S.I. Hockey Win Was Canterbury Success

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31162, 12 September 1966, Page 15

S.I. Hockey Win Was Canterbury Success

As if to emphasise more clearly its dominance in the New Zealand Challenge Shield hockey tournament at Dunedin, the Canterbury team changed its uniform and its name on Saturday, and, as the South Island team, inflicted a crushing defeat upon the North Island.

Even the substantial margin of three goals to nil could not indicate the vast amount of time which was spent within the North Island 25-yard area, with the South probing deeply time after time. The players of both teams were obviously affected by the fatigue of a strenuous week, and the match was played in sedate manner. However, this did not detract from the quality of the hockey. It tended to increase constructive play by producing many pleasing passing move, ments, and it was a credit to the North Island that it attempted to rival the South in the use of such methods. South’s dominance was the result of its greater experience and skill, and represented a tribute to and a triumph for Canterbury’s traditional style. The teams were:—

South Island.— J. Monk: A. Patterson (captain), B. Turner; S. G. Malster. K. Thomson, P. Clark; B. Judge, W. Thomson, B. Malster, J. Christensen, B. Aldridge. North Island.— R. McPherson; J. Capey, I. Free; J. Palmer, J. AnsJow (captain), C. Robertson; J. Borren, A. Mclntyre, J. Hicks, P. Byers, B. Rogers. For South the trapping, tackling, eluding and passing of Turner were invaluable skills under pressure, and Patterson gave him useful support, although requiring rather more space for manoeuvre. S. Maister’s close stickwork and sound positioning enabled him

to combine most effectively with his right flank and with his centre-half, K. Thomson, who gave the forwards a bountoeus service from many parts of the field, being able to indulge his wanderlust freely because of South’s superiority. Clark was a stubborn left-half, but somewhat slow at times in returning to deep defence. As in the provincial final, Judge was the dominant forward, he dribbled with poise and balance, frequently threading an intricate path through clusters of opponents, who appeared often to be bemused as to the whereabouts of the ball. He was in a class of his own, but W. Thomson proved a satisfactory partner and understudy. He, too, dribbled well, made valuable appearances in the defence, and provided Judge with many opportunities for his mesmerism. B. Malster achieved an increase in his quota of productive passes and checked his tendency to over-dribble. Obviously lacking experience, he nevertheless showed some promise. The fetching and carrying of Christensen were graced by such close control that he converted mundane chores into artistic accomplishment. As the game progressed the North half-line found itself less and less able to cope with the stickwork of these four forwards. McPherson made some vital saves in the North goalmouth, but his backs failed to. achieve much accuracy in their passing, and the halves were at best spasmodic in feeding their forwards. At times they met with success by using lateral passes. The nature of, the play often pulled Palmer out of position, but he and Anslow showed some useful stickwork in flashes. Occasionally Borren made some headway on the wing, but the forwards lacked that skill in passing which was needed for achieving the fluency of their opponents. Individually, they back-tackled well enough, but their immature passing prevented them from emerging from the areas of siege. The ground was very heavy, a factor which further reduced

the tempo of the game, and thereby was of benefit to the South. K. Thomson scored two goals for the South with excellent shots from penalty corners, and added a third with a rapacious leap upon a loose ball in the North circle. On the basis of Whangarei’s display in the provincial final, it was hard to understand the omission of the Whangarei wings, D. Deeming and T. Blake, from the North Island team.