OLD BOYS’ GREAT WIN

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1935, Page 9

OLD BOYS’ GREAT WIN

ELTHAM BEATEN 20 TO 10 WINNING SPURT IN FINAL STAGES. GALBRAITH’S BRILLIANT GAME. Rapidly changing fortune in the game’s earlier stages and a ferocious series of attacks by the home team when Galbraith had scored one of the finest field goals kicked on a Taranaki ground this season were the outstanding features of the New Plynfouth Old Boys-Eltham game at Sanders. Park. After- holding a commanding lead through what would normally have been the critical stages, Eltham’s defence crumpled sensationally in the last quarter hour of the game and Old Boys ran away to a 20—10 win, piling on 10 points in as many minutes. Galbraith’s performance in attack was magnificent. The classic goal, kicked with a favourable wind from 50 yards upfield, put new devil in his side, equalising when the Central Taranaki men had a 10—6 lead and looked like holding it. ■ A few minutes later he made a brilliant run that sent Richardson over easily to give Old Boys the lead. He had already contributed one fine try in the earlier stages. A strong wind blowing upfield was a telling factor in the game. Old Boys defence was at first ragged and for the most part Eltham’s forwards had the best of the exchanges. The play of both teams, however, was characterised by fast clean work behind the scrums and for long periods the game was open and entertaining. Old Boys three-quarters seldom got going, S. Fookes was out of place on the wing and several promising movements broke down at a critical moment. Until that final burst, the New Plymouth men with few exceptions -were playing the game of a stodgy team, defending, and withput sparkle. Townsend was prominent in the Eltham attack, displaying his usual keen eye for openings, and Worthington,. at half played sound football until an injury sent him off and he was replaced by Maslin, last season’s half.

The teams were:— Eltham: Paterson; Glentworth, Young, Whiting; L. White, Tovmsend; Worthington; Leatham, Tipler, Campbell, Bocock, Petersen, F. Bocock, S. w hite, Neill. Old Boys: Priar;-S. Fookes, Richardson, K. Fookes; Galbraith, B. Mace; Hoskin; Meredith, J. Mace, Purser, Luxton, Wheeler, Somerton, Ulenberg, WhittingFrom a series of scrums in midfield the ball came into the loose. L. White snapped up just over the twenty-five and kicked a neat field goal. / Old Boys came back strongly, but a pass intercepted in a loose rush of forwards sent Leatham 40 yards up the wind after a knock-on had escaped the referee’s eye. The ball went out on the ten yard line and things looked bad for Old Boys until an infringement relieved the pressure. Eltham continued to attack and, time and again, the defence barely held. Both the Old Boys forwards and backs got going in a snappy passing rush and, well- in hostile territory, the ball came out from a blind side movement. With an inside man beating the defence with a neat dummy, K. Fookes gained possession and made a good

swerving run that beat two men and opened Old Boys score with a try in the corner. The angle was too difficult for Meredith. Worthington was now getting the ball away cleanly from the scrums and lineouts, but a shade of raggedness in the Eltham three-quarter line was spoiling opportunities. Then Hoskin missed the ball behind the scrum, Mace speculated and the ball was returned by Paterson. From the loose the ball rolled over the goal line and F. Bocock dived on it. There was no conversion. Galbraith took revenge for his team a minute later when he snapped up the leather from a loose rush and beating half a dozen men with an incredibly fast start, cut through like a flash and dived over. Again the kick failed. The second spell opened brightly. The Old Boys forwards were waking up and getting their share of the ball for the first time. Young made a fine run and the attack was continued. The Eltham forwards came through beautifully and looked like scoring. K. Fookes grounded a man before the ball reached him and the infringement was expensive, Leatham kicking a goal from the penalty. The game was moving fast now. Tipler was beating men well and the Eltham forwards came down in a stirring rush that left- the first line of defence standing. Priar, who was playing a safe game, cleared. It was at this stage that Galbraith kicked his magnificent goal. With the scores even, t.ie reaction was not immediate. Eltham attacked strongly but S. Fookes made a fine interception and a moment later Gal* braith cut through brilliantly, beating man after man with a terrific burst of speed and handed on to Richardson, who scored. B. Mace missed the kick. Elmes replaced K. Fookes on the wing, Meredith coming to first five-eighth. Then from 25 yards out Meredith kicked a neat goal and within two minutes Whittington picked up in the loose and ran across to score well out. Priar missed and the game ended: Old Boys 20 Eltham 10 Mr. K. Nodder refereed.