High School Old Boys Avenge Hockey Defeat

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32383, 24 August 1970, Page 7

High School Old Boys Avenge Hockey Defeat

In the eighteenth round of the senior championship on Saturday High School Old Boys avenged an earlier defeat by Hagley Old Boys, consolidated their position in the competition and made a slight advance upon University, which lost narrowly to Harewood-Burnside.

Six representative players were missing from University’s ranks, and those who replaced them were feeling the effects of play throughout the week in the inter-universities’ tournament at Palmerston North. In these circumstances University's resistance was admirable. The scores in the other two matches were a reflection of the fortunes during the season of the four teams concerned, each of which has been somewhat inconsistent Results were:— High School Old Boys 1, Hagley Old Boys 0. Harewood-Bnrnside 1, University 0. Linwood Old Boys 1, Woolston 0. Selwyn 6, Sydenham 3. Competition points, with goals for and against, are: University 15 (54-15), High School Old Boys 12J (30-20), Hagley Old Boys 101 (33-31), Linwood Old Boys 9j (29-26),

L Harewood-Burnside 8 (18-24), , Woolston 7 (23-31), Selwyn 6 (28-36), Sydenham 3j (26-59). H. 5.0.8. v. Hagley 0.8. In the first half Hagley had the better of the play and was superior in combination and control, but for much of the second half Old Boys reversed the proceedings. In the final phase Hagley made desperate efforts to equalise, and almost on time failed to convert a penalty stroke. However, Old Boys had also misled a similar opportunity earlier in the game. The Old Boys defence was dominated by D. H. Warren at right-back, E. Barnes at centrehalf and M. Kidd at right-half. The trapping, eluding and passing thwarted Bagley’s attacks, and ultimately developed an increased aggression in the Old Boys forward line. S. Parry at left-back was troubled by the dribbling of W. A. Thomson, and faulty footwork on a muddy ground caused undue undercutting by G. Marshall. At inside-right T. Burrows inspired Old Boys’ attacks, and he covered many other areas in addition to his own. His dribbling and passing were good, and his sense of opportunism produced the only goal of the match. The left flank enjoyed a peaceful afternoon, but G. Brittain at centre-forward ran vast distances off the ball and hunted with a zeal which at times clashed with the offside rule. In the Hagley defence P. Clark was less sound than usual, appearing to be worried by the heavy ground which made his deliberation vulnerable to bustling. In the half-line D. Neate produced his best game of the season. The dribbling of Thomson was frequent, sustained and penetrative, and he often made the opposing defence a thing of shreds and patches. R. Thomson occasionally escaped on the right-wing, threatening without ever achieving the ultimate penetration. Umpires: Messrs T. E. Eggleton and E. Etwell. Harewood-Burnside v. University Although Harewood on the run of play deserved its win,

its success was nearly denied it late in the game when desperate scrambles on the goalline brought salvation. University’s depleted team sought relief in a fairly rigid right-flank policy, which so harrassed Harewood that its success in keeping the ball away from this area for much of the second half was the major factor in its win. University did not play well enough on the left side of the field to cope with the bust-

ling to which it was subjected. In Harewood’s defence S. Cranfield in goal and the backs, J. Bate and E. Clark, were safe and cool. They were well supported by Jhe halves, G. Baldwin and A. Chesney. Baldwin kept the play on his flank with good tackling and neat stickwork, and Chesney covered his backs ably. I. Hill made several fast breaks on the rightwing, and C. Broadhurst produced some useful lateral passes

from the left. The inside forwards, D. Stanton and L. Smith, were usually enveloped by the University defence, but their back-tackling was invaluable. At left-back A, Jackson trapped and passed consistently for University, and E. Holstein at centre-half anticipated many moves, intercepted well, and gave his forwards a service which not all his colleagues could emulate. The dribbling of both A. Borren and G. Chetwin on the right flank deeply eroded Harewood’s defence and might have won the game with better support. They also combined well. In the centre C. Maister was a sufficient threat because of his stickwork to demand careful marking, which Harewood did well to provide. Umpires: Messr W. M. Carr and D. Denniston.

Selwyn v. Sydenham In a season of many close matches and low scores these two teams, when playing each other, have produced an unusual number of goals, and their third meeting brought the tally to 22. Once again their respective defences appealed to be working to rule, with the forwards bent upon atonement for frustrations against other opponents. This time Selywn gained the greater reward from attacking policies, its vanguard achieving considerable freedom of movement and finding unaccustomed space available in a defence which assembled loosely and tardily. In these circumstances it was able to afford a somewhat cavalier approach to the task of containing the Sydenham forwards, 'whose lack of support in depth required them to score seven goals for victory, an impossible responsibility. They did well enough in emerging from the match with some booty, which was reduced in significance by Selwyn’s predatory probings. Umpires: Messrs E. Gilliver and R. Fergus.

Linwood 0.8. v. Woolston Woolston was unlucky to lose this game after having the better of the play in the second half and the latter part of the first half. It should have

levelled the score late in the game when it was awarded a penalty-stroke but T. Brennan flicked the ball high over the net.

At stages the teams produced some good short-passing hockey but the ground did not suit this type of game and both sides resorted to long hard hitting. D. Le Page scored the only goal late in the first half after , the ball had rebounded from the goal-keeper’s pads. He pushed an angled shot into the net after gathering the loose ball. In the second half Woolston had the Linwood defence on its heels regularly but in spite of several thrusts into the Linwood circle the forwards could not complete the good work. I. Stanton played solidly at full-back for Linwood and the halves B. and P. Bhana covered well on defence and distributed the ball carefully to their forwards. The Linwood inside forwards, D. Small, Le Page and R. Parry, were prominent with attacks up the middle of the field; they looked dangerous when linking and one of these attacks split the Woolston defence to allow Le Page to score. Woolston’s full-backs, Brennan and J. Abrams, tackled well but were inclined to be caught square when facing an attack. The half-line, with R. Gillespie outstanding was Woolston’s strength. It kept its forwards well supplied with ball with accurate passes and its all-round play was sound. B. Aldridge was the best of the forwards, always looking for work and taking part In most attacks. B. Beaumont showed good control at insideright and he combined well with Aldridge in several movements. Umpires: Messrs L. Lloyd and W. Perry.