Hockey Reps Missed Canterbury Has Win

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31774, 3 September 1968, Page 17

Hockey Reps Missed Canterbury Has Win

(New Zealand Press Association)

WANGANUI.

Whangarei, co-champion in a marathon final with Canterbury last year, began poorly in its bid to win the Challenge Shield outright for the first time since 1964, on the first day of the national men’s hockey championships in Wanganui yesterday.

Canterbup’, sadly missing its eight Olympic players, managed a 1-0 win against Wellington to give it a fine chance of again reaching the semifinals.

In a thrilling start to a tournament affected by the absence of the Olympic squad members, Auckland scored a last-minute goal to beat Whangarei, 4-3. The fast, free-flowing match was the highlight of a dav of low scoring. Only three goals were scored in the other three Challenge Shield matches. Rothman's Cup A below-form Wanganui team had to struggle all the wav to edge out Waikato, the Rothmans Cup division win-

ner last year, by a similar margin.

Hawke’s Bay and Otago fought out a dour, scoreless draw.

The standard of hockey never reached the expected level yesterday, in spite of firm grounds, and an afternoon free of showers. Many of the teams were still settling down, and better play is expected today. Big Scores In contrast to the major division, goals came quickly in the Rothmans Cup section. Manawatu and Wairarapa had walk-over wins in their respective divisions, Manawatu 5-0 at the expense of Marlborough, and Wairarapa 7-0 over a hapless West Coast side. Returning to the tournament after a long absence, Air Force caused a pleasant surprise with its style of play in beating Southern Minors, 2-0. The upset of the minor division was Taranaki’s scoreless draw with Wanganui B, which entered the tournament only at the last minute after the withdrawal of the Southern Minors B side. Both sections of the tournament are run on a pool system, the first two teams in each section advancing to championship semi-final play after the completion of the three round-robin games tomorrow afternoon. Results: — Challenge Shield Pool A.—Canterbury 1 (R. Best). Wellington 0; Wanganui 1, Waikato 0. Points.—Canterbury 2. Wanganui 2. Waikato 0. Wellington 0. Pool B.—Auckland 4, Whangarei 3: Hawke's Bay 0, Otago 0. Points.—Auckland 2, Hawke's Bay 1. Otago 1, Whangarei 0. Rothman's Cup Pool A.—Air Force 2. Southj ern Minors 0; Wairarapa 7, West Coast 0. Points. —Air Force 2. Wairarapa 2. West Coast 0, Southern Minors 0. Pool B.— Manawatu 5, Marlborough 0; Taranaki 0, Wanganui B 0. Points.— Manawatu 2. Taranaki 1, Wanganui B 1, Marlborough 0.