“RELIEF” FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 11

“RELIEF” FOOTBALL

UNEMPLOYED PLAY RUGBY.

STRATFORD BEAT NEW PLYMOUTH.

Acting, apparently, upon the assumption that if one has not enough work one might, as well play, and incidentally increase the relief funds, fifteen relief workers of Stratford met fifteen of their New Plymouth companions in distress at Pukekura Park yesterday at football. The game was not taken very seriously and the forwards, if strong, were certainly not silent men. Lack of condition was evident.

On paper the New Plymouth team with its five senior grade players seemed the stronger, but Stratford played a tenacious game and were, always ready to slip through any gaps in a disjointed way. Judging from the play yesterday there are more unemployed footballers at Stratford than New Plymouth. At the same time the play was not brilliant, tho New Plymouth movements in particular being all too slow to avoid the attentions of the opposing backs. There was only a small attendance to add to the relief funds but criticism and waggish encouragement from the terraces was available in full measure. The teams were:

New Plymouth? Priar; McFarlane, Brittenden, Moorhead; Bedford, R. Williams; Walshe; Russell, Anderson, Maine, McLeod, Knight, King, Davison; R. Eva.

Stratford: Old; L. Dodd, Boniface, F. Collins; Mason, B. Collins; Williams; Ritter, Bourkc, Ruscoe, Wellington, Ruthledge, Sharrock, F. Dodd; D. Collins.

New Plymouth, playing against the sun, spent the first 20 minutes mostly in their own half trying to get their ■backs moving against the alert Stratford opportunists. Eventually Ruscoe snapped up a pass not intended for him and just managed to score. The kick failed. Williams went to full-back and the five-eighths were Bedford and Priar, the Star and Old Boys senior full-backs. They.moved up the field with snap and in a good position Bedford made full use of a penalty kick. A little later Davison galloped down the line and McLeod was handy to run round behind the goal. Priar found the kick an

easy one. With New- Plymouth’s thoughts centred on attack, Brittenden fumbled the ball and lie and Williams watched four Stratford players kick it through. One of them, Ritter, fell on the ball as it reached the. dead line but the try was. not converted. Stratford advanced in the. forwards and reached the line. The defending full-back tried to cleai- and kicked mightily to the terraces behind the goal. A penalty kick to Stratford appeared to result in three points but New Plymouth dropped out from the twenty-five while their opponents were waiting past half-way. No further score came before “smoko.”

New Plymouth by trying to play polished football were giving the more robust Stratford methods chances of showing results. Wellington, ruthlessly broke up an incipient passing rush and scored, to put Stratford one point up. Priar began a movement in the New. Plymouth twenty-five which ended in a five-yard scrum at the other goaK A Stratford player intercepted a weak drop-kick, ran rings round four opponents and passed to a team-mate when he was right away. Passing by the Stratford forwards Restored some of the glamour of the red and black jerseys and nearly brought a try. Boniface broke through, outpaced Priar, beat Bedford and scored neatly. Sharrock converted. New Plymouth Were six points behind and were being well held. Two passing rushes looked dangerous but a free kick dispelled any further danger for Stratford before work ended for the day. Even then some participants were wishing they had been on reduced time. Stratford 14 New Plymouth 8 Mr. C. Gernhoefer was foreman of works.