FOOTBALL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 10951, 1 September 1885, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

* HA.WKE'B BAY V. WEST COABT. (PER UNITED pKBSS ASSOCIATION.) Wellington, August 81. A football match, West Ooast team v. Hawke's Bay. was played this afternoon. The weather was boisterous. The former won by four tries (eight points) to nil, Later. A .football matoh, West Ooast team v. Hawke's Bay team, was played at jtfewtown this ofternoou. T^e weather was exceedingly unfavourable for foot-, ball, thera being a strong N.W. gale blowing, which made it oxtremely difficult for players to judge where the ball was going to after it was kioked. The West Coast team dofendsd the eastern goal, and at once rushed their opponents' quarters, the position remaining unaltered for some minutes until Gibbons relieved his side by a useful puat to the centre of the ground. The Napier men then rallied, and by a deter- 1 mined rush got the leather within a few feet of the West Ooast goal', bui were ■apable to cross the line, and eventually were wowl^d back to the centre of the ground. From this the success of either team little varied, and at half timo ihe>:e was "40 score. Immediately the'gamewas resumed tho Wost Coast team rushed the ball down in Napier's iwenty^five, and penned their opponents down cj-ose to tCe goal line, whore several packed scrimmages occurred. After playing ten minutes the ball was thrown out from the touch, when Good secured it, and falling across tho lino scored "first blood " for tho West Coast team. From tfee. digattli- JwuL-vesy b^gh. .wind, there was littler thanes, of atry beaug'bsigji&fc. to a goal. Carey was entrusted 'with tha kick, and made a splendid attempt, but failed. So sooner was the ball brought out than the Hawke's Boy goal j was again in danger, 'ihe Napier men were Beting simply on the defensive, and Gibbons, Wulker, Lequesne, and Oato ( made desperate efforts to got the leather j into neutral territory, but without \ [ efieofc, Bwiniwage after. ' Honwyioge i

occurred almost on Ihe touch line, from one of which Good again got over the line, the touch being almost on the same spot as the previous try. Carey took the kick and. failed. As soon aB the ball was in play it was rushed in front of the Napier goal line, and the game became very fast. Once or twice Good and Tait were within an ace of sooring, and were only prevented by the excollent collaring of the Napier backs. For a time the game was even, but it did not remain long so, as from a scrim* mage the ball wtts nioely passed to Tait, who evaded the Napier backs, aud placed another try to the cradit of the West Coast. Again was Carey entrusted with the try, and again was he unsuccessful, though it must be said that it would have been a wonderful kick if he had managed to get the leather across the bar. In attempting to stop Tait getting this try young Lequesne, of Napier, collided with one of his own side, and received a nasty smack on the head, which stunned biro, aud he was carried off the field. When the play was gone on with the centre was the scene of several hard-fought scrimmages, in which, for some time, neither gained any advantage. Here tuo splendid powers of Good stood him well, and getting fairly under way he crossed the line, but was collared before he could touch down, and no score resulted. A slight rain set in, but not onough to inconvenience either the players or spectators. For a few minutes play was decidedly uninteresting until Smith, the skipper of theWestGoaat team, got possession of the ball, and by a capital run, in which he was pursued by the whole of the Napier team, touched down to the windward of the goal line. He took the kick himself, but failed to score, and up to time being called, the game remained even, the West Coast team thus winning by four tries (eight points) to nil. Towards the end of the game "Walker and Cooper, of Napier, were injured and left the field. Owing to the boisterous nature of the weather there was not afirat-class display of foot* ball, and was therefore difficult to judge the merits of either side, but in the second spell the West Coast team certainly had a decided advantage. Those prominent on the winning side were Smith, Tait, and Good, while Fleming, Lequesne, Walker, Gibbons, and Cooper, did good work for their side. The teams were entertained at a smoke concert to»night.