Super-Soccer

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 673, 27 May 1929, Page 7

Super-Soccer

DUNEDIN DEFEATS DIOMEDE

Trams’ Close Call

JME latest hardest and cleverest Soccer ever seen on 1 Blandiord Park was witnessed by a great crowd on .Saturday when the Naval battle for Soccer supremaev saw the Dunedin defeat her sister-ship Diomede bv the narrowest margin of the odd goal in five. In‘the senior championship close finishes found Trams scrape home I—o against -bore. \ .M.C.A. defeated Thistle 2—l, and Ponsonby won against Onehunga 4—2. Belmont scored its* first point with a draw against Celtic 3 3

The scene around the Blandford Park arena was an inspiring one when the massed bands of the cruisers played ‘Old Sailors Never Die,” with a. lusty vocal accompaniment as the rival teams skipped on to the ground for a preliminary loosening-up at the opposite goals. The flagship team looked trim and immaculate in all white, while the ‘Dio’s” were servicelike in all blue, and intensive training tor the event had fitted both sides for u strenuous struggle. The huge crowd was well seeded with white cap covers and the bright colours of many •girl friends,” the long white silk favours of the Dunedin being suggestive of wedding bells more than the ‘ bagwash.’' The turf had recovered splendidly from the early morning downpour. and presented a perfect picture as the teams took up their battle stations to commence hostilities. SERIOUS BUSINESS Space does not permit description of the lightning progress of the play as the ball flew from goal to goal, with a tKrill every minute, but it was Soccer in excelsis; a revelation to many of the artistry and speed which gives the same its glamour, and has enabled it to capture the world with its fascination, and draw over 140,000 Scotsmen to pay to see a club game in GlasFrom the kick-off the team work and precision of both sides was amazing as the ball flew from foot to foot, and only on rare occasions was it in the ah* for a long-range centre or a leaping contest for heads to the ball. The passing system was perfect, the ball skimming fast across the turf with unerring accuracy, and scarcely a pass was interceuted or a ball wasted. Never hardly was there a throw-in from touch or a goal-kick for a behind. ‘‘Keep it on the island” was the motto of both sides. FIRST GOAL TO FLAGSHIP After lively exchanges with raids and counter-attacks the first score came to ihe “Lily-Whites” when Scott rattled clown the left flank and crashed a stinging centre to the goal-mouth. The Diomede goalie fumbled and before he had time to recover A. Clarke tore in and scored, amid cheers and countercheers. This roused the trophy-hold-ers and several hundred “Dio” supporters, and furious onslaughts were repulsed by determined defenders, play being hard and forceful, but free of the slightest taint of foul tactics. Dunlord was Dunedin’s star in the attack, and Hackett was hard pressed to save some hot salvos. DIOMEDE EQUALISES There was an even greater roar from the crowd when a partial clearance gave Luke, the king-pin of the Diomede, an open target from 30 yards out, and the ball flew like a brown cannonball to skim the under side of the cross bar and nearly lift the roof of the net-work. It was the swiftest scoring shot ever seen at headquarters, and the spectators were on tip-toes as the battle for the lead was again renewed. and Reed gave Tite a perfect pass for the nippy inside-left to slip the backs and dribble at the rate of knots right up to the goal-mouth and score after colliding with the custodian. A TRAGIC CLASH A swift thrust by Diomede was cleverly turned to a counter raid, Milne darting down the line to centre perfects* in front of the goal, and Garside came out to gather and clear with Clarke and Tite folowing in fast to baffle him. The goalie caught the ball and appeared to aim at bouncing it between the onrushing forwards and slipping between them to clear. As

it was, the false opening closed like a vice as Tite and Clarke came in from opposite quarters to jam the Diomede goalie between them. All three dropped to earth, and trouble was obvious. Tite was only w’inded, and soon recovered; but Garside, the Diomede defender, and Clarke, the Dunedin centre-forward, had to be carried behind the line for attention, and then lifted to the dressing-rooms. Both sufferers were sympathetically cheered by the crowd as they were taken to the ambulance. The incident was a pure accident, but was unfortunate in robbing each side of a man, as there was no arrangement for replacement. Gill donned the scarlet sweater in Garside’s place, but had not found his hands before Scott broke away again and scored a rather soft goal with a shot which caught Gill unready; halftime blowing up with Diomede two down. DIOMEDE DIES HARD In the second spell both sides played only four forwards, and the gap in the ventre naturally made the passing machinery less perfect, but the pace never slackened, and neither side let up until the final “pack up” sounded. Dunedin defended its lead desperately, and at times the white wings flew away on swift raids to Gill, who defended brilliantly, a one-fisted punch sending a. dropping shot flying back to nearly half-way. Luke was playing a great game at centre-half, with Reed opposing him, but little his inferior. A nice opening from Luke saw Dunford show a clean pair of heels to the Dunedin s last line of defence, and score with a swerving cross shot high up in the corner of the net. There was a con-

tmuous roar of encouragement from the j bank as the battle raged without a lull, ; and a final outburst when Diomede i failed to make up leeway, and a errand tussle ended with Dunedin recovering the pennant, the bands obliging with "Chimes of Pompey." The Mayor, with the Commodore of the Squadron and officers of the fleet, were interested spectators, and there were lusty cheers for winners and losers when Mr. Baildon presented the A.F.A. banner, with congratulations to both sides on such a stirring display of clean football. After the game the teams were entertained by the A.F.A. officials in an atmosphere of cheerful and care-free camaraderie. Mr. Gerald Lee was an ideal censor, who let the game take its rapid flight with a wise policy of non-intervention, and scarcely once was there any stoppage for other than technical breaches. THE CHAMPIONSHIP STRUGGLES The Control Board wisely decided to J carry on as usual with the championship games, and there were some stirring struggles in the outlying suburbs. The unbeaten transport club had the toughest struggle of the season at Devonport. and was, in some ways, lucky to retain its unbeaten record bybagging the only goal scored against tb© Shore The game was one of ups and downs. Shore having the better of play in the first half, but failing to find the net, while Trams scored from a neat solo effort by Bell. In the second spell the superior condition of the Trammies told its tale, and Shore fell away against its heavier and fitter opponents. Trams were, pressing for the greater portion of the second half, but sound defence by the Shore halves and backs tied up the attack, and Batty had to step lively to counter some fast reprisals. Christie for Trams was at his best, and dominated the game from the central position, while Batty brought off some great saves which kept Trams’ record intact. Haycock and Jones held the transporters’ wings securely and Gerrard was a tower of strength in the rearguard. THISTLE DOWN AGAIN Another narrow margin was re- j corded at Cornwall Park when Young Men collected full points from Thistle with the odd goal in three. With such sonud players as Cummings, Chalmers, Hamilton, Hislop and Kay in the Thistle forward line, one would expect a big crop of goals, but a club cannot win on reputation alone, and Thistle has lost the cohesion which won it so many victories in former days. The left wing stars struck a pair of snags again in Mowat and Malcolm. who nursed them assiduously, and what threat there was in the Thistle thrust came mostly from the Chalmers-Gumming flank. Thistle’s only goal was a lucky penalty, and Y.M. benefited by a back pass to Gerrard finding the net, but the Y.M.’s winning goal from a fine sweeping movement between Chapman, Humphries and Bartley gave a well-deserved win. and Thistle remains with the Cinderellas threatened with relegation. PONIES STILL WINNING Ponsonby proved too much of a handful for Onehunga at home, and, thanks to effective scoring work on the left wing by Ward and Wilson, had three goals to nil on the slate at the interval. The lead was further increased when Mellor found his own net with a miskick, and then Onehunga woke up. A penalty goal followed by a good one from Moon reduced the margin, but Lyon saved a second penalty in good style and Ponies held a 4—2 advantage when time was called. “Morry” Williams made a welcome reappearance at back for the Ponies, Balloch moving forward to his old position at inside right, but Innes was not the same menace at centre as m the wing position. BELMONT’S BAD LUCK Belmont broke its duck on Saturday by dividing the points with Celtic, but the Old Boys were unlucky in not securing a full win. Belmont \\as weakened by sickness and casualties, and Celtic had the benefit of Fred Simm from Trams on the left wing to strengthen the attack. Celtic led at half-time by I—o, after Belmont had missed a penalty. With the wind and sun behind them, Belmont caught up in the second spell and held a 3 —l lead, after Allen had scored a brilliant goal, running from his own half right through the defence. (Celtic set out to even matters, and the heavy forwards broke through twice to make a draw of it and share the points. SENIOR B GAMES The curtain-raiser at headquarters between Philomel and Rangers was an interesting tussle, blit weak gunnery practice in the -Fillies fl rlng-line found the score-sheet blank at halftime. Black found the target '" the second spell and scored a neat hattrick a popular naval \\cton gom B to Philomel by three to nil. Manurewa maintained its winning sequence bj defeating Corinthians 3 —l. and Metropolitan registered its first victory in emphatic Kyle. defeating Newmarket I 6—2.