Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 16 June 1952, page 8


Wet helps Saints

to first victory

ST. KILDA, more adept at handling the wet ball and showing

occasional spasms of system, gained its first victory of the season by beating Footscray on a muddy Yallourn oval on Saturday.

The «round had been in excellent condition on Fri-day, but heavy rain which be^an 24 hours before the match left large sheels of

water.

A curtain-raiser between Footscray fifths and Central G i p p s 1 a n d schoolboys churned up sections of the oval into mud patches.

Heavy rain, driven by a strong easterly wind, made conditions dismal for the 3,500 spectators who huddled round the fences, protected by umbrellas.

Few players could handle the wet ball, but exceptions were Bloom, Squire, and Nisbet,, of St. Kilda, and Martin and Donald, of Foot-, scray, who turned many Saints' attacks.

Footscray never settled down as a team; St. Kilda only occasionally. There were few lofty kicks because of the sodden ball, and never any inspired barracking.

Footscray started well, with Whitten getting, a gaol in the first five minutes. However, it failed to score again until the third quarter.

St. Kilda broke through to make the game safe in the

second quarter to add four goals to nil.

Only a drastic improve-ment in Footscray's play in the second half could have pulled it up to St. Kilda.

Footscray did improve in the last quarter to add three gxials to one, but St. Kilda al-ways appeared to have the reserve to match anything Footscray could' do on the day.

ST. KILDA. . . . 7-7 (40) FOOTSCRAY . . . 5-4 (34)

liest: ST. KILDA: llloom. Itnss, Squire. Nlshet, Wolnarski, I'hillips. rOOTSCKAV: Martin, Donald, KORers, Kosh, »ryden, Alilicy.

Goals: ST. KILDA: McDonald (:;). Ross, Mulhall, Langdon, Squire, Davidson. Footscray: Whitten ('!), Itocers, Kduards. Donald.

Umpire: »I.IJMFIFI.U. TaltiiiRs: .c:i.-.0.