So near and yet...

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32524, 6 February 1971, Page 9

So near and yet...

"RUT for its own slackness ■*"* in failing to provide a goal-scoring judge, the young Jellie Park team could now be level with three other teams at the top of the water polo competition. As things now stand, Beckenham - Sockbum has six-and-a-half points, Wharenui and University five-and-a-half each, and Jellie Park four-and-a-half. But Jellie Park went so much closer to beating Beckenham on Monday night than the final 4-2 score would indicate. The dispute arose in the second quarter, when Beckenham’s Canterbury representative, J. K. Cookson, shot powerfully towards the Jellie Park goal. But the ball clearly went through the broken side-netting, and Cookson himself was one of the first to admit this afterwards. The referee, on the other side of the pool, indicated a goal, however, and there was no goal judge to correct him. Jellie Park was obliged to provide a goal judge at that end. Although Jellie Park fought back, and levelled

the scores twice, at 1-all and 2-all, it could never take a lead. Also, a fine opportunity to get back into the game was thrown away in the final quarter when Jellie Park appeared to level the scores yet again at 3-all. M. Ramsay had scored cleanly from an acute angle but the Canterbury under-21 representative, C. Robinson, had strayed into the two-metre area and the goal was rightly disallowed. A draw, which was the least Jellie Park deserved --Beckenham’s fourth goal was right on the stroke of time—would have had the top four teams within a point of each other. A win, which was quite conceivable, would have meant that the four teams would have been level at the top, which would have led to an exciting concluding few games. As it is, it appears there is little anyone can do to prevent Beckenham-Sock-bum marching on to championship success, unless University can repeat its form of last week and upset the leader.