Canterbury closer to hockey semi-finals

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33002, 23 August 1972, Page 24

Canterbury closer to hockey semi-finals

(From Out Own Reporter) TIMARU. With a 1-0 win over Wellington yesterday, Canterbury took a big step nearer the semi-finals of the Rothmans national men’s hockey tournament for the Challenge Shield.

Canterbury dominated mid-field play and had slightly more possession, but Wellington had its opportunities to equalise. R. L. McHarg, the Canterbury goal-keeper, had to make two hurried saves early in the first half, and a desperate lunge by M. Betts in the second half just failed to produce a goal. Wellington was the only team expected to extend Canterbury in its pool, and the champions, who are chasing their seventh Challenge Shield win in as many years, should beat Waikato today and progress to the semifinals on Thursday. WHANGAREI AVENGED Canterbury, however, is sure to have another tough game in the semi-finals because it will meet either Whangarei, Otago or Auckland, and neither will be easy opponents. Whangarei avenged its defeat by Otago on Monday with the win over Auckland yesterday in a tense encounter.

Canterbury’s defence was its strong point yesterday. K. Thomson moved to full-back to partner P. F. Clark, and P. D. Ackerley played at

right-half. But the most impressive player was the cen-tre-half, A. Ineson, who made a fantastic number of interceptions of Wellington passes. His passing to his own forwards was also crisp and accurate.

B. R. Judge, on Wellington’s right wing was Canterbury’s danger, but he was well marked by the left-half, A. Chesney, and if Judge eluded him, Clark was there to halt the attack. FURTHER RESTRICTED In the first half, the leftflank attack of R. Best and W. A. Thomson back-tackled and harrassed Judge and the inside-right, A. Mclntyre, continually, and further restricted their movement.

Wellington made some early attacks through the centre and left flank, and it was from these it almost scored early. But Ackerley and Thomson then settled down, and Wellington was again restricted. Canterbury was playing its right flank and centre frequently, and although C. Maister, B. Aldridge and D. Small looked penetrative, they were nearly always caught in possession by some superb tackling from K. Towns, D. Henderson and R. Kenrick.

The remainder of the Wellington defence tackled and covered diligently, and was as solid as Canterbury, but it wasted much possession with inaccurate passes. LEFT OPEN GOAL Canterbury’s goal came mid-way through the first half after a long comer. Ackerley picked up a clearance on the circle edge, dribbled the ball to the back-line, and passes back to the centre and to the top of the circle left W. A. Thomson with an open goal. In • a desperation move, Judge moved to centre-for-ward with about 15 minutes to go, but again he was well covered, and when Mclntyre left the field 10 minutes from the end, Wellington’s hopes faded further. Results of matches were:— Challenge Shield.—Pool A: Canterbury 1 (W. Thomson), Wellington 0; Waikato 2 (R. Carey, R. Morrison), Wanganui 1 (R. Adams.) Pool B: Otago 2 (K. Isaacs, A. Foote), Manawatu 0; Whangarei 1 (W. Byres), Auckland 0. Rothmans Cup. — Pool A: Hawke’s Bay 4, Taranaki 0: Ashburton 2 (L. Wilson, L. Bond), West Coast 0; Nelson 4 (A. Paris 2. D. Gribble, J. Elmers), Army 1. Pool B: Tauranga 1. Air Force 1; Wairarapa 3, Southland 1; South Canterbury 1 (E. McKerchar), North Otago 0.