FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 293, 2 May 1889, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

PONEKE V. PIBATES.

Names, Monday.

The team representing the wellknown Poneke Football Club of Wellington played the last match of its present tour on the Recreation Ground on Saturday, its opponents being the local Pirates’ first fifteen. Dr Newman, M.H.R., president of the Poneke Football Club, was present on the ground, and evidently took great interest in the match. The Poneke Club has a singular record. It has won the Wellington Rugby Union’s senior cup for three successive years, and up to yesterday had played 67 matches, winning 46, losing 7, and drawing 4. It was originally intended that the tour should include the principal centres in the South Island, but a portion of the trip was abandonded in consequence of accidents to some members of the club who would otherwise have joined the travelling party. Saturday was fine, and though the ground was rather hard it was in a condition conducive to fast play. There was a large attendance of spectators, who were kept outside the ropes by a ground committee. The visitors, who had arrived from Auckland during the morning, were driven round Taradale in a five-horse drag, placed at their disposal by the local club, and they were put up at the Masonic, where they were royally entertained by host Smith “ the Pirates’ friend.” At 2.30 p. m, the teams took the field as follows :—;

Posxks (red and black): Full-back,L. Dixon three-quarters, J. Baumber, B. Sim, and A. Merlet; halves, T. Moorhouse and C. Moore ; forwards, J. Astill, G. Beck, H. M’lntyre, H. Townsend, A. Stewart, Reich, J. Muir, B. M’Mahon, and S, Nicholls (captain); umpire, Mr Hood.

PnuTXi (black) : Full.back, B. Le Queene; three-quarters, J. Le Quesne, M’Rae, and E. Davey ; halves, J. Dempsey and A. Freeman ; wings, T. Morrison (captain), and H, Swan ; forwards: Malcolm, J. Boss, M’Sherry, S. Howe, D. Boss, J. Fleming, and Corbett; umpire, Mr Whittington ; referee, Mr Gibbone.

The visitors defended the town goal, and after the kick off play settled for a time in their 25. M’Mahon, Reich, and Astill, closely followed by their comrades, broke the thrall and quickly dribbled up the ground and over the Pirate goal line, where Davy saved A score. Baum bor’s failure to return the kick out led to an attack on his lines, which ended in J. Le Quesne snapping up the ball near the centre and sending it soaring over the Poneke goal by a splendid drop kick. Pirates, 3 points, After a long struggle at the centre Stewart and M’lntyre appeared at the head of a forward rush, which swept into the Pirate quarters, where Moore potted well, but unsuccessfully. Kick out took place, followed by a fine run by M core and Merlet, who were stopped by Dempsey; then a forward charge, and a run by Baumber to the local corner flag. A well judged succession of passes from Sim to Moornouse and from him to Merlet enabled the latter to pot, but again unsuccessfully. J’.. LeQuesne ran the ball out without forcing, and after passing many opponents, kicked to the centre, Morrison, Howe, and others carrying the ball on to the Red 25, where it remained for a time, and i P ° tted fruitlessly. Moorhouse led the forwards up th e ground to the opposite lines, which were relieved by quick forward dash es and kicks by M’Rae and Dempsey, a fast dribble by Davy ending near th. e Red goal line. After much give an i take play, a long return by Dixon ch >ared midfield. The ball was carried back by the Black forwards, and the n Sim. in a long run during which he, “feinted” topass, cleverly reaches the centre. Astill and Stewart co atirmed the run, which Baumber finished near his opponents’ line. A free kick enabled Moorhouse to try a plaoft, but a “ poster ’’ resulted, and “ time ’’ was cabled with the score Pirates 3 points. Poneke? nil. As the j Pirates are what a spectator described ; as a “ dog-ixi-the-manger team ” — when they can't score themselves they | will let no one else do so—the supporters of the local club were jubilant, but, remembering the reputation of the visitors for dogged perseverance, not boisterously so. On the resumption of play it was soon evident that Poneke meant to “win or bust.” Down came the ball to the Pirates’ 25, back and forth across the field dodged] Moorhouse M’Mahon, and Moore, onlv to be brought down by LeQuesne. Red man. after man handled the ball in rapid succession, and the Pirates were forced. The kick out brought no relief, as Sim dodged and feinted up to the goal line, and even a free kick awarded the Pirates was marked bv Baumber, who placed the ball for MTntyre but th- e attempt at goal failed. A long ki ck by M’Rae momentarily relieved the strain, but a little later the - game ? layer narrowly saved a score. *Other irate excursions to midfield were equally brief, and the ineeitaV.e came in the shape of a mark, eeour ei j close to_ the post by Sim, frw n which •WicboUq eecured an O'usy goal, 3 . Pirates, 3. From another kick the Pirates were forced, and after much neutral play a long run by Merlet compelled LeQuesne to force. Now came a temporary diversion. Swan, Morrison, and M’Sherry, after upsetting many Reds, reached the goal line, where a Poneke man saved what seemed a certain score. The Ponekes were no sooner on their feet again than, with a characteristic rush, they swept down all opposition, and Moorhouse secured a try from which M’lntyre kicked a goal. Poneke, 6 points ; Pirates, 3. Once more the local men were forced, and then again and again, until Merlet potted at goal, and the ball going across, BaumOer raced up, caught it, and ran right behind the posts, Nicholls placing another goal. Ponekes, 9 points, Pirates, 3. No side was soon after called, with the local men still in trouble. The game was extremely fast, and the local men played pluckily, but seemed quite unable to cope with the rapid and combined dribbling rushes of the opposing forwards, and the nine men which the Ponekes played in the scrums did as they pleased with the seven Pirates who opposed them. The visitors played as one man, and it would be difficult to single out any particular player, and their condition was perfect. Immediately after the match they proceeded is weir drag to the Masonic, whore M «

Smith gave them the run of the house, and then they were driven to the Spit and embarked for the last stage of their journey. Among the Napier players, in addition to those mentioned, Freeman deserves a word of praise for his pluck and alertness behind the scrums.