Mataura Leads In McDonald Cup Series

Southland Times, Issue 23838, 8 June 1939, Page 11

Mataura Leads In McDonald Cup Series

By INSIDE-RIGHT Mataura’s convincing defeat of Thistle, hitherto the only unbeaten team in the Association football competition in Invercargill, was the feature the games played on Saturday afternoon. It had been expected by followers of the game that Thistle would on Saturday repeat its performance of earlier in the season when it decisively beat Mataura, but on the day the country team was clearly superior. Mataura and Thistle have now each had one loss, but Mataura has played one more game than the city team.. Weakness in shooting was largely responsible for Thistle’s defeat. The city team’s forwards had several opportunities of scoring, but threw them away as a result of over-eagerness or wild kicking. McLean, usually one of the most dependable of the Thistle forward line, definitely had a bad day and missed more than one good chance of opening the scoring for his team. W. Taylor, although, he made some good openings, was another of the Thistle forwards who failed to show his true form. The Thistle backs did all that could be expected of them, and L. O’Rorke and J. Morrison won applause for a fine all-round display of full-back work. If O’Rorke and Morrison gave a good performance, the veteran player, McCormack, was no less dependable at full back for Mataura. He gave an almost faultless display of solid defensive work and was always alive to opportunities of opening up play for his forwards. Excellent football was played by the Mataura forwards, and they were on the day clearly superior. to Thistle’s front

line. Mitchell, I H. McKinnon, and Hardie were outstanding. The Mataura-Thistle game was full of incident and always interesting, but the same could not be said of the other senior game, that between Central and Boys Brigade Old Boys. This latter match, .was ragged and uninspiring, neither team playing good football. Central won by two goals to one, but in winning did not play nearly so well, asjt did when it was beaten by Mataura the previous Saturday. Combination was * lacking in both teams, ’and while attacking movements were spirited they were seldom finished.

, Points in the McDonald Cup competition are as follows: —

P W Goals L For Ag. Pts. Mataura 6 5 1 25 10 10 Thistle 5 4 1 24 12 8 Central 5 2 3 9 18 4 Old Boys 6 - 6 12 30 -