SPARKLING SOCCER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 661, 13 May 1929, Page 6

SPARKLING SOCCER

Prolific Scoring Games TRAMS AND PONIES UNBEATEN PERFECT weather and turf provided lively Soccer lor another big crowd at headquarters on Saturday, 17 goals being scored in the two senior championship games there. Trams beat Celtic 6—3, and Ponsonby won from Thistle 5 —3. after a ding-dong game. Y.M.C.A. downed Shore at Devonport by three goals to nil, and Onehunga at home defeated a weakened Belmont team by four goals to two.

A CALM and sunny uay drew a large attendance to Blandford Park, and with an average of a goal every ten minutes, there was plenty of incident and excitement in both games, the fans being roused to frequent bursts of cheering at some brililant flashes of clever teamwork and individual efforts. Trams and Celtic were well behind time in starting, and there was a suggestion of turning the electric floods on near closing time, but an exciting finish held the crowd to the end. CELTIC START WELL Celtic showed improved form against Trams, and surprised the transporters by taking the lead in the first few minutes, when Rimmer dashed in to complete a nice combined movement, and beat Batty. Trams soon evened matters when bad faulting by the Celtic backs saw Simm waiting near goal to net, and the Tram winger repeated the dose soon after, to put his side one up. Another right wing raid drew the Celtic defence, and found Williams unmarked and waiting to net. The Celts rallied, and harassed the Trams' defence for a while without result. Rimmer and Johnson being prominent on the Scots’ left flank. Then Fyvie dropped a free kick into the danger area, and from a scramble in goal Bell put Trams three up at half-time. TRAMS WIN COMFORTABLY Celtic’s luck was still out on resuming. as Wright knocked the ball down in the IS area, and although Hall saved Spencer’s penalty pot, the centre followed in to make no mistake with a second attempt. Trams eased up a bit with four goals to the good, and the Celts started up a fierce and con-

tinuous attack, which kept Batty and Co. busy. Rimmer scored from a penalty against Stretton, and another fracture of the laws by Simpson saw Wright drive a long free kick to the corner of the net. In the dying moments Simm. lying well up, centred strongly for a Celtic defender to deflect into his own goal, and Trams won by a three-goal margin, with scarcely that much superiority. GOOD INDIVIDUAL PLAY Neither team was outstanding for combined work, though Celtic showed more cohesion than formerly. Batty was safe, as usual, in the winners’ goal, but Stretton wass not impressive at fullback, and Simpson took unnecessary risks in his tackling. Tinkler was the best of the halves, and Spong was outstanding in the front line. Simm was dangerous when unmarked, but was inclined to lie offside at times. He was well watched by Jas. Grant during’ the second spell in some amusing tussles for the bull. Mooney played a strong defensive game at back. W. Whowell fluffing his clearances at times. Wright was in the thick of the game throughout, and bustled the inside Tram men vigorously, but his clearances lacked direction to his forward line, where Rimmer, Johnson. and Poole Avere conspicuous. PONIES’ SURPRISING BREAK

Ponsonby also showed a surprising improvement on its form of a fortnight previous, and gave Thistle a shock by establishing a two-goal lead in the first quarter, Wilson running a long centre from Innes into the net. and later making a nice opening for Stewart to nip in and score neatly. Thistle set out in a determined manner to make up leeway, Kay cutting in to diive a curly one to Lyon, who foozled the catch, and the ball fell over the goul line. There were some lively exchanges, and then McCosh got possession in midfield, to take advantage of the Ponies’ hesitancy in tackling, and work closer in, finally slamming a hard drive, which Lyon failed to sight, and the game was even at half-time. INNES IN BRILLIANT FORM Ponies missed an easy chance of regaining the lead when Ferguson fouled fete wart, and Balloch blazed the spot t wide of the target, and Thistle tore away, for Hamilton to force a corner from which Giles put his side in the lead. Then Innes decided to try some solo calls, and with some electric sprints down the line was the dynamic factor in three goals in succession, which gave his side an easy win at the finish. First he cut l" dt a- p ” p< ; ed to I ' Pa < l <1 good centre from Ward just inside the post: then lie cleared out from the field, to whan" across a perfect centre, which Ward collected and netted. The third effort forced a corner off Hibbert, which In unplaced under the bar for Arch. Morrison to score. The game was fast and

| willing to the final whistle, with Pome? winning comfortably. THISTLE ATTACK FAILS Shifting liislop to half weakened Thistle's thrustful left tlunk. but the greatest credit was due to Jock Morrison for the effective manner in which lie bottled up Kay. So haunting was he in his shadowing movements that the Flying Scotsman had no chance to take off, and even in the cleverer touches the Pony defender more than held his own with baffling persistency. Lyon was variable in goal, and Dick at centre-half was a mixture of strength and weakness, displaying a fatal hesitancy at times in going in to tackle his man. Innes, of course, was the star in the Pony van, but the whoh line was in great form, and without a weak link. Stewart playing above himself in holding the quintet together. The clash next Saturday between the unbeaten leaders should provide ; thrilling contest. SHORE FAILS TO SCORE Young Men improved their position j on the ladder by beating Short pointless on its home territory, and although the Devonport side was dogged by a bit of ill-luck after an early mishap to Renshaw, the Y.M. were the better team in all departments, and well deserved the substantial win. Dow was the only absentee on the Shore side, but Bradshaw was not well suited with the central berth. Renshaw’s knee trouble reappeared soon after the start, the Shore defence being disorganised in his absence, and also when he returned to limp around at back. The Shore front line, with the exception of Webb, had a day off, and anyone who saw them at headquarters realises what that means. Consequently the Y.M. defence was never so seriously hustled or troubled as it might have been. Wise gave a good display in the Shore goal, and Gerrard worked unsparingly to rally a disorganised de- ! fence. Humphreys, Woods, and E. ' Bartley (an ex-Shore player) were the | best of the “Y” van, with Chapman the j outstanding half. An uninteresting ; game was all in favour of the winners 1 throughout. MOON ECLIPSES BELMONT Playing at home, the Onehunga Club ) notched its initial win of the season, which was fully expected after its good showing of the previous Satur- ' dasr. Belmont travelled out with Chesney, Woodall, and Murphy missing in the defence division, and found j the home forwards too much of a hand- ! ful to hold. More particularly was this the case with Moon, of last year’s j South Auckland reps., the ex-Waikato ! man shining brilliantly, and scoring all lour goals for the Manukau side. Adams was another absentee from the Belmont ranks, having joined up with the Rugby League code, and Lithgow worked hard to hold the line together, scoring the brace of goals to Belmont's credit. The claret-and-blue brigade has yet to score a point on the championship ladder, and will need to bestir themselves if they seek to avoid relegation to the B division when the season ends. SENIOR B GAMES The senior B matches were productjive of much closer games than those | of the A grade, the odd-goal margin ! being the deciding factor in some exi citing finishes. Rangers won by that | narrow verdict from Newmarket. Only i a goal difference gave Northcote vicj tory over Corinthians, and Bon Accord snatched its first win by the odd goal in five against Metropolitan. NAVAL MATCH NEW ZEALAND V. IMPERIALS The inter-naval games always provide plenty of thrills for the spectators, as the lively lads in navy blue always get into the game with an elan and gusto often lacking in the longshoremen. The match on Wednesday evening between the representatives of the New Zealand Navy on the Dunedin and Philomel and those of the Imperial Navy from the Laburnum and Veronica, should be no exception to the general rule. Since the early days of the New Zealand service, when the teams of the Philomel and Chatham represented the Dominion, there has always been strong, friendly rivalry between the Imperial and local men. The naval exponents of the Soccer code have already shown themselves well adapted to the evening game in the brilliant lloodlights focussed on the arena, and the fascinating spectacle should draw another big attendance on "Wednesday. At the Sydney Stadium on Saturday evening Claude Wilson (America). 9st lilb, outclassed Tommy Doble, Bst 127.1 b, in an international featherweight contest. The Australian fought ©luckily, but unavailingly after the second round. At the Melbourne Stadium Pete Sarron. Bst 91b, knocked out Charley Glasson, Bst 121 b, in the fourth round.