a neat twist to Taylor. The clearance was resultless. the Auckland halves holding we”, j with the insides ready. Play_ was kept I in the visitors’ territory until Skinner got the ball, bis pass to Hooper being missed when the latter slipped. Balk crossed t.o Witchall, but his header was cleared by i Watson. Auckland came back and DunsI more and Woods brought it up for the I latter to cross. Angus missed the pass in front of the net, but Kay got in a

neat short shot which beat M'Dougall within a minute of half-time. Half-time scores: Auckland 2, Otago nil. -■ Auckland took charge from the restart with well-worked forward■ movements, but shooting was Taylor made a hard stop, but Kay and Farman got by with a good bit of short passing on the line. Otago got .back to half-way, but after a brief sally on the right were sent back with Kay and Farman again tricking, but Angus missed the pass. Another attack was cleared strongly by M'Dougall, but Wright again sent to Farman, who was neatly robbed by Anderson. Chapman stopped the clearance, but Otago came through at the run. The attack was open, and Stone stopped it. Auckland was now hemmed in with the visiting forwards keeping well, until A. Watson sent back to half-way. Kay put in a long pass, which Paton stopped. He was nearly beaten by Wright, but the ball went up to the forwards. Gerrard started Auckland going, and after another break-away by Otago they held. From a corner, Brown got Otago away through Chapman, and the rush stopped when WitchalTs shot missed. A sudden attack by the home men went to the goal-mouth with Kay, Angus, and Dunsmore crowding. M’Dougall held the net and managed to force clear, but the ground was still Auckland’s. Kay and Farman made across to Angus, but the missed pass was cleared by Anderson. Kay missed the nest shot by a bit, and the forwards kept well in. Ives, well back, robbed Wright, and, passing two others cleverly, passed to Hooper, to Balk, whose fine shot skimmed outside the post. Auckland returned for a quick attack, but Chapman cleared to Ives, whose shot was diverted by . Stone. Through the halves Auckland made through, and Woods’s hot shot was saved, with Auckland hanging on. _ Kay tried again from well out, but hit the post, and Angus missed from the bounce. The visitors attacked along the right, were stopped, and came again. From the right Ives centred to a crowding defence, and Hooper’s shot hit the post, with A. Watson nearly beaten, but from an exciting moment Gerrard cleared to W, Watson, to Kay, whose shot was strongly stopped Otago made up with great speed, and after the halves worked to position the forwards made things tense, with Stone and Gerrard fighting hard. Ives took a clear pass and centred without a pause for Hooper to net amid intense excitement from just left of the goal. Auckland set out to stop the equaliser, and repeated open movements looked likely, but both backs held well, and M'Dougall saved prettily off Kay, Angus, and Dunsmore in succession. Taylor kicked up through Brown to Balk, but three Otago men were offside. The pace was on, and Chapman gave Kay a chance, but the shot was wide and Otago recovered with some clean passing through Chapman to Ives and Hooper, but. Watson made a smart save. -they lost territory again with pass to the halves and along the left to Kay. H>s pass was lost to Anderson, and Otago made a good start. W. Watson and Chapman kept Auckland safe, and again M'Dougall stopped off Angus. The visitors got through, with. Chapman, Witchall and Skinner receiving, but Garrard stopped the rush, passing to Woods through W. Watson. The game was open, even and fast, with long distance exchanges and alternating fortunes. Erom a quick pass off Brown, Otago again pH away for a short while. _ Chapman and Wright came along the side and left it to the forwards. Along the right Woods and Dunsmore made a great effort, beating Anderson, who recovered and stopped, but Dunsmore came again. There was a close attack, which drew M'Dougall out on his right, but the Otago backs held safe. By the time M'Dougall gpt to the net Angus was in shooting position, but wag too hurried, and the shot went high. Otago were stopped at halfway, and within two minutes of time Auckland looked like adding another. Anderson and Taylor, with support from the halves, worked hard, but were hemmed in persistently. The excitement increased as the left-wing swept in, but the goalie was as safe as a bank. After another Otago breakaway along the left, Auckland took charge again and were still at it when the final whistle went.

P. W. L. D. Cup Pts. Tramways 3 5 •—' — 10 Northern .. .. 5 3 o — 6 Technical 4 2 1 1 5 Y.M.C.A. 5 2 3 — 4 Roslyn-Wakari : 5 1 3 1 3 Leith A .. .. 4 • 1 3 — 2

SECOND DIVISION B. Mormngton 6 4 2 10 Cavereham 7 4 1 2 10 Old Boys 5 4 1 — 8 Fort .. 5 2 3 ~ 4 Leith B .. .. 6 1 5 — 2 Maori Hill 5 5 — —

High School II 6 4 2 — 8 Technical A .. Y.M.C.A. 5 3 1 1 7 5 2 3 • — 4 Teelinical B .. 4 1 2 1 3 High School III 4 1 . 3 — O

Technical C .. 7 6 — 1 13 High School V 7 4 2 I 9 High School IV 7 3 2 2 S Technical D .. 7 4 3 — 8 Mornington A 7 3 4 — 6 Northern 7 3 4 — . 6 Mosgiel .. .. 7 2 3 2 6 Y.M.C.A. 7 — 7 — —