A CHANGE OF LUCK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20890, 20 November 1937, Page 13

A CHANGE OF LUCK

A PLUCKY BOY WHO PLAYED THE GAME

Derry Summers took up his position on the soccer field keyed up to do his very best for St. David’s. It was his first term at the school, and it was a coincidence that in his very first match he should be playing against his old school, Plrton. The whistle blew. There was a sharp tap as the St. David’s centre forward passed the ball to his inside man, and the game was on. Derry was in his element. He loved football and played a remarkably good game, being possessed of a powerful kick that made him an Invaluable left half. And on that particular day Derry excelled hmiself. Cleverly intercepting passes of the opposing team, he would instantly turn defence into attack by feeding his forwards with long shots that sent the ball well into the Pirton half. The sides were evenly matched, and after twenty minutes’ play it seemed that neither team was going to score.

Then came the calamity that changed the whole game. Pirton had been attacking strongly for several minutes, and St. David’s had been hard put to to keep them out of shooting range. Play was keeping to the right half, and so Derry had little to do beyond marking his men. Then came his great chance. The ball, spinning sharply, came towards him. Derry made a lightning leap for it, intending to catch it on the bounce and send it soaring across the field to the right winger, who stood unmarked. It is always a dangerous thing to send the ball across the goalmouth during a pressing attack, and Derry knew it; but although he was so close to the goal, he felt confident that he could clear the ball. As the ball came bouncing towards him, Derry saw the cause of the trouble. His boot skimmed the leather instead of catching the full weight of the ball.

He heard a great chorus of "Oh’s!” go up from the boys on the touchline, and his mind was in a whirl as a great cry went up: “Goal!”

Derry had misklcked and had sent the ball into his own goal! He had scored for the other side—his old team! Derry wished that the field would open and swallow him up, so ashamed did he feel, and when he took up his position for the kick-off he felt a thousand times worse.

Snell, a very unpopular fourthformer, said distinctly for everyone to hear:

"He did it purposely. He wants his old school to win!”

Derry bit his lip and took no notice, but try as he would, he could not keep his attention on the game. He made mistake after mistake, and as the game proceeded his play got worse. At half-time Pirton were two up, and St. David’s had made no reply. Derry’s captain came up to him and said kindly: “Pull yourself together, Summers. We all know how you feel about that goal, but there's time to make up for it, you know!” The whistle blew again and the teams changed over. Derry’s old form was beginning to come back with his reviving spirits when a new commotion arose. There were cries of fear from all over the field, and suddenly everyone seemed to be speeding for the far gate, spectators and players. As the bull came bouncing towards him, Derry saw the cause of the trouble. A flerce-looking bull had broken into the field and was charging across. Intent on doing some damage before it was captured. Derry was as scared as everybody, but a plan flashed into his mind, and before he knew what he was doing he put it into action. He began to dribble the ball towards the bull, which was now charging straight for him, head down. Then, when the bull was within a few yards, Deny let drive with all his might. He aimed for the bull’s head and, true as a bullet, the ball sped to its mark.

To Derry’s great astonishment there was a loud report. The bull dug its feet into the turf, skidded to a stand-

still, stared at Derry for one fleeting moment ,and then turned tail and fled, shaking Its head from side to side in an endeavour to shake the burst football from its horn. Thoroughly frightened it fled back to its own field, where it was soon secured.

What a cheer went up! Derry turned hot and cold with confusion, but he still felt that he had not fully retrieved his honour. A new ball was soon thrown on and the match resumed, and then Derry began to show the school what football really was. Twice he robbed the Pirton winger of the ball and took it up the field on his own. Both times he cunningly waited until the Pirton men were drawn from the St. David's men they should have been marking, and then he passed, so that his men could go on to score. That made the score two all. St. David’s had to notch another for victory. Could they do it There were only five minutes to go. The spectators cheered themselves hoarse. “Come on, Derry, open up!” they yelled, hoping for Deny to set the attack in motion again. But Pirton were now wary of Derry. They refused to be drawn off the men they marked, and so Derry’s attempts were foiled. One minute to go. Derry was in a fever heat of excitement. St. David’s must win; of that he was determined. If they failed it would be his fault. True, the captain didn’t blame him for that mls-kicked goal, but dozens of the fellows would side with Snell, and Derry would have a hard struggle to live it down.

“We’ve got to win, we’ve got to win!” murmured Derry beneath his breath. Then he made a quick decision. If the forwards could not score then he would score himself!

With this object in mind, Derry dashed right out of position to intercept a ball and then he threaded his way in and out of the opposing men with the ball at his feet.

It was a magnificent piece of dribbling. The crowd was wild with excitement as Derry made a bee-line for the goal. Only one back stood between him and a clear sho.t That back seemed to loom up before Deny like a mountain.

Suddenly they crashed, shoulder to shoulder. Derry was thrown to the ground. A groan went up, but it rapidly changed into a frenzied cheer, for Derry’s eyes had been on the ball all the time, and as he fell he shot out his foot hard and true, and the ball found the net.

“Goal!” came the yell, interrupted a second later by the referee’s whistle. The match was over. St. David’s had j won. Derry had retrieved his honour.