Football

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 461, 25 May 1899, Page 6

Football

[By

Vigilant.]

FIXTURES.

May 27—Newton v. North Shore, City v Suburbs, Poneonby v. Parnell, Grafton bye. June 3—Newton v. Po sonby, City v. North Shore, Grafton v. Parnell, Suburbs bye. Jne 10 —Newton v. G-rafton, City v. Ponsonby, Suburbs v. North Shore, Parnell bye. June 17 —Newton v. Parnell, City v. Grafton, Suburbs v. Ponsonby, North Shore bye. June 24 —City v. Parnell, Suburbs v. Grafton, North Shore v. Ponsonby, Newton bye.

The second round of the senior contests was played on Saturday, when Newton played Suburbs, Grafton met Poneonby, and the North Shore team tried conclusions with the Parnell fifteen. The first and second matches were played at Potter’s Paddock, while the Parnell men journeyed to the Shore. The weather was all against a big attendance at Potter’s, but still there was a very good gathering of spectators present to witness the games. Interest naturally centered in the game between Newton and Suburbs played on the ground in front of the stand, and though the ground was sloppy and the ball rather greasy, a very interesting game was watched by the crowd filling the stand. In the result Newton were successful by 7 points—a penalty goal and a goal from a mark —to nil. Mr A. Campbell acted as referee, and Messrs W. Dickey and George Smith looked after the touch lines. In the first half the game was marked by loose scrums and the many scrambling forward rushes.. The passing of the backs lacked precision, and this, no doubt, was due, in a measure, to the greasy state of the

ball which prevented accurate handling. Throughout the first spell McPike was übiquitous, and on several occasions he looked very like crossing the Newton line He was once especially dangerous, but Tommy Roberts caught him just in the nick of time, and pushed him over the touch line only a few yards away from the corner flag. There was a lot of give and take but up to the time the whistle blew no no score had been registered by either team. On the resumption of play Wilson headed a rush of Newton forwards which took the ball across the Suburbs line. However, a scrum was ordered for a knock on, and the Suburbs defence eventually drove back the attack and averted the danger. Then after the ball had been up and down the field several times, the Newton men had a free kick awarded them, baton took the kick, and landed a splendid goal from near the half-way mark. McPike was very conspicuous throughout the remainder of the play, and had he been well backed up on one or two occasions

a score must have resulted for Suburbs. Towards the close Kirkwood marked for Newton, and Eaton landed another good goal, and the game ended in a victory for Newton by 7 to nil. The Ponsonby men, who drew a bye in the first round, had the Grafton team to meet for their first match of the season. Mr F. J. Ohlson was the referee, and he had plenty of running about, for the game was a very lively one, and the ball travelled up and down the ground at a fairly fast pace. As in the game between Newton and Suburbs, the ball was too slippery to allow of very great certainty in handling the ball, consequently the passing of the backs on either side was not nearly up to the mark. From the kick-off the Ponsonby men rushed the ball into their opponents’ territory, and there the ball remained for a few minutes. Over-eagerness to score caused the Ponsonby men to commit an offence against the rules, and the consequent free kick relieved the Grafton lines. Good kicking on the part of the Ponsonby backs again sent the ball to the Grafton twenty-five, and there it remained for some little time, until 0. Hay forced just in time to prevent a score. The Grafton men then had a turn at the other end, but the defence was too good, and nothing came of the attack. The blue and blacks then had a turn at

attacking, but soon the ball was forced back to their own twenty-five, and from a penalty kick Smith landed a beautiful goal for Grafton. Nothing more was scored at half-time, when Grafton led by 3to nil. In the second half the game was very similar to what had gone before, each team having an advantage in turn. Webber had a try at kicking a goal from a penalty, but though the attempt was a good one it was unsuccessful. Just before timd was called Renwick fell over the Ponsonby line, and Smith kicked a good goal, the ball hiting an upright and falling between the posts. Dug. Hay got injured early in the game, and retired to full-back, Renwick taking his place at five-eights, and Smith going threequarters. Renwick played a very good game, and made many openings for his three-quarters, who always found the Poesonby defence very sound. Carlton Hay was fairly smart behind the pack, while Smith, Freeman, Tait, and Freeborn all did good work, their line kicking being especially valuable to their side. The forwards all worked hard, perhaps the Bradys’ and Cucksey doing as well as any. Webber, at full for Ponsonby, was

very saie in cacaiing, ana ms Kicaing was particularly useful and accurate- Riley, Lendrum, and Upton, the three-quarters, were in good form, but the day was against them, or they would have given a better display of passing and running. Rule, at five-eights, was not quick enough in getting the ball out to his three-quarters, but his defence was of a sound description. Galloway, behind the scrum, did very smart work, and played a dashing game up to the time he was injured and had to retire. The forwards were hardly in such condition necessary for a heavy day, but they are a good lot, and with more practice they will show much better form than they did on Saturday. Parnell took the field against the Shore two men short, and naturally had to put up with the worst of the deal, for the heavy Shore forwards simply walked through the Parnell front rankwhenever they chose. Murray played on the wing, and in the first half he played a great game and rallied his team in splendid style. Several times the maroons looked dangerous, but the defence was always equal to the occasion, and eventually a good rush on the part of the Shore men enabled Pitt to score a good try. The kick failed, and thus play was for a short time in Shore territory. A passing run by P. Gerrard, Walsh, and Nicholson carried the ball back to the Parnell twenty-five, and shortly afterwards Nicholson marked from a punt by Hedges, and Pitt safely put the ball between the goal posts. TTn.lr finriA whq flion rlonlav'/i/l 14- L ci/v/XMn r»#-r»vizs :

ing at 7to nil in favour of North Shore. In the second half the Shore team appeared content to rest upon their laurels and acted mainly on the defensive. Shortly before time the Shore front rank rushed away from the half-way mark, and making no mistake they carried the ball across the Parnell line and Pitt registered another try. The shot for a goal was not successful and almost immediately after the whistle blew, and the game ended in a win for the Shore by 10 to nil. Pitt proved himself to be one of the best men on the ground, he was always on the ball and he led the rushes which demoralised the Parnell men. Gerrard, Frankham, and Nicholson putin a great deal of useful work, and Cardno at full-back was fairly sure in bis defence. The Parnell team lacked condition, and the backs did not work with unity. In betier trim the Parnell men will yet give some of the teams a shaking up.

There was no football at the Thames on Saturday owing to the very heavy rainfall which took place on the Saturday morning At Wellington on Saturday the senior football matches attracted good crowds of spectators. Athletic beat Poneke by 5 points to 3, Wellington and Melrose played a drawn game, each side scoring 3 points, and Petone beat the Oriental Club by 27 to nil.

The football matches were resumed at Christchurch on Saturday in good weather. The Christchurch team defeated Linwood by 15 to 13, after a very good go, Sydenham vanquished Kaiapoi by 5 to nil, and Merivale walked over the Albion fifteen to the tune of 32 to nil.

Rain fell at Dunedin on Saturday and rendered the ground and ball very greasy. In the senior flag contests the Kaikoura and Union clubs played a draw, Alhambra beat Pirates by 6 to nil, Southern triumphed over Zingari by 9 to nil, and the Dunedin fifteen beat Univei’sity by 13 to 3. Our Napier correspondent wires:—The weather on Saturday was a decided improvement on that of previous Saturdays, and therefore a goodly contingent of admirers of the King of Winter Sports wended their way to Farndon Park, where a couple of senior and one junior match were played. As the locale is a public reserve the football people can make no charge to spectators for admission, but for those that are inclined to support the game by subscription a receptacle is placed at the entrance gate. The amount gathered from this source on Saturday last reached the respectable sum of nearly a fiver, which should be extremely gratifying to all concerned. In the Pirates v. Te Aute College set-to the latter proved the winners by 11 points to 6. The Native lads have got together a specially strong combination this season, and they will take a power of beating whenever they line up for the fray On the other senior ground the Clive team put a head on the Napier contingent, the score at the call of time being Clive 24, Napier 11. The latter in the first spell seemed to be all at sea, though they livened up greatly in the second effort. Mr Logan refereed in the first match, and Mr Weir acted likewise for the Clive-Napier contest. The Junior Flag contest, Pirates 11. v. Ahuriri, was a close and even game, and ended in a win for Pirates by 3 points. At the Spit grounds Caledonian ousted the Nap er 11. by 12 points to nil. In the Third Cup competition W<st End beat Napier 111. The former had all the best of the warfare, winning by 23 points to nil. The Hawke’s Bay Bugby Union met in the Criterion Hotel on Saturday night, Mr Hallamore presiding. Permission was granted to the Napier Guards to play a match with the Napier Rifles on Queen’s Birthday. A transfer from the Port Ahuriri C ub to the Napier Club was granted. The following matches were fixed and referees appointed for next Saturday : —At Farndon : Napier I. v. Te Aute; Clive I. v. Pirates 1., Mr Logan; Te Aute IL v. Guards, Mr Weir. At Stortford Lodge: Tomoana v. Caledonians, Mr Ebbitt. At the Spit: Napier 11. v. Clive IL, Mr Allen ; Kia-Oi’a v. Caledonians HI, Mr H. C. Wilson.

Sid. Orchard, the old Canterbury rep,, is now playing three-quarter in the Linwood (Christchurch) team. S. Pentecost, the holder of the One Mlle Amateur Championship of New Zealand, who will probably be a member of the team to represent New Zealand at the Australasian meeting in Brisbane, played three-quarter in one of the Junior Flag teams. He intends keeping in form in view of being chosen, and has, I believe, made satisfactory arrangements with his employers for the necessary leave of absence.