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DISTRESSING ACCIDENT ATI I…

LOCAL FOOTBALL MATCHES: I

BURRY PORT SCHOOLS. A

THE MYNYDD MAWR RAILWAY COMPANY.

LOWERING OF POOR-LAW MEDICALOFFICERS'…

! THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE…

TRAGIC OCCURRENCE IAT STRADEY.

A BAD PRACTICE AT LLANELLY.i

I ACCIDENT IN THE STREET.…

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ABERAVON GO UNDER. )

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ABERAVON GO UNDER. ) A DECISIVE VICTORY FOR THE SCARLETS. r [BY OUR SPORTING CORRESPONDENT.] I The Scarlets achieved a magnificent victory over Aberavon on Saturday. Not only did they achieve a magnificent victory, but their play constituted a brilliant exposition of the game. They seemed to be enjoying a veritable "afternoon out," their performances being as fine as anything I have seen either at Stradey or elsewhere for a long time. Their display was simply brilliant from staet to close, especially after the first ten minutes or so, which were occupied in order to enable them to get into tkeir stride. If the sospan has been cracked, it is gratifying, at any rate, to know that the Scarlets have not bated one jot of heart or hope and know how to play football as much now as ever. This is eminently satisfactory and shews that the members of the team are true sportsmen. In fact, very little has been spoken of in football circles at Llanelly since the defeat by Gloucester than the rare sportsmanlike spirit shewn by the Llanelly team after the oracking of the pot. Badger especially has come in for great praise, his excellent behaviour immediately after the match and since having been highly and deservedly praised by all sections of the sporting fraternity at Llanelly. It seems a bit incongruous that the defeat of the team should have actually added to the reputation of the captain. This, however, is just what has occurred, and upon closer examina- tion, I think my readers will agree with me that there is, after all, nothing essentially incongruous between the two facts, It is adversity that tries the man, and out of the trial Owen Badger has come with flying colours. I don't think I am wrong in stating that the Llanelly football fraternity are prouder of their team to-day than they have ever been during the season. This is saying a great deal, but I believe it to be true moreover, this is a fact respecting which I desire to congratulate both the team and their partizans. There can be no doubt that some people were disposed to entertain a fear that Aberavon would give us a heap of trouble, more, perhaps, than we would be able to cope with. Fortunately, their fears were groundless. It will be remembered that last season it was Aberavon that fell into the initial crack in the sospan and simply tore it asunder. It is curious that this season a lso it should be our lot to meet the Aberavon men soon after the first defeat sustained during the season. This coincidence might have had something to do with the prevalent fear that the strangers were going to prove a hard nut to crack, together with the fact that before last Saturday there never has. I think, been an occasion when Llanelly have scored very heavily against Aberavon. The visitors came down a strong lot with the fairly confident hope of being able to work in another crack in the sospan. They expected, if I am not mistaken, to hold a definite advantage forward and at half-back, but were prepared to take a back seat at three-quarter. As a matter of fact, there was not a department of the game where they held an advantage. They were beaten badly fore and aft. On the day's form, the scarlets were simply irresistible and could not be withstood. f The afternoon was beautifully fine, and the turf was as dry as a nut—conditions which certainly favoured our style of play. A fairly strong wind, however, was blowing down the slope, and it was against this that the Scarlets had to contend in the initial portion of the game. In connection with this wind also, the homesters made the only error in tactics which I saw during the whole of the match-I refer to the profitless practice of kicking in which some of the Scarlet backs in- dulged in the teeth of the wind. This, as may be imagined, was no good. On the contrary, it meant disaster, for when the ball got into the Aberavon ranks, the retnrn was two-fold as valuable as the kick up. It seems strange, in view of the splendid victory which the homesters eventually obtained, that in the early portion of the game, I mean the first ten minutes or so, the homesters appeared to be having the worst of the encounter, and I heard the dolorous conclusion on more than one hand that another defeat was in store for the Scarlets. Aberavon, there can be no doubt, started well, and made a series of determined assaults on the home goal. One of these was successful, and Sellaway scored in the corner. However, it was a soft try along the touch line, the Scarlets making apparently little effort to prevent their opponents getting over. This drawing of first blood stirred up the zeal and determination of the Scarlets, who thenceforward gave the visitors an exceedingly warm time of it. From now on, Llanelly were fairly in their stride, and try as they would, the Glamorganshire men could do very little against them. Before half-time had come, Morgan Williams had registered a couple of beautiful tries, and he led off the second half by putting on another just as neat right under the posts. By this time the visitors were a badly beaten lot, and until the end of the game they never had another look in. The defeat became a rout. In the last ten minutes Aberavon were quite demoralised. It is scarcely necessary to enter into great detail in criticism of the play, for at all points of the game Llanelly had a lot in band. It was expected that the visitors would hold an advantage forward. All I have to say is that I didn't see any of it. At half-back, Danny Jones, the International, was fairly worsted by little Dai Davies. It was a treat, indeed, to watch the skill and resource exhibited by the Llanelly pair at half-back. As to the three-quarters our men were far and away the more meritorious. At fullback, Joe Davies did some clever things at times, but I am constrained to confess that he was run pretty closely by his vis-a-vis. Brafo Llanelly A" team. On Saturday they met Kisca at Neath in the final tie for the South Wales Challenge Cup and came off victors by a splendid score.

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