Chatham Cup Tie

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 425, 6 August 1928, Page 7

Chatham Cup Tie

PROVINCIAL SEMI-FINAL Y.M.C.A.’s Win Over Waro SENIOR Soccer games were postponed on Saturday on account of the international Rugby League match at Carlaw Park, but Y.M.C.A. journeyed to the Far North to meet Waro Wanderers, the Northern finalists, at Ilikurangi. The city team had a hard struggle with the miners, and returned home victorious with a handsome win of five goals to two, Oie margin being due to the superior marksmanship of the Y.M.’s forward line.

The Auckland club entrained on Friday afternoon as selected, Mr. “Don” Miller acting as manager for the trip. Birkenhead accompanied the team as emergency and acted as linesman. Whangarei was reached about midnight, and it was the early hours of Saturday morning before the visitors settled down for their rest. After breakfast an enjoyable motor run to the falls had been arranged, and following lunch the North Auckland association motored its guests to the playing field at Hikurangi. Being a “pay” holiday, the miners rolled out in full force, a record attendance for the ground being present. The teams were:

Y.M.C.A. —Paton, Mowat, Otter, Dick, Riddolls, Malcoml, Chalmers, Grant, Humphreys, McAuslan Whaley. Waro. —Smith, Rigby,* Marshall, Pickering, Rogers, Platt, Shepherd, Hazel, Caldwell, Ackers, Baugh.

It was a glorious day, and the ground was very dry, but the surface is very rough and the run of the ball was very difficult to judge and control. A high wind blew from goal to goal, which also added to the difficulty of calculating the flight of a new, light ball. Waro won the toss and elected to play with the breeze in the first spell, and the visitors realised that the hardest part of winning would be to keep the miners at bay in the opening half. WARO SCORES FIRST After even exchanges in the early stages the Young Men had a good scoring opening when Chalmers put a long cross over to Whaley, who drove past Smith from close quarters. Then Pickering sent the Waro van away on an irresistible combined rush which overwhelmed the Y.M. defence, and Hazel sent past Paton with a swift shot which put the Wanderers one up. The miners continued to press, but the Y.M. backs settled down to a dogged defence against the strong head wind, and Paton in goal brought off some spectacular saves under high pressure, being loudly cheered for his clever clearance work. Otter and Mowat were very resolute in tackling the strong rushes of the Waro forwards, and the Y.M. half line stuck grimly to the task of stemming a fierce attack. When the pressure lifted the visiting forwards showed out in some clever breakaway movements, Chalmers and Grant on the right wing being always dangerous, but McAuslan was dazed early in the game by a blinding blow from the ball full in the face, and Whaley suffered in consequence. A strong pass from Dick gave the Y.M. right a clear run through, Chalmers streaking past the defence and in-passing for Grant to equalise with a nippy goal from point-blank range. The Waro men fought back hard to regain the lead while the going was good, but found Paton impassable and many good movements to the danger zone were spoilt by wild parting shots. Half-time sounded with the score all square at one each. YOUNG MEN FORGE AHEAD With a strong following wind, Y.M. began to sling the ball about freely on the re-start, and soon had the Waro backs defending desperately, but the bumpy surface baulked the forwards at times and held up some clever passing movements. Dick gave Chalmers a fine opening, and the Y.M. flyer tore through to beat Smith with a great cross shot with the breeze behind it, and then Humphreys drew the defence cleverly to send Chalmers away on another successful sortie which put Y.M. two up. Play had scarcely started again when Whaley passed through the centre, where Humphreys, unmarked, secured and ran through with a spectacular solo stunt to beat Smith all the way, and place Y.M. with a commanding lead of three goals. Smith was very uncertain and unlucky. When urged to go out and meet Whaley in a following attack, the colt tricked him cleverly and slammed a fifth goal into an empty net. Y.M. eased up a bit after this, and Waro took charge in the closing stages, but only once more could the miners penetrate the Y.M. defence, when a scramble in front of goal gave Shepherd a chance to drive past Paton from close in. There was no further scoring and an interesting game ended with a three-goal margin for the town team. SOME GOOD FORM SHOWN The actual score did not represent so i

much superiority on Y.M.’s part, but, rather, the advantage gained by seizing openings and finding the net with the final thrust. Y.M. used its scoring opportunities where Waro missed through over-eagerness and excitement in front of goal. Stiil the Young Men are entitled to every credit and congratulation for defeating a hard, hefty and well trained combination which included six representatives in the North Auckland team to meet South Auckland in the next Brown Shield challenge game. Rogers, Pickering, Hazell, Caldwell and Ackers all showed fine form for Waro, and would be welcome additions to the ranks of any city club. The fullbacks were inclined to fluff their kicks with the flighty ball, and Smith in goal developed a fatal hesitancy whether to stay in goal to be shot at, or come out to meet the onrushing foemen—and generally guessed wrong. Paton was at his best in the Y.M. citadel, and his crimson jersey seemed like a magnet to the Waro marksmen. Otter played a very sound game at fullback, and Mowat waded in fearlessly to bustle the opposing wing, but was pulled up on occasions for unorthodox tackling in depriving them of the ball —or their foothold. Dick was conspicuous in the half line for his efficient checking of the clever wing opposite him, and fed his forwards with good judgment and profitable results. Riddolls and Malcolm were also staunch defenders. The Y.M. right wing was its penetrative force, Chalmers being right at the top of his form, and Grant at inside gave a clever display of footwork. Humphreys was a constant thorn in the opposing side and worried the Waro backs without ceasing, his solo goal being loudly applauded. McAuslan was unlucky in receiving such a jar early in the match, but Whaley proved himself a reliable left winger. Mr. Fernleigh, secretary of the North Auckland Football Association, was an ideal referee, keeping well up with a fast game, and holding a firm control of the players. The game throughout was hard and keen, but clean-fought and good tempered. The crowd was a fine sporting one, and every item of good play was cheered impartially. The losers were the first to congratulate the visitors, whom they entertained to afternoon tea at the close of the match, and cheered the Young Men on their way as they motored off to catch the afternoon train from Whangarei. Y.M.C.A. will now meet Pukemiro Junction, the South Auckland finalists at Blandford Park on Saturday next’ The survivor will then meet Petone’ who eliminated Hastings United on Saturday, and will now travel to Auckland to decide the North Island champion club on August 25. SECOND DIVISION CORINTHIANS V. BIRKENHEAD Tliis game, which has an important bearing on the Second Division championship, resulted in a narrow win for Corinthians by three goals to two, after a fast and willing game which was marred by a strong cross wind Scholes and Pugh scored for the losers and the winners’ goals came from faharples, ISJcol and ,T. Grimes. The Corinthians’ goalkeeper, A. Jamieson! had to be carried off in the second half with an injured ankle, after putting sUcks b w nt pe Tf orman ce between the sticks. Wormald proved a capable the win te p and Corinthians deserved the win. For a first season club the newcomers haye put up a sterling per! fonnance, having lost only one match m the Second Division games, and they are also m the semi-final for the flub C T C «eote knOCkin& a «“£ WELLINGTON FINAL PETONE BEATS HASTINGS UNITED Press Association. PALMERS TIN N„ Saturday. The semi-final tie in the North Island for the Chatham Cup was played here to-day between Hastings United and Petone and resulted in a win for