HOCKEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 231, 30 September 1930, Page 14

HOCKEY.

UNIVERSITY AT WARKWORTH BEATEN BY EODNEY. J Taking advantage of having a bye in the Dcvonport Shield competition, University, winners of the Davis Cup contest, journeyed to Warkworth last Saturday, and met the Rodney representatives. The game was played on a heavy ground, while several showers during the course of play rendered the turf treacherous, with the result that the ball was difficult to control. Despite the difficulties, University had as much of the iirst spell exchanges as liodney, but where the students could not take advantage of opportunities Rodney seized every chance and wound up the iirst half four goals to the good, while University failed to open their account. After the interval the students changed their tactics, abandoning their usual mode of play and adopting more elementary methods of the hit hard and rush order, and held the upper hand throughout. Good defence by the country backs and goalie, and poor circle work for the visitors, nullified most of their efforts, however. Bestie and Blake finished off a couple of sorties by putting the sphere into the net, but they were not able to overtake Rodney's total, and the game finished in favour of the Northerners by four goals to two. Hampered by the indifferent nature of the turf, the students did not reproduce the form that brought so much success in the city. They made more progress when the van indulged in loose raiding, and certainly deserved better luck than only two goals, lor their attack kept Wyatt, the Rodney goalie, on the move. Snapshots by Seelens and Bcstic grazed the goal-posts. The Rodney defence proved sound throughout. Toinlinson and Beresford were an even and capable pair of fullbacks. The halves stood up to the University attacks, although Smith had a tendency to wander inwards. All the forwards worked well as a line, the Grimmer pair being outstanding. T. Grimmer netted three goals and F. Grimmer the other. Crawley appeared to be anchored in the mud during the iirst spell, and the Rodney goals, though engineered, werefairly simple efforts. Ellison proved tho better of the full-backs. Brown injured his left hand and was forced to rely on the other. Radcliffe was the best of the halves. Noakes did well considering the state of the ground. Story had a tough proposition in trying to bottle up Grimmer and Matthews. The forwards worked hard without combination, although Seelens and Bestie endeavoured to get some cohesion in the line. Mr. L. C. Kent, president of the Auckland Hockey Association, accompanied the University team, and with Mr. P. Smith controlled the game. At the social tendered to the visitors Mr. Kent, at the request of the Rodney Hockey Association, presented Matakana with the Civil Bros.' Cup, a trophy competed for annually by the clubs comprising the local association. The winning team wen through the competition unbeaten.