The seventh
international match between representatives of the Rose and Shamrock
was decided on Saturday on the grounds of the Ulster Football Club, at
Ballynafeigh, Belfast. The weather was very fine, the ground was in
capital condition, and upwards of 7,000 spectators witnessed the
contest. England, having won the toss, elected to play with the wind,
and punctually at half-past three M'Vicker
started the leather. A pass to Peden was stopped by Holmes, and that
player sent the leather well down to Dewhurst and Hodgetts. The
pressure, however, was relieved by the Irish backs. Gaussen then made
a splendid run down the visitors' territory, but the advantage was
only momentary, for Walters tackled, and a splendid run to within 20
yards of the Irish goal was followed by a corner, but nothing
resulted. Two minutes later Dewhurst and Hodgetts getting well on,
thirty yards from Lawther, the former scored the first goal for
England. Scarcely had the ball been set in motion than Allen, of the
Aston Villa, scored. Afterwards Gaussen had a splendid dribble down
the field, and out of a scrummage in front of Roberts Crone shot the
first goal for Ireland. A nice lot of play followed, in which the
English forwards were conspicuous, and six minutes before half time
Allen, of Aston Villa, added goal No. 3 to England's score. Twice
afterwards Lawther had to throw out, and the whistle sounded a few
moments later with the score�England, three goals; Ireland, one goal.
Lindley restarted play, and the leather travelled within ten yards of
Lawther, and for the next four minutes it was kept dangerously near
the Irish citadel, each wing having a corner. Both, however, proved
ineffectual, and Gaussen and Stanfield getting away Roberts had to
fist out. Again and again the forwards charged to the opposite end of
the field, and Allen, of Aston Villa, from a corner, registered a
fourth goal for the representatives of the Rose. A siege front of the
English goal followed, but it was of short duration, for after Roberts
had fisted out once, Hodgetts got on, and passing to Lindley, that
player notched a fifth goal for his side. From this point to the
finish Ireland had the best of play, hands and off side being
repeatedly given against the visitors by the referee, and worse still,
several ugly fouls were credited to the Englishmen, but the game
throughout was characterised by the best of good humour on both sides,
and applause was very impartially bestowed. Coming near the end each
team alternately pressed very hard but nothing further resulted, and
when time was called the game stood—England, five goals; Ireland, one
goal.
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Halifax defeated the
holders, Wakefield Trinity, at Leeds, to win the Yorkshire Cup, which had
become the first rugby knockout competition. Both clubs would join the Rugby
League seven years later, when it split from the Rugby Union.
It was on 6 April 1888
that five men were killed at Douglas Bank Colliery in Wigan. Three of them
were being lowered into the shaft in a large iron bucket when the wires
broke and they plummeted onto others down below. |