Leading Hockey Teams Progress

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31991, 19 May 1969, Page 15

Leading Hockey Teams Progress

In the sixth round of the Canterbury senior hockey competition on Saturday there appeared to be a general malaise afflicting all teams in the expression of their technical skills, and none produced the form previously achieved on better days. Two matches were adversely affected by the bumpy surfaces at the Polo Grounds, but the teams’ methods were not well adapted to coping with these, and the trapping of University on a very good field at Ham was equally erratic. The two leading teams, who

will meet in the next round, moved still further ahead of their rivals. Results were:— H. 5.0.8. 1, Harewood 0. University 5, Linwood 0.8. 0. Hagley 0.8. 1, Woolston 0. Sydenham 5, Selwyn 2. Competition points are: University 6, H. 5.0.8. s}, Linwood 0.8. 2i, Hagley 0.8. 2i, Harewood 2, Sydenham 2, Selwyn 2, Woolston IJ. HIGH SCHOOL OLD BOYS V. HAREWOOO

It was difficult to recognise either as a major team in the senior grade. Most players were much too upright, thereby increasing the hazards which the difficult ground imposed upon trapping and stickwork. For most of the match Old Boys were on attack. The Harewood forwards did not link effectively with their defendenrs, who suffered from this anonymity and who were inaccurate when passes were available to them. Hence their clearances failed to develop counter-attack; instead, they were regularly intercepted, and Harewood continued to endure protracted defence, considerably self-imposed. That Old Boys scored only one goal in these circumstances was the fault of the attacking players, who made many errors in their dribbling and passing. The ground always appeared to be remote, and when the ball behaved eccentrically on it there was no chance of any adjustment in stickwork. Of the Old Boys forwards each dribbled at times with some penetratiion, and there were flashes of combination which promised more than they fulfilled. In the midfield, M. Kidd, A. Patterson, T. Wall and G. Marshair roamed at will, being seldom challenged, but only Wall suggested any attitude of urgency, and he was the most constructive.

J. Bate again defended strongly for Harewood, but his partner, E. Clarke, was prone to place the ball on his left without much success in recovering it with the reverse stick. G. Haste, in a purely defensive role at centre-half, held up some attacks, and the covering of A. Chesney was invaluable, even if his stickwork was hampered by his height. The best of the forwards was K. Kiernan, but his contribution was also defensive, and he lacked support. The winning goal was scored by R; Bailey. Umpires: Messrs R. Bowden (Timaru) and R. H. Campbell. UNIVERSITY v. LINWOOD OLD BOYS

In the absence of four regular players, University fielded a makeshift forward line, with a rearrangement of its halfbacks. Its style was not affected, but the trapping was uncertain, and several passes were missed when the road to goal was opened. At other times, Linwood defenders swarmed, and the best features of Linwood’s play were the shortpassing movements which took the team from deep defence to midfield attack. However, the Linwood for-

wards found the positional play of the University wing-halves, A. Ines on and E. Holstein, a major obstacle, ano the swift anticipation and movement of S. Maistcr in Ithe centre, allied to his close stickwork, prevented Linwood from gaining much ground. The speed of the University forwards always worried Linwood. Their dribbling was diffi-, cult to check, but there was some lack of fluency through misunderstandings concerning the whereabouts of those who were running off the ball. However, University’s best movements were very good, and their pressure made the goals inevitable.

P. Ackerley, on the rightwing, chased far and often at speed, and not always in vain. His partner, J. Christensen, was as elusive as ever, but his ability to strike was greatly reduced by poor trapping. M. Thomson made a reappearance at centre-forward, and harried Linwood throughout. B. Maister, at inside-left, was deep enough at times to cover his backs, and he patched up many an untidy litter in this area. Moreover, he retained sufficient capacity for attack with excellent stickwork in the opposing circle to score three goals. Linwood was often frustrated by the mobility of R. Campbell at right-back, who appeared to undertake the covering of all other players. The Linwood backs, K. Budhia and I. Stanton, checked many attacks, and the three halves.

P. Bhana, A. Best and B. Bhana, emerged with credit. Many times they extricated themselves, from considerable difficulty with neat inter-passing. The back-tackling of. D. Small, C. Bhana and M. Lumsden was tireless and devoted, but they lacked sufficient combination to escape far. University’s other.goals were scored by M. Thomson and T. Crossen. Umpires: Dr L. McH. Berry and Mr E. Etwell (Timaru). SYDENHAM V. SELWYN This match was a form of negative revival for Sydenham, which won decisively without playing particularly well. However, it did deserve success because it possessed the better cohesion when such was achieved. The Selwyn defence was unusually inept, only A. Waters showing much solidity and K. Cherry applying some commonsense to the general tenets of positional requirements. The Selwyn forwards tended to coagulate, but R. Best, in a schizophrenic role of forward and half, was clearly the best player on the field. For Sydenham, the backs, A. Kirwan and R. Fergus, were sound and safe, and B. Trethewey, at centre-half, was useful in. that position, if puzzled at times as to policy when the opposing centre-forward gave help to his wings. D. Petherbridge gained much ground with dribbling, perhaps more than should have been permitted, and the harassing of C. Woods was more rewarding than usual. Sydenham’s best forward was D. Kirwan, who controlled the ball with promise of future ability, although he tended

later to be impressed by a speed-at-all-costs atmosphere. Goals were scored for Sydenham by D. Kirwan (2), C. Woods, C. Nimmo, and B. Hall, and I. Brown and C. Hill scored for Selwyn. Umpires: Messrs K. Thomson and P. Clarke. HAGLEY OLD BOYS V. WOOLSTON Achieving enough to hold Woolston in some check, Hagley retaliated at a pedestrian pace reminiscent of a stately procession of Druid priests. By dignified manoeuvring the Hagley forwards were able to nestle gently against opponents and to force some penalty corners for obstruction. From one of these K. Thomson scored a goal, thereby granting the solemn proceedings a statistical significance. Occasionally a Woolston attack would burst forth at running speed, rudely shattering the sylvan harmony of an otherwise peaceful, rustic scene, and seriously disturbing the sedate ceremony with which Hagley was wont to assemble its defence. Hagley experienced some difficulty in convincing B. Aldridge. of Woolston, that he was not taking part in a hockey match. Umpires: Messrs T. E. Eggleton and L. Lloyd. Lower-Grade Hockey Lower grade men’s hockey results on Saturday were: Senior Reserve A.—Harewood 2, Hagley 1; R.N.Z.A.F. 7, University 3. Senior Reserve B.—Woolston 1, Selwyn 1; University 9, Burnham 1. Second Grade.—Harewood 1, High School Old Boys 0; Teachers’ College 5, Selwyn 2; Sydenham 3, Linwood 2. Secondary Schools.—Hagley 3, Linwood A 2. Third Grade.—Harewood beat University by default; Eastern Suburb 1, Roileston House 1; Sydenham beat Lincoln College by default. Fourth Grade.—Sydenham 6, Selwyn B 2; Emulous 6, Selwyn A 3; Hagley 4, Hornby 2; Harewood 4, Linwood 2. Fifth Grade.—Christchurch Boys’ High beat St Andrews College by default; Shirley beat College House by default. Under-16.—Hillmorton 14, Kaiapoi 0; Shirley beat Redcliffs by default. Under-14.—Shirley 2, Woolston A 2; Eastern Suburbs A 10. Selwyn 0. Under-12.—Woolston A 6. Woolston B 1; Eastern Suburbs 2, Sydenham 1; Selwyn 2, Harewood 1.