Compost Heaps Hinder Hockey Matches

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31043, 26 April 1966, Page 15

Compost Heaps Hinder Hockey Matches

The second round of the Canterbury Hockey Association’s senior competition was played on Saturday in excellent weather. The three matches at the Polo Grounds were adversely affected by the compost heaps on the fields, but the Ham ground, of adequate proportion, wort a crew-cut, which greatly assisted stickwork.

Scores:— University 2, Woolston A 2. High School Old Boys 1, Harewood 1. Hagley Old Boys 6, Woolston B 0. Sydenham 2, Selwyn 0. Competition points:—Hagley Old Boys 2, Harewood li, High School Old Boys U, Selwyn 1, Sydenham 1, Woolston A J, University i, Woolston BJ. UNIVERSITY V. WOOLSTON A Both teams tmpreved on their performances of the previous round, and indulged in a match which was evenly poised throughout, which provided some good stickwork and dribbling, several pleasing movements, and such an Intensity of back-tackling and harassing as to force many players Into error. University played with a determination which suggested ultimate victory, but Woolston brought such pressure to bear In the final 29 minutes, during which B Judge on the rightwing exerted an influence which was diabolical to the students, that It was able to effect a draw. R. UcHarg blocked and kicked with great power in the University goal, and C. Ineson, at leftback. tackled successfully, eluded opponents neatly, and passed somewhat erratically. At right-half E, Holstein covered well, trapped with certainty, and made some fine passes. In the centre S. Malster was Invaluable on defence, but In midfield play was often the victim of indiscreet use by his colleagues. At Inside-right J. Christensen often wove an Intricate path through a maze of flailing opponents. B. Malster at centreforward, hunted more vigorously, and his close dribbling was frequently most penetrating. On the left-wing L. Hutch'.son used his speed to advantage. showed Improved ball control. and provided a degree of back-tackling which was almost strategic in Its importance and Influence. For Woolston J. Abrams produced one of his best games, his tackling and covering being of vital importance to his team's defence. The centre-half, S Gillespie, made a useful contribution because of his persistence In feeding the right flank, a virtue which was duplicated by P, Bygrave at inside'eft especially in the second half, when he played most unselfishly, At Inside-right N. Hobson was always available to his backs and halves, and he dribbled well, although subiected to some useful marking by I. Bishop. Judge's noise, balance, ball control and skilful Judgment of distance in dribbling vastly troubled University, whose defence In the late stages met with little success In switching the Play from his area. Goals ♦or University were scored by Christensen and Bishop, and Judge and B. Aldridge scored for Woolston A. Umpires: Messrs M. R. Good and W. Perry. HIGH SCHfIOL »LO BOYS V. HAREWOOD This match also provided an even struggle, tn which the respective forward lines showed some lack of finish in the circle. Both teams sought supremacy by the imposition of a right flank attack, but neither could establish the pattern with sufficient consistency nor fluency. So successfully did the defences prevail that the first goal by Harewood did not eventuate until late in the game; there was, however, sufficient time for Old Boys to equalise, and it was fitting that A. Patterson should be the agent, because of his sound display and dominant role in his team’s activities. His left-back, D. Warren, nlayed soundly and blocked C. Broadhurst, the Harewood rightwing, cleverly, and C. Francis, the right-half, was often a useful medium for developing attacks. The stickwork and tactical sense of T. Burrowes at In-side-left made him the most prominent of the forwards. The Harewood backs, J. Bate and L. Innes, were fairly successful on defence, although rather hesitant at times, and G Baldwin trapped, evaded, and nassed ably at right-naif. At inside-right 6. Stanton was often quietly effective, but his partner. Broadhurst, did not achieve the same penetration of the previous round. In the centre D. Lloyd dribbled neatly but met with early molestation, and the exuberance of H. Kerrigan at In-side-left could net overcome the obstlnaney of T. Iggo's defence. Harewood's goal was. however, scored by him. Umpires: Mr E. Ambler and D. L. Berry. SYDENHAM V. SELWYN I This match was characterised by repeated exhortations to some person not designated to render assistance to the player with the ball. Usually they were unheeded. Most attempts to seek unmarked positions were half-hearted, wtth the result that possession of the ball became an embarrassment from which escape was sought by its

swift donation to tho opposition. < Rallies were frequently mono- J tonoutly prolonged. . J However, Sydenham deserved ' to win because of the pressure ' it was able to exert as a result i of the failure of the Selwyn for- .< wards to remove the play from < their team’s half of the ground: I The Sydenham left-back, M. •< Bennett, dealt promptly and : effectively with the rare sorties prosecuted in his area, and A. . Bhana dribbled neatly at , centre-half and injected into the i proceedings some accurate j passes of considerable subtlety. It was left to the Sydenham for- , ward, M. McKinnon, to seal SOI- ■ wyn’s fate by emerging twice : from the general contretemps with some effective and determined dribbling which he capped with successful shots at 1 goal Seiwyn’s performance suggested the need for serious consideration of a right flank strategy, considerable improvement in trapping and passing, and a higher standard of physical fitness. Umpires: Messrs D, Lloyd and D. Warren. HAGLEY OLD BOYS v. WOOLSTON B A stricter application of the

obstruetlen rule in the second half enabled Hagley to ineraasa its lead from on* to six goals. The Hagley defence was seldom tested. This was fortunate because tt assembled with ponderous dignity, undisturbed by th* unsaemly haste of back-tackling forwards who ver* never in *vid*nee. There wa* an impression of a lack of fitn***. Hagley scored It* goals on th* occasions when Its forwards recalled th* virtues of passing, but there was an absence of (peed in the launching and delivery of attack*. There hi merit, however, in effective switching of the atteck t»om' to right by Paul Clark and K. Fletcher. Woolston B defended with determination. but its attacks were individual rather than group efforts. R. Campbell again trapped soundly at rightback, and K. Millard was prominent at left-half. K. Mong dribbled well on the right-wing, but his breaks usually lacked support. Goals for Hagley Old Boys were scored by K. Thomson (3>. Peter Clark <2>, and Paul Clark. Umpires: Messrs D. Holland and M. Dailey.