FAST LEAGUE GAMES AT MONICA PARK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17865, 5 June 1926, Page 10

FAST LEAGUE GAMES AT MONICA PARK.

ADDINGTON AND HORNBY THIRTEENS FIGHT OUT STIRRING STRUGGLE.

Under treacherous skies and on greasy grounds, .he first round of the Senior Grade League Competition was concluded to-day.

At Monica Park No. 1. Addington and Hornby, as the day's principal attraction, provided plenty of thrills. Next in order of merit was the matching of Marist A against Marist B, on No. 2. Marist A were weakened by the drain made by the Canterbury representative team, which includes six of their stalwarts. Besides this, several members of the team were away through injuries. Marist B fielded a strong team, so that an even game was expected. Bringing up the rear were Sydenham and Woolston, who waged a battle on Sydenham Park.

Addington v. Hornby. Addington had the better of the first five minutes, though play was ragged on both sides. There was much fumbling, and this prevented a score by Addington at the corner. Plenty of ball from the scrum let Hornby into the Addington twenty-five, where A- Alackie, A. Aiundy and Warr passed to near the line. Warr tried to wriggle over. L. Vivian got possession on the other wing, and though grassed by Alayne lie struggled across. J. Mundy failed with the kick. Hornby 3. Addington 0. Hornby kept on the attack. Lisle essayed a pot, and later from liis own territory punted to Symister. The latter took the ball in his stride, but was pushed out at half-way. Hornby were plaving the more open game, and initiated most of the attacks, which, however, broke down through poor passing. I- Vivian burst through, and from the ruck A. Mackie snapped out to .TMundy. A clever run. and a clean pass to Warr saw the latter over unopposed. Warr converted. Hornby 8. Aldington 0. Morris and Brown were up against a hard thing in stopping a straggling rush, but Brown managed to find the line. Addington were outgeneralled when near the Hornby line. Though Crooke managed to get as near as touch in goal. Warr was the man who changed defence into attack, and some had misses by Symister helped him. Le Warns beat Symister for the ball and passed to Davis. who dived -ver. .1. Mundy failed to improve with the kick. Hornby 11, Addington 0. The

stock of the •■Magpies" rose sharply when Collie burst through the ruck with a dribbling rush and, supported by Ouiney, a new addition fo the Addingtion side, beat .T. Mundy and Disle with a passing bou'. .1. Amos converted. Hornby 11. Addington 5. Down the field came Morris. K>ene, and Al’Leod. with little iti front of them, but when tackled by two Hornby men the referee ordered touch-in-goal. Guiney got .away npain. but A. Mundy grassed him beautifully. The pass was forward. The -Addington men kept the upper hand till half time, when the scores were: — Hornby 31, Addington 5. Hornfov were feeling the Addington line at the start of the second half. The Mundy brothers missed with a passing movement, but Warr put the side in good order again. Davis and the Mackie brothers liad an opening on the wing, bur the rush broke down on the line. Addington returned with loose rushes, and Crooke put his team in a good position with a long pass. The rush went to the line, but Morris went over the dead-ball line. Matters looked promising for Hornby when the Mundy brothers and R. Mackie got going, but Mackie was pushed out. Crooke got in a. grubber kick, Guiney followed up and got his man, bur A. Mundy came back to the lire. Crooke was lucky to save, and a free kick helped matters further. Hornby was providing the sparkle of the play, with Warr always elusive and <-lever. Their work among the backs was fine, while Addington were very poor in comparison. The Hornby men prevailed in the scrum work, but Addington were better in the loose. -t. Mundy flashed through with the Hall on his fingers. Mayne grassed him beautifully. Morris was lucky to save with a kick from near the line. With the return Warr essayed a pot. There was a great struggle on the Addington line, with the Hornby men continually bursting through until a force down cased the presure. Lisle tried a pot from inside half-way, the ball hitting the post under the bar. and Mundy and M'Gregor took the ball to n«=*ar touch-in-goal. The game ended in midfield with the scores:— HORNBY 11 ADPINGTOX 5 Marist A v. Marist B. Both Marist teams had some alterations in the usual personnel. The A’s attacked first, but were repulsed and driven back to their last lines of defence, where li. Blazey had a shot at goal from a free. It failed. Marist A drove forward until, at the back line the TVs got a free. On its return J. O’Malley broke through and scored and Shea-

ban goaled. Marist A 5, Marist B 0. Mid-field play followed a shot at goal by the B’s. Sheahan made a good, but unsuccessful kick at goal and following it Blazey made a good run, but his pass was not taken, though the B’s kept on the aggressive and A forced. Marist B still kept the opponents thinking, but could not break through tlie defences, and mostly the play was in neutral ground, and not very interesting'. The half-time score was:— Marist A 5, Marist B 0. Marist B went off with a great rattle, but were soon driven back, the A backs throwing tlio ball about freely and making ground. An exchange of kicks left play at the - half-way mark, where Uie loose handling by the A backs boxed up play. G. Blazey had gone to the full-back position, where his .defence was good, and the change gave strength to the B side. The Marist A score was increased by . Sheahan goaling from a penalty outside the twenty-five yards marks. MaTist A 7, Marist B, 0. O’Malley picked up and on his own went near to the scoring' line, but no result of the effort came. The ball, after a change of ground, went from Blaekaby to Ellis, who scored. Shaitan added the major points. Marist A 12, Marist B 0. For the B side Molloy goaled from a penalty. Marist A 32. Marist 13 2. From loose play in Marist A back territory G. Blazej- picked up the ball and ran over, but the shot at goal just missed. The game ended:— MARIST A i 12 MART ST B 5 Mr C. Allan was the referee.

SYDENHAM v. WOOLSTON. Taking it. very easy. Sydenham downed to the tune of 41 points From Woolston’s kick-off the Sydenham backs secured possession and attacked strongly. Main and 13. Sparks stopped tlie rush and took play back to Sydenham’s territory, but the Sydenham backs attacked again and O'Neill got over unopposed. Smith converted. A little later O'Connor passed out to E- Falgar and another try resulted. Smith converting. O’Connor was next to score. He converted his own try. Sydenham 15, Woolston 0. Wools ton a.ttacked and Alain bad a shot at goal, but missed. Falgar got away in* the next, minute or so and scored his second try. Smith failed to convert. Sydenham 18. Woolston 0. Woolston attacked again, but faulty passing spoiled a good chance to score. Sydenham made the most of an opportunity when Wools ton’s backs were out of place, and M’Allister scored an unconverted try. The Woolston forwards- dribbled down the field and Armstrong look a successful shot at g'oal from a penalty. Half-time was called with the score:— Sydenham 2i, Woolston 2. Ten minutes after the resumption Sydenham further increased their lead. Davidson and O'Neill scoring tries which Smith converted. Sydenham 31, Woolston 2. Harris landed a beautiful penal t." goal from about half-way. Woolston bucked up, and from a scramble in the corner Main dived over for an unconverted tr>’. Armstrong scored in the next few minutes. Sydenham 31,. Woolston ID. Sydenham held sway for the remainder of the game, O’Connor and O’Xeill scoring tries. Smith converting one. Time was called with the score:— SYDENHAM 41 WOOLSTON .. 3 0 Mr W. Healey refereed. OTAGO 17. CANTERBURY 3 AT HALF-TrWS. Frr Press Association. DUX ED IX, June 5. The League match Otago v. Canterbury attracted a large attendance to the Caledonian Grounds to-day. In the first spell. Otago proved too good. for the visitors, who could not finish off their movements. Canterbury kicked off against the wind. Otago, immediately setting up an attack, kept Canterbury busily defending. Connelly kicked the ball over the line and Cameron, following up fast, scored the first try. M’Cabe converted. Canterbury transferred play to Otago’s twenty-five, but M’Kay made a, brilliant break-away, ending in M’Cabe scoring behind the posts. Eckhoff converted. Connelly and C. Fitzgerald returned to i the attack. Eckhoff• goaled from a free kick. Otago 12, Canterbury 0. After ! some exciting play Wilson-Hall nearly ' got across, but from a scramble on the line Henry worked his way across. Brilliant passing between Cusack, Eckkoff and Fitzgerald ended in Fitzgerald scoring behind the posts. He converted the try. Both teams a’ttacked in turn, but no further score resulted. At half-time • the score was:— \ Otago 37, Canterbury 3.