ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Southland Times, Issue 23287, 25 August 1937, Page 14

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

OTAGO’S CONVINCING WIN (By INSIDE-RIGHT) Otago was the better team in every department of the game in the return Association football match against Southland at the show grounds last Saturday afternoon. Although more than one player did not live up to the promise he had shown in club games, the team as a whole did not play nearly as well as expected. Certainly the conditions underfoot did not aid good football, but the Otago players were under the same disadvantage as the Southland men. Southland was decidedly the inferior team on the day. The players showed too great a tendency to bunch, positional play was almost entirely lacking and the kicking was often wild and ill-timed. H. Pay, L. O’Rorke and A. Lang were the only players in the team who showed anything approaching their best club form. In comparison, Otago played with machine-like precision and the initiative it showed on attack was in direct contrast to the haphazard methods of the home team. On paper Southland had a solid, although not brilliant, team. On the field on Saturday it had a poor team. The reason for this might be that the absence of T. McCormack, who was to be captain, disorganized the side. On the other hand it might have been because the Southland players lost heart when Otago gained two goals, which put it in the lead, from Southland players. Whatever the reason, it is certain that the team played well below its true form. In the first half Southland appeared to have a fair chance of success. In the second, half, however, Otago had no difficulty in assuming control of the game and rattled on six points while Southland failed to score. PAY OUTSTANDING

H. Pay played an outstanding game in goal for Southland. Some of his saves were brilliant and his general defence work was beyond reproach. McDonald, at full-back also played a solid defensive game and his keen sense of anticipation helped his side on many occasions. Alcorn, when he got the opportunity, played well in the half-back line, and L. O’Rorke played his usual resourceful game. Lang was the best forward in the side, playing equally well in attack and defence. G. Sutherland played clever football at times, but generally he was well below his usual form.

A young team in the main, Otago played well. L. Groves, the New Zealand representative forward, was the star player of the day, his all-round work, whether on attack or defence, stamping him as above any other forward on the ground. G. Taylor and R. Pilling, the full-backs, were quick to seize opportunities and equally quick to turn defence into attack. Both gave excellent exhibitions of full-back play. The state of the grounds on Saturday provided a convincing argument for the association to try to find a permanent ground for the code in Invercargill. The surface was sodden and soon churned into mud and numerous pools of water provided traps for players on both sides. It is satisfactory to note that the association at its meeting on Monday night decided to take up the question of securing a permanent ground. Until it does get a satisfactory ground the standard of Association football in Southland will never be as high as it should.