League Cup Final Won By Addington.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18805, 6 July 1929, Page 6

League Cup Final Won By Addington.

A FAST GAME. The final of the M’Keon Cup competition in the League code was played to-day at Monica Park, between Addington and Hornby. The ground was in good order. There was a crowd of from 1500 to 2000 at Monica Park, and the spectators were often on their toes to witness one of the fastest and brightest matches of the season.

ADDINGTON V. HORNBY. The Play. The teams were:— Addington—B. O’Connell; J. Henderson, J. Stapley, W. Stuart, J. Amos, J. Sanders; A. Peddie; L. Brownie, A. Green, F. Flanagan, C. Sturrock, W. Mayne, M. M’Leod. Hornby—F. Warr; R. Mackie, P. Smith, W. Davis: J. Howison, K. Wilkie; Cliff Woods; H. A. Vivian, A. Ward, W. Woodgate, W. Vivian, N. Vivian, S. Minards. From midfield, Sanders burst through and passed to M’Leod. The latter was bustled, and passed forward, for Wilkie to gain possession and clear. O'Connell returned the kick with an unsuccessful pot at goal. Sanders came again, and opened up the Addington backs in bright movements on both flanks. Wilkie and H. A. Vivian cleared, and bustled O'Connell. Then Davis dribbled into the Addington twentyfive and passed neatly, but his supporters were smothered on the line. Sanders was lucky to save again in face of hard forward rushes. Green released the pressure with a burst through, and let out to Mayne. With the same brilliance the movement was returned by Hornby. The Addington backs keeping the play open with crisp passing and an occasional scissors movement. Hornby were also showing sparkle in the backs, led by Smith and Wilkie. The latter went half the length of the field in a movement which broke down at Howison. The speedy Stapley followed up a saving kick by O'Connell, and had a clear field until Warr flicked his flying feet from behind. Short, sharp bouts of passing took Addington to near the line, where O’Connell failed with a penalty kick at goal. Territorially Addington, through winning a majority of the scrums, were having the better of the game. They impressed this on Hornby by a try by Stuart, after Amos had made an opening for a movement in which all the backs handled. O’Connell failed to goal. Addington 3, Hornby 0. Another score was certain

until Mayne got off-side after an inpass from Henderson. On the other flank O’Connell and Stapley let Stuart away on a corkscrew run which bored through most of the opposition and on to the posts. O’Connell converted. Addington S, Hornby 0. The play of both teams was above standard, and Addington kept the game so open that the Hornby forwards could work mainly only in the scrum. H. A. Vivian headed a loose rush into the Addington.

twenty-five. A kick returned play, Stapley charged down Warr’s return, and Mayne was over. He was called back for an infringement. Half-time was called with the scores:— Addington 8, Hornby 0. A beautiful pass from Sanders let O’Connell ay to kick to the line, where Addington were held up. Minards showed up in a counter movement, which Wilkie and Smith carried on. It broke down when opposite Sanders, who was playing his best game for years. His fielding was magnificent, and his generalship superior to that of any recent player in Canterbury. Winning of most of the scrums gave Addington the ascendancy. In spite of extra spurts by the Hornby forwards, the Addington manoeuvres left the opposition dazzled. Davis failed at goal with a long-range penalty. Heavy onslaughts by Hornby put them in a good position, from which Smith put over a penalty. Addington 8, Hornby 2. Minards, Mackie and Woodgate were prominent in the hard drives for Hornby, and O’Connell earned the greatest cheer of the match by saving cleanly in the face of a desperate Hornby rush. The play became faster, the play harder, and the crowd more excited, as the ball was handled from end to end with a brilliance that was League football at its best. Davis tried for points with two penalties, but failed narrowly. Hornby’s chances of a score still were bright when Ward and Smith went to the line. They were pushed out, and Addington came with one of their crisp passing rushes, which ended in a force-down. The tackling was deadl}^. Addington, with occasional repulses, stormed the Hornby line until the call of time. The final score was: ADDINGTON 8 lIORNBY 2 Referee, Mr G. H. Brittenden.