Women’s Hockey Canterbury Beats Wellington, 1-0

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30201, 5 August 1963, Page 13

Women’s Hockey Canterbury Beats Wellington, 1-0

In a very scrappy representative women’s hockey match played at Hospital Comer on Saturday, Canterbury beat Wellington by scoring the only goal in the match. But such was the poor quality of the hockey that neither team deserved to win and a draw would have been a more satisfactory result.

The match was played between the two provinces’ K Cup teams. Canterbury changed its team in the second half and gave the emergencies a game. The teams were:—

Wellington: J. Bowden: J McLean. R. Fisher; M Doig (captain), A Gordon. H. Presswood; M Kinrad. Y. Mcßae. C. Doile, 1. Hollaed. J, Boyd. Canterbury: B. Makinson; J. Gunn. Y. Turner; A. Ruston. L. Watson, J Witte; P Anderson, M O’Brien. H. Walker (captain). J. Davies. L. Kearns. In the second half, D. Eddy replaced Anderson. A Rouse replaced Witte, and G. Phillips came into centreforward. Walker replacing Davies as inside-left Possibly the reason for Canterbury's superiority was that whereas Wellington was composed almost entirely of players whose object was to hit the ball as hard as possible, the home team did have some players who gave some thought to their passing However, what made for the untidiness of much of Canterbury's play was the fact that constructive players were mixed with some less so. Probably the most encouraging display from the Canterbury point of view was that given by the left-back. Y. Turner. Early in the game, she was given all the confidence she needed by the hesitancy of the Wellington right flank attack and later, by the very loose dribbling of the visiting teams forwards. B. Mackinson was as imperturbable as ever in Canterbury's goal but the third o.f the defensive trio J Gunn (right-back), rarely looked the part.

Th* Canterbury half-line played a fairly solid all-round game, although the Wellington forwards' tactics assisted them As a rule, the dribbling was not close enough to the stick, or else the ball was hit hard enough for the backs to deal with it comfortably.

Both left-halves used. J. Witte (first half) and A. Rouse, impressed with their cool dealing with Wellington's right, and they started fresh attacks from what were defensive positions L. Watson (centre-half) had an easy day because of the failure of the Wellington insideforwards to mount thoughtful and skilful attacks. However, she did have quite a lot of retrieving to do. and thia she did well. Onlv in the last quarter of the game did the Canterbury

forward line look Ilka a representative one By then Canterbury—and especially Watson with M. O'Brien (inside-right) and Ruston showing up well also—was making a really concerted effort to get tire ball out. and D. Eddv iwmgi took her chances well.

The ball was being placed just in front of her ana trapping it perfectly. she would be away on those long, searching thrusts that are so characteristic of her play. Only once in the first half was P.’ Anderson given a similar chance, and on that occasion she penetrated to the Wellington goal.

The other forwards were not as impressive, but had their brief moments. J. Davies (In-side-left in the first half) was the only Canterbury forwaid who back-tackled consistently. H, Walker started spiritedly, but as the play of the Wellington centre-half A Gordon, improved, so she faded G. Phillips gave a lot of thrust to the midfield when she came on in the second half, but did not see so much ball because the rightwing was being brought into play then, while L. Kearns I left-wing i gave a quite impressive display in the first half.

The best of the defenders—particularly in Hie first half—was the left-back. R Fisher. Her stopping was clean and her tackling effective. J. Bowden (goalie) made some excellent stops but caused some anxious moments by taking her time over kicking the ball clear. The right-back. J McLean, was not as effective as Fisher

Gordon plugged some of the gaps in the midfield well, but the two wine-halve, were not nearly as impressive. H Presswood (left) bad an average sort of first half, but when Eddv appeared, she ws« cut almost completely out of the picture Boyd (left-wing, was easily Wellington's outstanding forward. She was the one forward to show any ball-control, but her play suffered through lack of support near the Canterbury goal Halfway through the second half Walker put in a goal from a narrow angle from left. The umpires were Mrs M. McGregor (Canterbury) and Mist R. Sparkea (Wellington).