ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16449, 10 June 1921, Page 3

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

TWO DRAWN GAMES, (By NESTOR.”) All the games sot down for decision last. Saturday in. the Canterbury Football Association’s Senior competition were very keenly contested. It was anticipated that St A Hums would defeat Svmnysido, but the hospital team put up such a great defensive game that the visitors were lucky to share the points at the conclusion. Rangers could only secure a draw with Western at English Park, but Corinthians maintained their unbeaten record by defeating Nomads at Linwood .Park. ST ALBANS <l)~v. SUNNYSIDE (1). The popular hospital ground drew its usual good following of spectators last

Saturday when St Albans were the visitors. After their defeat of Nomads the previous Saturday, it was anticipated that the Saints would appropriate the points at Sunnyside’s expense. The absence of Newell from the hospital team at centre half did not enhance its prospects, but the veteran Spencer took over his duties. The game opened briskly, and Sunnyside took the offensive. The vigour of the attack rather took the visitors by surprise, arid it. was only the Saints’ stonewall defence which prevented an early score. Without showing any great amount of combination, the Sunnyisde forwards repeatedly got within shooting distance, and their persistency was finally rewarded when Lamont hanged a clearance from Dobbs into the net. Previous to this reverse the play of St. Albans suggested that they did net fully realise the task which confronted them, but with one goal down a win did not apnear to be quite as easy as anticipated. Hil grove and Simpson repeatedly sent Kirk away, but tho winger was suffering from an injured kneo and was not seen at his best. Wardell was also up against him, and the veteran’s defence was great. It was not until well into tho second halt that Tennant scored the equalising goal for Saints, and had Audibert come out io meet the shot it is doubtful ii' the goal would have been scored. The fact i;> that St Albans appeared to be carried away with their success of the previous week and failed to realise that Sunnyside is becoming stronger each week! Their forwards were right off their game, and it was their lack of cohesion that almost cost St Albans tho match. On (he other hand the brist]i n g defcnre of Sunny side nearly won them tho day. and with a little more .shooting ability forward their victory would have been assured. WESTERN <Y> v. RANGERS (I). For the third time this season Western played a drawn game. The match was decided at English Park. Rangers commenced with a vacancy at inside left --Norman being tho absentee, but Priddis filled the breach after the game had been in progress about fifteen minutes. The opening exchanges favoured Rangers, and Andrews, the Mestern goalkeeper. was given far more work than Ihe Rangers’ custodian, Tupo. The Rangers’ forwards got on tno target, repeatedly with well judged shots, but each one found Andrews at home, and his clearances over tho bar wore a feaI lure of the match. J>owker, at. ventre half for Rangers, served his forwards with fine judgment, and pul in some solid work, hut the pace found him outin tho final stages of tlx© game. Aspiuall and Lidden gave him great support to left and right, and the halves appeared to be Rangers’ strong point on Saturday. Shaw, Harwell and Bissett each received injuries which tended to depreciate their play. It was a fine piece of work, initiated by Bissett., which Ted up to the open ing goal. Tho veteran gathered a pass from Dowker and bore toward the line drawing the defence nicely- Lilbuvn crossed over to Rissett’s position, and received the transfer, which he promptly hanged into the net at an acute angle. It was a. brilliant shot, and was one of the few which had Andrews beaten all the way. T./Usk played a- great game behind the halves, and was easily the best back on the field. Tenacious to a- degree, ho worried the opposing forwards with good effect when danger threatened, and was always in the thick of it. Tupo still persists in taking risks in

Tunning out of goal, and it was this fault which gave Western the equalising goal. There arc only two details of play which necessitate a. custodian leaving his charge beyond the goal area, i.c., tackling a forward in attempting a solo run through in order to lessen shooting space at goal, and a long forward pass toward goal with the backs beaten. Obviously the banka and the goalkeeper must work in perfect unison and it is left to tho latter to use his coolest judgment in an emergency. Andrews was. in great form in. goal for Western and he undoubtedly saved lx is side from a rout. Smith, at outside left, is a decided capture. He will bo remembered as playing for North Island v. South at English Park last year. He hails from Wellington and possesses the right qualifications as a wing player. Ho is fast, tricky, and puts ovdV an excellent centre. CORINTHIANS (5) v. NOMADS (1). Nomads played two men short at Linwood Park. Had the team been at full strength Corinthians, no doubt, would have had to *go all the way to win, but with the weakened Nomads’ defence the Blues could not see the game out. Cummins played at the top of his form and was a tiger for work. He repeatedly broke up the Corinthians’ attack and his clearances were a feature of the game. Wilson had little chance with the shots that scored, most of them being taken close in. He made some really fine saves. Woods and Spencer were verv prominent forward. Flood and Graham again put up a fijie defence- for Corinthians, and it was generally due to their efforts that Swift was not seriously challenged. Drury was the outstanding half on the field. Ho was always the hardest player to heat. On this season’s form Drury must have established himself as n certainty for representative houBv scoring thrice Perry has evidently conn' back to his best form as a marksman. He works well with Rilling, whose style of is very similar ro his own. Ward also is showing good form this season, and his centres were always' well placed on Saturday. Harrison’s play at outside left for Corinthians reminded me of Nelson, tho old United player. He appears to -qmi ploy many of the latter's old tricks ana I 'resembles him to a great extent in ! action. I Corinthians have now played the last ; match of the round, and with- only on© j point dropped-hold a substantial lead. ; The position of the teams in the senior championship is as follows :

There will be no senior, junior or third grade matches to-morrow, as the senior and junior representatives will ■ play teams from H.al.td. Chatham ar, ; English Park. All other grade matches ! w ill commence at 1.15 p.m. in order to ! allow players to see the big match. ; The junior players have been selected as follows: Cummins, goal (Excelsior); Johnston, right hack (1 .M.C.A.) ; Luke, : left, back (St Albans B) ; Trembat-h, right half (Y.M-C. A); Sharr, centre , (Y. M.C.A.) . M’Cill, left half (St Ali bans B) ; Porter, outside right (Y-M. ’ C.A.); O’Neil, inside light (Excelsior); Phelps, centre (Y.M.C.A.); A. Robertson, inside left (Western) 5 Selwood. outside left (St. Albans). It is pleasing to note that the selectors nave given promising third grade players ati opportunity to show their form in higher grade football. The younger players deserve such encouragement. Otago has accepted the offer of the C.F A. to send a team to Dunedin. Tho date is still to he arrangedThe medals to be presented to the winning teams in the five-a-side tournament helil last week are of particularly handsome design. They are of silver with a gold centre, and are* in striking contrast to those of some years.ago. Tt is to he hoped the Grounds Committee of the C.F.A. will give authority

to one of its officials to put a stop to the small boy practice matches at English Park whilst a game is in progress.

Both ends of the ground were in us© in tlie direction mentioned on Saturday last, much to the annoyance of spectators and players alike. SCOTLAND WINS THE INTERNATIONAL. Last week-end (writes the London correspondent of the " Star,” under date April 14) a- representative English team went to Glasgow and were most convincingly beaten by Scotland by three goals to none. An attempt lias been made to throw blame for the defeat on to those who were responsible for the selection of the side, but the players picked ought to have given a better account iof themselves, though some strange choices, truly, were made. The best goal-keeper to-day is still Hardy, the Aston Villa man, but lie was passed over for Gough, of Sheffield United, for the only reason that he had been to South Africa last summer as a member of the F.A. side, and therefore deserved a cap. Again our cleverest forward is Buchan, of Sunderland. hut lie, too. was dropped, and in his place, as centre forward, was put Chambers, the inside left of Liverpool. Gough must be. described as a failure, inasmuch as he ought to have stopped two of the shots he allowed to enter the net, and Chambers admitted that he was unable to do himself justice in the unfamiliar position of

It was not a great Scottish side who won, but Cunningham and Morton formed a very fine left wing and Andrew TYilson proved himself a splendid centre forward of the bold, rushing type. "Wilson’s position ill football is a scandal. Before the war he was a member of the Middlesbrough team, but when the game was restarted he expressed a wish to go hack home to Scotland. Middlesbrough, however, would not grant him a transfer and The result has been that for two seasons lie has been shut. ouS of first-class football. At the present time, whilst admitted to be the best leader on either side of the Border, he is compelled to play with a junioi 4 club who are outside the transfer agreement which all the first-class clubs” are bound to •observe. It was those three men, "Wilson, Cunningham and Morton, who won th© match for Scotland. They were always thf* outstanding players, and all three goals came from their work. For the icst Scotland were just an ordinary side like their opponent?, who had not even three players above a low international average standard. This game made us realise the true greatness of fhe men of a few years ago, "Walker, M ’Call, Hamilton and M'Mcnmiv. of Scotland, and Crompton. Pennington, the famous amateur, G. O. Smith, and others of Englaud. Soccer football is nothing like as good as it was ten or fifteen years ago. It has been pointed out that present day methods ore all wrong, that science and footwork arc sacrificed for vigour and pace. There is no doubt that the professional to-day is trained chiefly so that he may play at top speed from kick off to the final whistle, and he has got into the habit of relying oil goals coming through forcing opponents into mistakes rather than through his own skjlful endeavours. Tt- is certainly very significant that the English team this season have scored only one goaf in the matches against Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Even Wales have done better than this. No doubt the team selectors* are very sorry that they have made so many experiments, but their motive in doing so was to try and find fresh talent. But an international side should include the best players of the day regardless of every other consideration, and this side which opposed Scotland did not include at least two men who deseryecL to be chosen above everyone else. I refer to Hardy and Buchan. In view of the industrial turmoil it was not surprising that the attendance at the match was smaller than was expected. Still, in view of the fact that all excursions were abolished, 85,C00 people represented a fine gate Two shillings was charged for admission. and the receipt? totalled over £BOOO. of which £I4OO was claimed for entertainment tax.

Goals C ft. Team. • l*. W. P- L. 1*'. A. pi*. Corinthians f* •’» 1 — ‘-3 0* 3 1 St Albans . 5 3 J J 17 r> 7 Rangers n - J 2 19 J-- b Nomads . .*2 2 ! ‘2 3R Id ,•» Western .0 1 8 1 HI! h Sunny side 5 1 1 3 10 H Crown . 5 rr. — 0 3 42 0 CCKRENT TOPICS.