THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. MONDAY, DECEMBER
1933.
FOOTBALL LEADERSHIP STRUGGLE SIFIED
DRAMATIC LAST MINUTE Five Teams In The Running EAST LANCS COLLAPSE In First Division
GOAL SAVES GAME
SOUTH CHINA & NAVY THRILL
A RECORD CROWD
VERY FAST EXCHANGES RESULT · IN DRAWN MATCH
'N
(By "Verštna"),
TINETY seconds before Captain Hague gave the "all clear" signal on Saturday, Li Kwok-wai fired in a ground shot from 20 yards range which entered the Navy net and saved the Chinese favourites, not only from their second defeat in two weeks, but from what, I am sure, would have developed into a complete debacle for the rest of the season.
It needed only the wild display of enthusiasm by the hundreds of Chinese spectators, who rushed on the ground hurling hats and papers in the air, to demonstrate what that goal meant to them and to 'South China.
Wont was not so comfortable, Howover sincere one's admira- tion for the type of football play-jand'occasionally displayed an un- ed by the Caroline Hill man their happy tendency to collapse under skilful individualiam and excelfont pressure. He navor obtained the goneral team work, one is forced full measure of Fung King-cheung, to some conclusion from the re-who staged a brilliantly successful sults of their last three matches. return to the Red and Whites at
One cannot explain away a nar-tack. row victory against a weak team, defeat the next week and a hard won draw the next, by merely con- tending that on the run of the play they deserved something, bet-
ter,
Keener Opposition
It wna Fung who also had Thomas on tenderhooks, and had not McQuire and Robertson re- mained so stable, the Chinese would have scored plenty of .goals.
ON THE ATTACK-Picture shows the East Lanes attacking against Chinese Athletic when they met in a lenguo match yesterday. Lawton can be sen tackling a defender, with Woods closely interest. ed. (Photo: Ming Yuen).
HOW THEY STAND IN THE TABLES
DIVISION I.
St. Joseph's Lincoln Regt. R. Navy
South China S.W. Borderers
1.K. Club Athletic Kowloon F.C. H. K. Police But if Thomas was seldom able East Lancs. to prevent Fung from swinging Recreio
the RA
One factor in the diminishing out those glorious passes to potentialities of South China Iswing, the Navy pivot, until sent off obviously the better standard of the field, stuck manfully to his football being played by the task of shadowing Wong and Tam, other teams in the first division. and was ever in the thick of the Where before these terms used fray. to rely pretty much on force of weight and rush tactics, they have now introduced the more scientific elements of the game, and this, with additional weight, makes them far more dangerous oppo ents.
Once again on Saturday the Chinese displayed superior foot craft, greater accuracy in passing, better combination.
Brains of the Attack
Goal.
P. W. D. L. F. A Pts.
1 22 10 13 8 0 1 8 6 11 18 10 13 8 5 2 1 25 17 12 7 5 1 1 20 9 11 7 & 0 2 27 12 10 8 4 1 324 22
4.0
8
DIVISION IL
FORE AND AFT
DEFENCE BROKEN DOWN BY ATHLETIC
FORWARDS SHOOT BADLY
(By "Varitas").
The East Lanca, suffered their first defcat in local league football yesterday, when they fell victims to Chinese Athletic by four goals to two.
No excuses can be advanced on their behalf, while the causes chiefly contributing to the result reflect little credit on the soldiers.
That they were inferior in the of work and were never serlottaly finer points of the game is not to threatened by the Lancs wingere. their discredit. On the other hand, the complete collapse of the defence under the slightest pressure, and the dismal shooting of the forwards when presented with gift openings vere features which will have to so eliminated if the Lancs are to raise themselves amongst the league leaders.
Thompson at centre-half was the outstanding Lanes player. Frequently falling to back to relleve awkward situations, and for ever trying to get his for- words together with nent through passes, he dominated and the centre of the field, time after time had the Chineso at a disadvantage.
Throughout the quick attacking movements of the Chinese throw Swain and Gorman, as well as their
He received a fair, measure of half back colleagues, into wild dis-support from his wing halves, but order. Slow in anticipating the the same cannot be said of the rest of his colleagues, unless one excepta P. W. D. L. F. A. Pu. constantly outpaced by the speedy Fenn, whose goalkeeping was a
Chinese wingers and often lured, pleasure to watch.
DIVISION 1.
Goals.
P. W. D. L. F. A. Pis.
9
Lincoln Rogt.. 990
South China.. S.W. Borderers 9 Lincoln Regt. B R. Navy R.A.
7 0 2 20 7 14
7 0 2 34 16 14 6 12 20 21 13
0 5 1 3 33 14 11
0 4 0 5 15 17 8
H.K. Club... 0 4 0 6 10 24 B Young Indians 7 3 0 414 36 Athletic ..... 8 2 0 0 14 25 4
08 Kowloon F.C.. 0
apler-like thrusts of the opposition, Goals,
0 40 2 18 19.W. Borderers 8 6 0 2 34 16 12 South China 8 6 1 2 10 0 11
IRA.M.C.
R.A.F.
Recreio
Radia S.C. R.A.S.C. R.E.
D
7 41
o University
0 3 3 3 21.12 9 0
4
8 3 0 5 12-14
9 215
2 1 4 15 23 6
2 1 3 3 14 6
1 2 13 16 4
1
SOCCER SHORTS AND SIDELIGHTS
POLICE ENACT AN EDWARD KELLY VISION: WHY THE LINCOLNS WON: SAINTS SILENCE THE CRITICS: THIS FIGHTING BUSINESS
The forwards did many fine things until they got within shoot- ing distance, and then something seemed to happen to them, and they finished deplorably. Lang- mend. until mid-way through the second half rarely gave the South E first division is now becoming; China defenders any trouble.
Smith and Barnett, his inside colleagues, were the brains of the attack. Smith vied with Fung for his elever scheming and delightful
positively exciting. Ilure we, p- proaching the half-way point of the season and five teams are right in the running.
But they moved the ball ton slowly to obtain the full value of these qualities. As soon as they approached the penalty opening work. Barnett was al-THE only thing area, with their passing becom-ways hustling L Tin-sang, and ing shorter, it was noticeable keeping Skinner well supplied struggle for leadership, and South that the active Navy defenders with passes. were able to nip in and clear.
This occurred a dozen times in the second half when South China were: applying-the-most pressure, But it would need a very biassed partisan to cavil at the result. The Navy would have been lucky Ato got away with both points, and unlucky not to have taken one.
Thomas-Wong Affair
That South China delayed the saving geal until a minute and a half from the end only, added to the excitement of the match which had been at fever heat from the kick off. A rocord crowd for the Railway Ground followed the rapid exelanges with increasing in- terest, and they were rewarded with plenty of incident,
The most regrettable was the "affair" between Wong Moe-shun and Thomas, the Navy centre-half, which ended in the Englishman striking Wong and being given marching orders.
Hudspeth, unfortunately had an off dhy, and wasted many opport.. unitica. Ho also found in L Kwok-wai, the finest half back on the field..
the week-end matches did was to intensify the China have now lost the sight ad- vantage they held over St. Joseph's and the Lincolns.
•
ONLY goal average divides St.
Joseph's and the Lincolns of the
·
•
•
GAINST the Lincolns yesterday,
the Police repeated their South
me it seemed that Fung was China performance, More often than Just a little too unselfish. That he could have attempted to have not in the attack, they missed a dozen
"sitters." and lost the game,
on his own
gone through with more success, instead of giving his wingers so much
of the ball.
Problem Solved
Beulties, bath Higgins aud QUT soldiers played under real!
Turner being injured, the Infter badly! enough to cause his removal from the feld of play.
(Conducted By "Veritas")
DO OR DIE EFFORT
KOWLOON ONLY JUST FAIL
By "Wanderer."
defence.
Not until the end did the Bor-
10
NE'S patience was completely ex- hausted by their riticulous dilly- babying in the pennity aren.
into false positioning, the Lanca
had to fall back on the exploitation I have already dwelt on the un- of offside tactics.
atendiness of Swain and Gorman in
That these succeeded, moro defence, but it is not to be thought that they were completey outclassed than anything else, in putting a Rtop to promising attacks, In and useless. Their real weakness dicates how vastly superior was to be seen in their instability were the Chinese forward linen covering up. Individually both when it came to an open clash accomplished a lot of excellent work, but they did not support each between defence and attack.
other in the proper manner and Yet it is not to be assumed that large gaps were often left in front the Lancs, as a team, were out-of goal. played. They had their share of Up forward Lawton worked hard the game.
In midfield the forwards
at centre, and the rest of the were often as clever as the Athletic. quintette were full of promise In The halves, in the second molety; their approach play. When called were for ever initiating concerted movements which loft the forwards upon to complete these movements In possession with only the goal with a scoring shot, they fell down badly and seemed to have no iden keeper to beat.
where the goal was.
Wild Shooting
Woods provided plenty of open- ings for Licut. Salmon but the loft But time after time wild shooting winger was not seen at his best, suw the ball lifted over the bar or and frittered most of them away Rent wide. Assisted by such a with hasty and indiscriminate kick- could ing. was an Edward Kelly vision of futile, display, the Athletic
not help but win.
football come true.
T. Joseph's silenced all their crities. To bent the Club five all was a decisive enough performance to justify their leadership.
*
That the Athletic forward line.
Another Fight
is fast developing into one of the
Sandford on the opposite line was cleverest and most forceful in local foolball was once again illustrated, the livellet, but he was not given Ho Kal-keung was a fine leader, fenough of the ball. Walkden, until ready and capable of snapping up the unhappy incident which ter- THE Suints held the upper hand in the slightest opening. His inside. minated in his dismissal from the every department, and at intervals colleagues Au Kim-fung and Auned was also prominent in initiat- they indulged in spectacular bouts of Ping-ming were adroit and re-ing raids, but made the same glar- passing which boru fruit. The match sourceful in their ball distribution, ing blunders as his colleagues when
a personal triumph for Bernie Fung King-mui in particular bencin shooting position. Gosane, who claimed three goals, fitting.
the setison,
*
A
•
#
The Athletic left winger made full use of his opportunities, and most of the sting in the attack was centred in this wing.
The Chinese defence remained
Another demonstration of fisticuffs, marred the game. Walkden and Lai Kwok-chui came to blows in the second half and both received march- ing orders.
A goal in the first five top of the table, whilst inmediately-minutes-and-two-in-the-last Fung King-cheung was in- below are the Navy, South China and three gave the South Wales disputably the shining light in the Borderers is strong challenging
Borderers a not too convincing the South China team. But positions.
victory over Kowloon. Plenty WELL played the Recreiot They brilliant though he was, he
silenced the Artillery's three-inch of keen play provided some Incked adequate support. To
exciting incidents, but the guns, and gained their first points of Borderers' attack depended too much on kick-and-rush
am told it was one of the poorest fairly steady, and with it there was
The Athletic gained a substantial tactics to instil any confidence, exhibitions of football over seen certainly not the same suggestion
Lance lead as a result of the first half ex- while Kowloon's closer game between two first division teams. The of panic as shown by the broke down consistently Artillery are sadly in need of some rearguard.
They mix their new equipment.
Nevertheless they were not seen changes. After Ho Ka-keung had against the solid Borderers howitzers of last year, Bryant, Gough at their best when hard pressed, opened scoring, Lawton equalised with the best goal of the match, and and Moore,
and as has already been pointed then Ho and Au Kim-fung put the out, that they conceded but two Chinese further ahead. derers look like improving on their THESE Acidents of unruly behaviour goals was mainly the fault of the Although not in the same class IDLEY gave an amazing per-
A very lucky goal shortly after on the part of players are now Lanes forwards.
(the restart made the Athletic abso- proportions. an Ip Pak-wa, Tay Qua-tong made formance, especially after Higgins curly score and when they did it
Thomson. Outstanding the ball. The referee, by no means worthy substitute, and I don't had been hurt. He adopted a roving was largely because Kowloon, in a reaching serious
lutely safe. Fenn saved and fell on think South China will have to commission, and through sheer skill, final concentrated effort by for
must not draw false conclusions
In the position worry much more about their left kept the Lincolns forward line towards and half-backs to obtain an EY have got to be stopped.. One
Judge whether Chan Sik-put was reliable in goal, the ball had passed the line, problem.
equalisor, left their backs wide open gether:
to a sudden breakthrough. It was from the fact that in the majority of whilst o
Hon-cheung was the signalled for a goal, a decision Tay has still to settle down to
the offenders, *
halves, Ho Choi-yin and Ip Pang-fal out of the soldiers. Although a section of the crowd often he was caught surprised by was another hero. He saved a cumstances one goal more or less allowed themselves to become in- move, which Ip, with his ex- penalty in fine style, and towards the did not matter if they failed to get SPEAKING plainly one must confess accomplished a tremendous amount consed with the referee's decision, perience, would have anticipated. end, when the Lincolns girded up their an equaliser-but it did not come Generally speaking the forwardens and got down to serious attack-off, Fortey was twice presented It must be recognised that he was
were again below par. I have saved his charge from falling at with easy chances and took both. given no alternative.
STEADY BACKS. Wong undobtedly fouled tried to suggest in what direction,.
Kowloon were most Impressive in Thomas, but the anilor's display of and I feel sure that with a speed-TN this department, at least, the the first half when Willis and Jones
ing up, they will once again be Civilians Lal Wah Cup team, are ware wonderfully steady at resentment was inexcusable.
back come the most dangerous quintette guaranted 100 per cent efficiency. and prevented Cord's charge from footballin local football. Incidentally these
being seriously threatened, while fights are becoming too common There was a decided Improve-
TT seems hopeless to expect goals Smith was kept busy at the other a feature in local matches. It is ment exhibited by the half back, from the Police forward line. end, saving brilliantly on two occa- active steps to reduce, as far as were outstanding, but Loung have an iden they are clever enough) possible, the likelihood of such
with the ball to walk it into the not. penalty taken by Timberlake, demonstrations of unspórting i and ungentlemanly behaviour. The Navy'o pertinacity pulled them through, as much na any- thing, to a division of the apolla. It was significant that they took the load after losing Thomas, and with a team of ten men, were for voller and more dangerous, than earlier on when at full strength." Hard Working Defence.
his colleagues', type of piny. Quite McHARDY, the Police Custodian, good policy by Kowloon in the cir-cases, Chinese players figure among pick of the backs. The wing which did much to take the heart
least three times.
*
.
that the Europeans are guilty of
a lot of provocation. The idea that
the Chinese are only beaten by weight| interested will only allow the whole and boisterous tactles still scuma to thing to develop into a problem which obsess a large number of players. might prove difficult to handle.
UAT the Chinese should resent kuch methods and to retaliate in under. standable, although not justifiable,
However they returned to the attack and Woods followed up a dropping shot from Sandford and bundled the ball into the net,
Immediately after this the Lanca had three glorious chances of neor- ing. Once Lawton received clear BVIOUSLY the co-operation of of the backs and only had to walk club officials is called for. They the ball into the net. He steadied have direct control over the players. himself for the shot about ten yards The exercise of that control is neces from goal, and put the ball weakly
V
up to the authorities to take Leung In-chan and Li Kwok-wai Their trouble seems to be that they son rom Lowls and once from The Football Association will have sary if local football is not to de- past the upright:
to pay some attention to the generata into wild. displays of temper
Although from the point of view of football they did not reach pre- vious standards, they were greut workers, and contested every inch of ground.
This particularly applies to the dofence, Word was a tower of strength and never permitted Tay Qua-tong and Tam Kong-pak to got out of hand. Robertson gave him Invaluable assistance, con- tinually falling back to help break up the machinations of this virilo Lving.
(Continued on Page 9.)
THE EAST LANCS—The East Lancs senior team, who yestere day suffered their Grst defeat in local league football. (Photo: Ming Yuan).
After the interval, the Borderers dominated the game. Kowloon's defence were a bit rattled, but al though they pushed the ball through repeatedly to their for- wards, the attack seldom looked Bike penetrating the Borderers defence, į
Morrison and Podmore holding them as if in a vico.
The display of the Borderers half-backs and backs was the bright feature of the game. Perfect posi- tioning and understanding made ordinary onslaughts futile and Kowloon played into their hands by persisting in a clono passing game. Forward, only Tazlewood took the eye. He played a leading part in nearly all the constructive move- ments.
The only satisfaction Kowloon really obtained from the match was the discovery that Jones made an excollont back. Tho halt-backs were good and bad in turn and Bliss had a very poor day. Lewis was the best forward. Elliot was caally held by Podmoro...
matter. To remain inactive and dis-and petly feelings.
NAVY AND SOUTH CHINA-A group taken of the Navy and South Chian toms before the start of their great match on Saturday. (Photo: Ming Yuan).
After this dismal falluro the Lanes gave it up as a hopeless job.
RUGBY FOOTBALL.
International Trials In England And Wales. English "Trial.
Probablen
Probablen
Inth Tlackheath Bristol
34 Ponibles Welah Trial,
31 Ponnibles Club Fixturen,
14 London Scot
3 Gloucester G Newport
Cambridge U.. 13 O. MAT.
Harlequin London Irish
Plymouth
Richmond
St. Bart' Leinster Edinburgh A.
Glasgow
0 Lefcenter
24 U.S. Portsmouth 0
O Devannert S. 3 Guy's Hosp.
Rosalyn
2.
13 Munster
Roval f. 8.
Inter City Match.
Edinburghs
17
Reuter.