CANTERBURY BEAT WELLINGTON 5-4 IN SOCCER FINAL

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 June 1948, Page 6

CANTERBURY BEAT WELLINGTON 5-4 IN SOCCER FINAL

(P.A.) Wellington, June 7. Canterbury beat Wellington 5-4 in the final of the English Football Association trophy, played on the Basin Reserve this afternoon. In the earlier game, the losers in the first round met, Auckland defeating Otago 5-1. A heavy southerly with icy squalls drenched the field, which was treacherous underfoot. Canterbury deserved their win by the one goal margin, and no more. They lasted the distance better. Wellington were on even terms, or in the lead for most ol the game. When they finally lost the lead they made some hard tries to recover, but the winners had more in hand. A good pass Iron M. KissocK paved the way for a forward movement, ending in McKinley scoring Wellington’s first goal. Immediately on the resumption, a free kick put Canterbury on the attack, and MacLellan shot successfully. Following intercepted shots by Traynor and Sergent, Boyes got possession and sent out to Sharpe, from whom the ball came back to Sergent, and to Kidd, who scored for Wellington. Canterbury evened the tally by a transfer from the right wing to the left wing, 1 then back to Gordon Smith, in the centre, who scored. Wellington took the lead again with a goal by Sergent and the first spell ended: Wellington 3, Canterbury 2. I MacLellan, for Canterbury, evened by a low shot following a free kick. When Kidd (Wellington) took the ball into the danger zone, Sharpe was lying handy and sent in a nice shot from a narrmow angle. The Wellington backs were not getting back as fast as the opposing rearguard, and Dowker caught them on defence to make the score 4-all. It was fitting that the decisive goal in so hard a game should be as good as that headed in off Dowker’s accurate corner kick by Gordon Smith. In the match between losers in the first round, Auckland beat Otago 5-1. For the winners, Wilkinson and Neesham scored. Berry scored for the I losers.