BETTER PLAY IN SEMI-FINAL Canterbury finalist in national hockey

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33004, 25 August 1972, Page 18

BETTER PLAY IN SEMI-FINAL Canterbury finalist in national hockey

(From Out Own Reporter/

TIMARU.

Canterbury yesterday reached the final of the Challenge Shield with a comfortable, 2-0, win over Whangarei at the Rothmans national men’s hockey tournament.

The other finalist, Wellington, made it only after a titanic struggle with the much improved Otago side, winning 1-0 after 20 minutes of extra time.

Whangarei provided less opposition than was expected, especially after Canterbury scored in the twentieth minute and held its advantage to half-time. Canterbury had the better of play throughout, its forwards getting many more chances to attack. The Whangarei forwards were starved of ball, particularly in the second half when the Canterbury halves and forwards made many interceptions.

’Keeper unsighted Defences were very tight at the start. It appeared that the team to score first would have a considerable advantage. Whangarei forced two ear’y penalty-comers before

Canterbury was awarded one, and from it K. Thomson scored with a mediocre hit when the goal-keeper was unsighted by a team-mate. Another error sealed Whangarei’s fate with two minutes remaining. From a push-in near his left-hand comer, T. Carter passed the ball back to N. Ross. Mid-field strength Ross mis-trapped and the ball went over the backline. From the resulting longcomer, W. A. Thomson took the ball on the circle edge, dribbled past three players, and passed to B. Aldridge, who gratefully accepted the goal. The Canterbury half-line of P. D. Ackerley, A. Ineson and A. Chesney tackled cleanly and passed intelligently although sometimes slowly, to the forwards. Behind them, K. Thomson and P. F. Clark provided a sound second line of defence.

The grounds at Leslie Park are becoming bare and hard, and with small bumps make it awkward for forwards to dribble. Canterbury relied more on short passes and a close link with the halves. Missed penalty In the second half, these tactics almost paid dividends twice for Canterbury. Two excellent saves were made by the young Whangarei goalkeeper, F. Florian, and K. Thomson hit the top of the right-hand post with a penalty-stroke. B. Judge, who missed a

penalty-stroke early in the game for Wellington against Otago, would have been reprimanding himself had Otago won the match. Wellington was the superior team, its forwards being more dangerous on attack. It was also strenthened by A. B. Corbett, a New Zealand representative last year, who arrived in Timaru yesterday. He will be valuable in the final against Canterbury tomorrow. It was Judge who finally made amends for his earlier misdemeanour after eight minutes of extra time when he dribbled to the line and passed back to Corbett, who gave D. Campbell, the Otago goal-keeper, no chance. Other results were: Challenge Shield.—Pool playoffs: Auckland 1 (W. Williams), Wanganui 0; Manawatu 1 <L. Wickham). Waikato 0. Rothmans Cup.—Pool A: West Coast 2, Nelson 1; Hawke’s Bay 2, Army 0; Ashburton 2, Taranaki 0; Hawke’s Bay 2, Nelson 1; Ashburton 5. Army 0; West Coast 1, Taranaki 0. Pool B: Tauranga 1, North Otago 1; Air Force 4, Southland 0; Wairarapa 1, South Canterbury 0; Tauranga 3, South Canterbury 1; Wairarapa 1, Air Force 0; Southland 0. North Otago 0.

Rugby league.—Results of Rugby league matches played in Britain were: Featherstone Rovers 27, Salford 15; Oldham 30, Whitehaven 13; Wldnes 17, Wakefield Trinity 3; Wigan 7,

Judo visitors.—A judo team of 20 from the New South Wales Police-Citizens Boys’ Club will arrive in Christchurch on September 7. Contests have been arranged over the next two days in the Canterbury Amateur Judo Club’s room against club teams, Canterbury and West Coast.