OTAGO BEATEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26792, 8 June 1948, Page 9

OTAGO BEATEN

SOCCER MATCH AGAINST AUCKLAND PHYSICAL DISADVANTAGE Special to the Daily Times WELLINGTON, June 7. Between the first round losers. Auckland beat Otago by 5 goals to 1 in the King's Birthciay tournament for the English Football Association trophy to-day. The match preceded the final, in which Canterbury beat Wellington by 5 goals to 4. The weather was wet and cold, and the ground heavy. The Auckland side had too much experience for the southerners. Otago nevertheless could be recognised as a young team, with speed and the makings of good ball control, which would profit by its contests in the tournament. In tne opinion of experienced Soccer players at the tournament, the Otago team, if held together for a couple of seasons, would be a side to be reckoned with As on the first' day, Otago failed to settle down in the early stages. Nevertheless, the team coped with the strong opposition capably throughout most of the second spell, and it was only in the closing stages of the game that Auckland finally put them out of the picture. The Auckland backs, long of leg and body, had the physical advantage, and Otago played to this by retaining possession instead of letting the ball do the work. Naumann, on the left wing, who made a good impression on Saturday, rarely saw the ball After 15 minutes’ pressure, a movement by Green, inside-right, and Wilkinson, centre-forward, saw the latter score for Auckland, and five minutes later a solo effort by Wilkinson gave them another goal. Necsham, who had replaced Robinson as right-wing for Auckland, was associated with the. hard-striking centreforward in Auckland’s third goal. It was at this stage that Otago began to play more constructively, and Berry closed a period of increased co-operation with a goal. Auckland led at half time by 3 goals to 1. The ground was now most difficult. Though Otago had more to say than before in the progress of the match, the play produced very few thrills. In front of the goal Neesham fed another pass to Wilkinson for a goal, and then capped a good day’s work by one off his own boot, leaving the final score: Auckland 5, Otago 1.