STRATFORD WINS AGAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1935, Page 10

STRATFORD WINS AGAIN

MOTUROA BEATEN IN DULL GAME. POOR KICKING BY BOTH TEAMS. In a rather dujl and uninteresting game at' Stratford Moturoa was beaten by Stratford by 2 goals to nil. Stratford took the offensive for most of the match, but a succession of hopelessly inaccurate shots at goal kept the score down. Moturoa defended well and found its task all the. easier for the slowness of the Stratford forwards. Moturoa had a golden chance to score from a penalty goal, but Roper sent the ball straight to the goalkeeper's arms, and on several other occasions when opportunities came the forwards proved as harmless as Stratford as goal kickers. Moturoa was one short in the forwards, which undoubtedly affected its attacking powers. F. Roper was the best man in the team on the day, playing a sound defensive and attacking game all the time. He fed his forwards, but they were not strong enough to use their chances. A. Anderson and Johns both defended well, and Kenny was tested on numerous occasions and gave a creditable performance. Fear played, a good game on the wing for Stratford in the first half, but in the second showed a fatal tendency to hesitate before kicking. L. Jones and Henderson played a very solid game as full-backs, ■ though Henderson, when he came up to the forward line in the second spell, was not his usual dashing self in that position. Millar also tried a change of position, and replaced Gibbs in the forwards, .but the rearranged line showed no improvement. The teams were:— Stratford:' Millar; C. Henderson, L. Jonhs; ,J. Jones, Cheyney, Jackson; Clements, Beal, Gibbs, Bly th, Fear. Moturoa: Kenny; A. Anderson, R. Johns; J. Anderson, F. Roper, R. Roper; R. Parish, H. ’ Parish, C. White, Cummings. Play was fairly even for the first fifteen minutes, both teams taking their turn at attacking, but poor shooting on both sides prevented any score; Good work by Fear on the wing put Stratford in a good attacking position and Gibbs'took his centre close to the goal. Good footwork gave him an opening, and he passed to Beal who scored easily. Stratford gradually assumed the ascendancy but could not beat Anderson and Johns, and although Moturoa was defending to the end of the spell, there was no score. For the second spell Millar and Gibbs changed places, the centre-forward going to goal, and Henderson and Beal also exchanged. Moturoa had a chance to equalise the score from a penalty goal early in the spell, but F. Roper kicked to Gibbs, and the goalie cleared. Stratford forwards took the lead again, but a dozen shots at goal flew wide. A persistent attack was rewarded when C. Henderson sent in a long shot that found Kenny out of position. After a period of fruitless kicking Moturoa broke away and the whole forward line raced for the goal with only the goalie to beat. The shot came in hard and straight, but Gibbs saved cleanly. A strong Stratford attack rushed play to the penalty area and in a tussle close to the posts Blyth tapped the ball in. Stratford again attacked, but could make little headway against the defence of the Moturoa backs; F. Roper particularly breaking up the forward rushes time after time. Moturoa had broken away at last and had taken play almost to the penalty area when the final. whistle sounded. The scores were:—

Stratford 2 Moturoa 0 Mr. D. Benjamin refereed.