A DRAW AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, August 20.

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 40

A DRAW AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, August 20.

Football pi-- ers this afternoon had a sunny slcy nnd a soaking wet ground. Theve was a o-ood attendance, and, as far as Canterbury was concerned, some good luck. Wellington scored two tries, and their opponents failed to cross the line, but secured two penalty goals, and bo left the field with honours even, lhe last of these t?oals was kicked about a minute before the same ended, and was the result of a peculiar misunderstanding. Just previously Canterbury had a kick at £>oal from another penalty, and the ball landed on to the feet of a Wellington man, who was standing inside the goal line. It bounded back into the field, and another Wellington player, apparently supposing it was out of play, picked it up. Technically, he was off-side, and another free kick was awarded right in front of the goal, which enabled the visitors to snatch the game out of the fire at the eleventh hour. A deluge of rain fell during the night, but the afternoon was bright, with a strong southerly wind, which blew straight up the ground. Two-thirds of the play was consequently close to the northern goal. With the wind the local men had by far the best of it, though they did not score till the last 12 minutes of the first spell. Against the wind they played up well, and repeatedly had the ball in the Reds' around, once forcing them dovm ; but in the intervals they were engaged struggling on their goal-line, and had the Canterbury men been at all vigorous in attack they should have scored. The ground was practically a morass, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the men could keep their feet or secure the ball. Once M'Gill and Spencer took the ball over the line, but lost it; and more than once on dry ground the local men would have been rewarded with a try. The first score was the result of a capital rush by Kelly and Curtis, who passed to Matson, and the 'latter literally slid over the line. A few minutes afterwards JSush took a neat pass and ran in. No goals were kicked, though the last try ot one was almost in front of the posts. In the second half, helped by the wind, the visitors had their turn, and though not so uniformly in their opponents' ground as Wellington had been, they gave them several bad spells. There was a noticeable want of vigour in pressing home the advantage, and Dansey alone of the backs seemed equal to the occasion. He repeatedly wriggled round the scrummage and got close to the line, and a heavier man would probably have succeeded in crossing it. Up to this time there had been few breaches of the rules ; but a number of decisions were given against Wellington in quick succession, and from one Ward at length kicked an excellent goal. Still Wellington seemed to have the game well in hand, and no doubt but for the mishap mentioned above, from which Byrne kicked an easy goal, they would have won. A minute after this the bell rang, with the score at 6 points all. It should be mentioned that Hales, Wellington's full back, played a capital game, his kicking and certainty in handling the slippery ball being altogether admirable. The attendance numbered between 3000 and 4000, and nothing was wanted but a dry turf to make the match very enjoyable. The spectators seemed quite pleased at the visitors' success in avorting defeat, and loudly applauded their second goal.

An Invercargill publican is credited with having taken out a prohibition order against an elderly farm labourer who visited the town with the express purpose in view of "knocking down" his cheque as soon as possible,