HOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 66, 14 September 1929, Page 22

HOCKEY

By "sticks", ' COSTLY DEFEAT

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

.WELLINGTON SPRING A

SURPRISE

It was distinctly unfortunate for 'Varsity A that, at a time when they were not playing: up to. their usual form they should be matched in a. vitally important game with Wellington. During the season Wellington.have.always been an uncertain, quantity. Against strong teams they have generally done well, and against weak sides'they have given uninspiring . displays., Nobody knew but the players themselves" what they would do when they'met 'Varsity, but it was anticipated in" most quarters that the students with : the championship as good as won would have the better-of the game,, So itseeriiediri the first few minutes,; for the." :'Varsity..". vanguard went through, the. Wellington, defence with ridiculous, ease!, and vvrere. a goal ahead.;before the. spectators had settled down, to; watch, .the...play ".in", earnest. That'-this wasnotjo "be ..taken'as indicating that. fVarßity were to.have-matters all their, own'; way -.was '-shown, in "the subsequent play." "Wellington had" every" bit as" much' i>f. the-game: as.-their bp-r ponents,' ari.d in ..tho writer's, opinion fully deserved their win; Many, scoring chances Went ;'b.egging,. as a result of over-eager centring or through players being out'of position, but■ both sides were equally at fault in those 'respects. Apparently 'Varsity were betrayed by their keenness to win,for their halves with the exception, of M'Leod; and the forwards were disappointing. There wero times "when goals seemed certain but were missed through delay in shooting or some other, fault of which the Varsity forwards were seldom guilty during the season. M'teod was the only half who compensated for the poor showing of his team-mates. Although he himself lacked the brilliance^ of earlier games, he worked likeia Troian particularly in the second spell, when there was a possibility of a. score from several corners. Interested spectators were .members .01 the Karori senior A team, most of whom seemed to relish the idea of a drawn game which would give them a I>lay,ofl -with... 'Varsity. * As - it. turned out, they were suited just as well, if not: better, by 'Varsity's defeat which gavethem the championship.- General-reoret was -expressed that the ,game did not end in a draw, for a match between Varsity and Karori with the championship at stake would have been worth seeing. .-. ' . ' .. Knal Grade Tables. '""■' The following ..tables iho.w .tlie positions of tho teariis iii all grades at-tho" conclnsion.;,,- of.r,- .the „,,.,cqmpetitio"ns. Sticks" is. indebted to"Miv.K. Sword' tor his valuable assistance in compiling these and other tables during the season:— : " ' ■■ ■

Club Championship. The club championiship was won by Karori, University and Hutt being the only other clubs to come within striking distance of the winners. Follow-; ing are the points gained in each grade:—Karori:;Senior A, 48; senior B, 30; junior, 18; third, 22; intermediate, 19■£•;. total, 137 j. University: Senior A, 56; senior B, 20; junior, 18; third, 31; total, 125. Efutt: Senior A, 34; senior B, 42; junior, 45; third, 3; total, 124. Huia: Senior B, 44;' junior, 36; intermediate, 18; total, 98. Wesley: Senior A, 26; senior B, 42; junior, 7J; third, 12;, intermediate, 9; total, 96£. Wellington: Senior A, 38; junior, 49J; third, 6; total, 93J.'; Petone: Senior A, —; senior B, 22; junior, 24; third, 6; total, 52. Y,M.C.A.: Senior A, IS; senior B, 10; junior, 9; intermediate, 5; total, 42. Technical College: Intermediate, 15i. Training College: Senior B, 10. Not a Show of Strength. Mr. C Moore, hon. secretary of the Karqri Club, has sent the following letter to "Sticks" in reference- to thecomment made by a correspondent on the Karori:University B gamc:-y----"In fairness to the Karori Club, I wish to draw your, attention to the fact that the' enthusiast who makes it his business to watch the games at Karori Park evidently neglected his business on the day that University A defeated University B 9-1, or perhaps he minded his own business on that day. The Karori team had no intention, and made no attempt, to ridicule 'the University B team. Had tho Karori players rushed down to the University goal and then deliberately hit tho ball behind or run back to the middle of the field with it, there would have been some reason for the complaint that Karori were out to make their opponents look silly. Perhaps the enthusiast who makes it his business to watch tho games at Karori thinks that each Karori player should have taken tho field with one hand tied behind him, or emulated the worthy stork and pranced round on one leg. The fact that tho Karori players nearly all changed places at half-time should satisfy most reasonably-minded people that Karori were not out to make an unnecessary show oi strength."

Sonior A J. ■ ' Coals Cli Karon ....... u ?{ f ?• '*. University,A .. ll n I I g ". « Wellington .. 14 9 4 1 50 '7 In Wesley ...... 14 6 -T 1 37 sr T, Y.M.C.A 13 3 7 3 23 44 ' !| University B .. 13 2 10 1 u 69 5 Petone ...... 14 0 !4 0 8 3S 0 V 1 Senior B. 1W ....... £ ?• VV?; Wesloy llS 1U 3 1 42 27 21 Hu't 11 0 2 3 21) 10 21 Karorl ...... M , T 6 1 39 24 15 ?el? ne , t • ,13 5 7 1 21 27 11 University .... 13 5 8 0 ,3D 31 10 Tr.ilnins College. 14 2 11 1 19 ■ »B ■ 5 Y.M.C.A. .... 14 2 11 1 19 00 5 Junior. A Section.' : Goals. Ch. I v. W. L. D. i\ A Pts Hlltt. B V> 10 1 1 B 2 m •>{ Wellington B . 12 7 2 3 37 13 17 l'etone .....'.. 13 6 3 4 27 25 1C Hula A .: IS- B 0 1 40 29 13 ; B Section.. , Goals. Ch. V. W. L. D. r. A. Pts Wellington A . • 13 7 4 2 27 22 16 Karori 13 5 6 2 28 '22 12 University ... 12 6 6 0 29 40 12 Hula B ...... 13 ' 4 6 3 22- ' 29 11 Hutt A ...... 13 4 8 1 27 33 : 9 Y.M.C.A.: 12 2 8 2 8 35 •• 6 Wesley ...^._. 12 18 3 15 55 5 Third Grade. - • . Goals. Ch. P. W. L. D. i\ A. Pts. Karort 11 11 0 0 68 1-22 University A .. 12 9 2 1 26 20 19 University B .. 11 6 5 0. 22 23 12 Wesley , 12 5 5 2 29 . 22 12 1'etouo ...... 11 3 8 0 12 27 6 Wellington. ... 12 2 8 2 18 , 36 6 Hutt 11 1 9 1 8 '54 3 The intermediate A and B section tables will be published next week.