HOCKEY Canterbury Begins Tourney With 10-0 Win

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30233, 11 September 1963, Page 17

HOCKEY Canterbury Begins Tourney With 10-0 Win

The first round of the inter-provincial hockey tournament for the New Zealand Challenge Shield was played in pleasant overhead conditions at the Polo Grounds yesterday. Underfoot the surfaces were very heavy, and the thick grass created conditions hostile to close stick-work and speedy dribbling. Two matches were played in each section, with Otago and Whangarei having drawn byes, and the final result in each match was decisive and conclusive.

Results were:— SECTION A: Wellington 4, Ashburton 1 Canterbury 10, Hawke’s Bay 0? SECTION B: Canterbury B 4, Wairarapa 0. Auckland 4, Wanganui 0. WELLINGTON v. ASHBURTON Obviously possessed of much greater experience and maturity Wellington still experienced some difficulty in registering goals. Its territorial advantage was more considerable than the finaii margin suggested, and its failure to express this superiority statistically was partly due to the difficult ground and partly to lack of concentration on the basic skills of trapping and passing.

Inaccuracy ih the delivery’ of the bald provided Ashburton with an unnecessary gratuity, and the liveliness of the southern forwards frequently bustled the Wellington halves into serious error.

In Wellington’s defence, R. Lapworth showed reasonable form, exhibiting the courage of 'optimism in his attempts to use stickwork on an unsympathetic surface, but also being guilty of fly-hitting more than once. His team was not assisted by the form of C. Wallis, at centrehalf, whose passing was lamentable. The best of the forwards was B. Willis, at inside-right,

a conscientious toiler who*e placing of the ball »et a rather neglected example. For Ashburton. K. Abrams was often prominent at righthalf. and B. Wilson, at centrehalf. performed with credit, hi* trapping and passing being the best executed in Ms team. His namesake at centre-forward was the pick of the vanguard. Goals tor Wellington were scored by R. Weetman (2) and P. Byers <2l. and L. Hunt scored for Ashburton. CANTERBURY v. HAWKE'S BAY This match was pdayed on the best of the four grounds tn use. and therefore Canterbury was better able to exploit stickwork and its traditional close passing than the other leading teams Hawke’s Bay was quite inexperienced. lacking in the basic skills, and seemingly possessed of no plan nor pattern nor strategy. At centre-half, for Canterbury. R Gillespie dominated the midfield, and played a fine attacking game, receiving adequate support at times from A. Patterson, who did not always deliver his passes soon enough. B Judge on the right wing was very elusive. Showing speed in the circle and making many openings tor his inside forwards.

N. Hobson was as Industrious as ever at inside-right. his solidity and unselfishness contributing materially to the high score. K. Thomson was outstanding at centre-forward when manoeuvring in the circle and as a swift opportunist, less im-

pro-aave at times in midfield <? Hughes wm easily the best of the Hawke’s Bay team because he did posaeea some stick - work, and it wanton waste to isolate him on the left win*. He shirted later to inside-let!. and coukf benefit hi* team even more at inside-right Goals w ere scored for Canter - by K Thomson <«). P Clark (3). and L. Smith. CANTKRBL’RY V. WAIIIAJtAPA Tliere was a staccato tempo to th* play in this match which proceeded by fit* and atari*, the ground seriously interfering with the fluency which Canterbury was attempting, and Wairarapa rarely rising above toe level of hopeful spoiling Canterbury’s superiority in stickwork allowed it to place the ball with greater deliberation.

Uoyd covered weU and passed to good Effect. and D Shepherd at centre-half was most constrtictive in a restrained role. On the left J. Kiddey was a major stumbling block to Wairarapa's progress, hi* tackling being swift and sure, and there was considerable promise in the performance of D Petherldge on the right-wing who uaed his speed sensibly and creatively. The dribbling of R. Best at in-side-left made him the most penetrative forward on the field.

The young Wairarapa goalkeeper. K Henson, appeared hesitant at time*, and there was much of the gambler's outlook in some of hl* speculative kicking. The best of the defenders was the experienced R lorn* at left-back. Goals for Canterbury B were scored by R. Best (2) and B. Monk (2). AUCKLAND v. WANGANUI Possessed of better stickwork and more used to the tempo of representative hockey Auckland dominated much of the play, but a stubborn defence supplemented by rather frantic method* by the Auckland forward* refused to yield goal* until fairly lata In the game Auckland's defence was soundly based upon the efforts of B. Whineray at right-back who covered his partner, I. Free, ably. J. Anslow on the right was the best of the halves, with R. Goul ding In the centre making use of the liberal supply of ball heaped upon him by generous opponents, and G Atwell on the left eluding markers with touches of stickwork.

Goals for Auckland were scored by M. Wallan 2). N. Hayde and K Wagstaff.