Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

2 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

FOOTBALL.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

FOOTBALL. SWANSEA V. PENARTH. A DISAPPOINTING MATCH. Perhaps it is not verging on exaggeration to state that Penarth never played a match which produced such keen disappointment as that of Saturday last. Certainly it has never been the good fortune of the Seasiders to gain a victory over Swansea in any of the numerous engagements which have taken plae. between the representatives of the two clubs but bearing in mind the first class form Penarth bad shown against Llanelly, theconquerors of Swansea, the majority of South Walian footballers would certainty be under the impression that Penarth would either win or hold equal honours when they met the boys from the banks of the Tawe. This impression, too, must have been accentuated on the field when it was seen, in the first place, that Bancroft was absent from the Swansea ranks, and in the second place when the Seasiders had all the better of the fight in the first half. Indeed, seeing the way that Penarth played up, even after Swansea had scored their two tries, a good many impartial spectators never looked upon the game as lost to the homesters till about five minutes before the call of time. It seemed as if "the very stars in their courses were fighting for the visitors. Never was there a finer exhibition of ill. luck or the uncertainly that surrounds football. PENARTH PLAY UP. Penarth started- [.well, and recollection fails to go back to a single match where the full back and the forwards put in more really genuine work. The play of the home halves did not reafcla the high level of their brilliant show against the Scarlets, and the three-1 quarters were not nearly so good as on that occasion i But the team, as a whole,held tjie upper hand for f more than three ptrtg, of the garne, and looked easy winners all over. Dining the whole of the first half Swansea never ha look in and in the second half when tboy.,g t into the Penarth' 25, and scored their two tries, their stay there waS only of a few minutes' duration. When, in addition to this, we remember' »«' ■■■III |, — II—Hl^ that Alexander was hauled down a few inches from the line, and that Heywood had bard liues in not bringing off a score, the only verdict that one can pronounce on the fight is the paradoxical award a good battle won, but lost." WHERE PENARTH LOST. It certaiuly wasn't the work of the forwards lior the halves, nor the full back that caused the apparent victory to slip from the hands of the gallant Seasides In reality it was the failure of the three-quarters to mark their men. Eli Kirby, in particular, was cer- tainly to blame for one of the tries- If he had marked his own man instead of adoptiag a loving commission and baaringdown upon another nan, the try would never have been scored. In addition to this, the home three-quarters, at times, stood a very long way from the scrum. Their opponents, on ttil contrary, stood pretty well up, and when the ball came on the Penarth side, the Swansea backs were always ready for collaring pui poses, and they certainly deserve the highest commendation in this .respect^ When the Penarth halves or three-quarters got the ball, it was only rarely they eould make an effectual run, tee Swansea collarer was always 0111 the job. THE PLAYERS. With respect to the third line, Penarth have been rather unfortunate ibis season. Owing to stress of circumstances men have been changed, and positions too, and, it is doubtless, partly owing to this, that the threequarter backs are. at times, lacking.2 They have amongst them men of much individual excellence, but as a combination, on :Saturday last, they themselves would confess that they were not a success. Neither was there anything particularly brilliant about the performance of the opponents' three-quarters, Gordon being the only man showing to advantage. The Penarth forwards were in rare good fettle, and the way they went about their work must have been as breath to the nostrils of all keen lovers of a bold, determined game. They beat the Llanelly forwards, and certainly had the best of the argument with the Swansea men who fought with marked persistency. The chief characteristic of the Seasider ups, is their staying power, and in this respect they have beaten every set of ups with whoflf they have come in contact this season* Clemmence, at full back, gave a superb exhibition. His kicks were powerful, and put in with rare judg- ment. The Penarth halves unquestionably performed in an excellent manner but still, as indicated above the display was not equal to what they did against Llanelly, then, it seemed as if they could do nothing wrong—more than once. on Saturday, they failed to make openings, and often ran right into a cluster of opponents. Taking the game as a whole, the Penarth team have reason to be proud of their work, and though the Swansea team won, the keen edge of satisfaction must. have been dulled to them, by the unparaleled good luck, which gave them, in a great measure, the victory. To-day, (Saturday), Penarth play Pontypridd. 1st XV. FIXTURES 1895-96. Late I Versus. j Result Sept. 14 Abergavenny H Won 21 Ebbw Vale I. H Won „ 28 Pontymoile A Won Oct. 5 Wellington H Drawn 12 Neath A Drawn „ 19 Coventry A Lost, „ 26 Morriston. H Won Nov 2 Llanelly H Drawn 9 Aberavon H Drawn „ 16 Newport A lost „ 23 Bristol A Lost 30 Swansea H LoSfi Dec -7 Pontypridd H 14 Manelly A 21 Cardiff A 26 Devonport Albion A 28 Wellington A Jan. 4 Bath H 11 Newport. Mi:U „ 18 Swansea A „ 25 Scotland y. Wales Cdiff Feb. 1 Neath H „ 8 Abergavenny A 15 Morriston A 22 Bristol H 29 Bath A March 7 Cardiff H fi 14 Pontymoile H 21 Gl-oucescerjj A 28 Aberavon I A April 3 H „ 4 Plymouth A j, 6 Barn"?, pie} I A 11 Pontypridd A „ 18 Gloucester { H

tv.---Chit-Chit. ,-