INVERCARGILL FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 26

INVERCARGILL FOOTBALL.

■ (FfiOk' OOBOwN'OdERESPONDENT.) * ] ',* t'■ 'm> ,-V . •">, . Inve&caegill, June 13. ; „ ' Two, matches .were played .here last' Saturday, afternoon, the first being 1.F.0. v, Riverton, at , the termination of, which the Pirates First played th£ Stars. . The former match was a very tame; bne.j "Rivertori'wer'e'' the' heavier and carried most q£ the iScrummages, notwithstanding the 1 ; fact I that "liivercar gill played 10 men forward, only havrag two .three quarter .backs. The game was iVery v slow, r«3ultmg in a draw — no score — the local club having slightly the best of it., 'Of the visitors, the following were most serviceble: , Backs— Brown, Lee.Arnetf, Robertson, and Golding;, forwards -^.Patterson; Cuff, Pratt,, and • M'Naugbton. "VVhile for the local club Burnes, < Moore, 'and'^M'Olo'skey' were the best of the back's; and Symondg, Moffett, A. Morgan', Russell, and Stock, did most work , among the, forwards. (I notice' the ' lastnamed has still <as i 'great an objection 'as ever to go into the scrum- - mages.) The game 1 was played' in ! tw ( o spells bf 35 minutes. Mr R. H.Brodrick acted as. umpire' for Invercargill, and Mrß.' Ho well for.' RivertoDj givihgevery satisfaction. „ ' ' Kj j > „iThe second match was an immense improvement'on tne'vjßrst, thfe r< play 'being of a much higher class ai^d very, much faster. The' Stars (until this' year a Junior club) were much ; lighter jthan their oppone'pts,- but held their own well in the scrums. .Most of them are mere lads, but areas active -as cats.- During the'first spell A. : 6albraith T obtained a try, for- the Pirates, the captain, W. Hawke/ taking the place, but" failing, tor left .the. ball; -, Shortly afterwards the ! Pirates got a mark ' from ' -which A.'. Galbraith placed- a magnificent goal, the distance - being fully , 45yds ; and at a difficult angle.' The" Pirates ' had the best of.it all through: this spell. On changing sides the Star's held their own better and brought the ball.'nea'r'theiPirates' goal several times, making some fine , dribbling rushes. , No further score was; made" until near the end of the game, when Morrison, hy r ,a. good run and pass to. Porter enabled the latter to gain another try, from which Galbraith 'placed a second goal, the' game 'resulting in. a victory, for the Pirates by 7 points to nil. For' the winners all the backs played, a good game, Tapper and Borne .doing the most work ; and among the forwards, Galbraith, V. Ekensteen, ,Mentiplay, Morrison, and M'PherB'6nJ, For the Stars',' Cvf f? Timbsi'a'nd Murphy. Of the backs," Cuff particularly played a smart, useful game, and, A. Donaldson (captain), Jen'kins, Sinclair, M'Robie, and Graham, of /the forwards ' I 'did- most serviceable work: • ' ' This game was also played in two spells of 35 minute's, darkness' 1 almost "having" set in by the time'the game was .finished. Mr ,W. Stead umpired 'for the Stars, and Mr J. Harvey for the Pirates, Mr W. Smith acting as referee; ' One noticeable feature of the game ,was the small amount of talking indulged' in by 1 players', contrasting favourably- with the, former game in .this respect.