Senior water polo

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 20

Senior water polo

All th* pr*-»ee*on hope* of • close senior water polo competition appear well-founded. At Waltham Park Pool last evening, Wharenul A drew with University and as Wharenul had previously drawn with Beckenham-Sockburn—last season's champion — competition will be very tense between th* top three teams. JelUe Park, although it lost to Beckenham, will clearly be a team not to be taken lightly. Wharenul B, a clear winner against South Brighton, also showed It could be capable of providing dogged opposition against some of the better teams. WHARENUI A 2 (I. H. Patchett 2). UNIVERSITY 2 (R. Gunthorp 2).

A draw was a just result and it placed Wharenui in the unusual position of not having won a game after two rounds. But it has played Its strongest two op?onents, without loss and must eel pleased with the start it has made. . ...

This was a very entertaining game, specially for so early in the season and was marked by fine defence, not just by the goalies, but in the field. There were no goals in the final half, but University lost its winning chance in the final quarter when Gunthorpe, so efficient as a rule, missed a penalty. However, he had given his team a great start with both goals in the first quarter—one from a penalty and the other a delicate lob. Patchett replied in the first quarter and evened the score in the next when he goaled from a penalty after W. R. Williamson, whose niggling attracted many free throws, had fouled him.

BECKENHAM-SOCKBURN « (L. M. Scott 2, B. M. Mustchin, M. A. Harding, D. J. Reid, own goal). JELLIE PARK 1 (C. D. Robinion). Beckenham-Sockburn was a much more cohesive team than the previous week and, surprisingly, looked at its best in the first half when it scored only two goals. And only one of these was a genuine effort, as the other was the own goal. Beckenham’s passing was very crisp'and it gave a fluent performance to half-time. But from that time, efforts became more individual, none worse than the captain, Mustchin, who sacrificed a certain goal because he tried to substitute brute strength for finesse. Then he followed this up with a ridiculous long shot. When he was freed from goalie’s duties, Scott was one of the best of the Beckenham players and his two goals in the

final quarter were well and efficiently taken. Jeille Park marked well In the early part, when the standard of the game was at its highest, but lost consistency towards the end WHARENUI B 4 (A. J. Hessey 2, P. V. Costigan 2). SOUTH BRIGHTON 0. There was not a great deal of good play tn this game and what there was came from Wharenul. In particular, Hessey was very dominant, while R. B Erickson, the experienced captain, was a shrewd general. South Brighton gave a disappointing performance and Ka game was marred by too much playing of the men, rather than the ball. Senior reserve games resulted: Services 4, South Brighton 0; University 5, Sumner 1; BeckonI ham-Sockburn 2, New Brighton '2.