University remains unbeaten in hockey

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33580, 8 July 1974, Page 15

University remains unbeaten in hockey

Un Saturday University’s unbeaten record in senior hockey looked in danger for the first time this season, but with typical resilience the students overcame a strong High School Old Boys challenge to win 3-1. University now have a clear lead in the Trans Tours championship. and needs only one more point from its next two games to assure itself of a, place in the first four of the present round, who will play-off for grand final positions. The efficiency of University has proved insurmountable for senior teams Ulis season, and on present form there seems to be no team to challenge its supremacy. Old Boys surrendered its second place on the points table to the young, enthusiastic Linwood Old Boys side, which would be an even better team were it able to capitalise on the chances it creates. Old Boys retains third place on goal average from Hagley Old Boys, which has had three draws in the competition. A 3-all draw with Hagley on Saturday left Redcliffs with a chance of making the top lour, but Selwyn-Hillmorton. which lost to Linwood, has little prospect of reaching this select group. Results and scorers are: TRANS TOURS CHAMPIONSHIP Univarsity 3 (C. G. Maister, B. J. Maister, A. Borren), High School Old Boys 1 (G. Marshall). Hagley Old Boys 3 (I. Thomson K. Thomson, J. Bailey), Redcliffs 3 (A. Ineson). Linwood Old Boys 1 (Balvant Boana), Selwyn-Hillmorton 0. TAYLOR TROPHY Sydenham-Cashmere 2, High School Old Boys 0. Harewood-Burnside 1, University 1. Woolston B 2, Woolston A 1. The points table is:

STRUGGLE FOR UNIVERSITY After launching into its usual fast-moving short-passing game, and taking an early lead, University faltered on the close attentions of the Old Boys defence. The University forwards swept the length of the field manv times in the first 20mins but was held up by an energetic defence in which the tackling of G. Marshall. A. J. Patterson and M. Kidd was excellent. Old Boys had its share of attacks and penalty-corners, and from one of these after 25mins, Marshall scored when the ball was deflected from its path to the goal. In the first halt, M. Tillman, with loping strides and fine stickwork. exposed weaknesses in the University defence, but Old Boys neglect of him as the game wore on was hard to understand. University regained the lead after tains of the second half, but Old Boys, undeterred, fought tenaciously and had University on the back foot for much of the half, although the hockey, because of close marking by both aides, was not attractive. After 25mins there was jubi lation when Marshall scored again from a penalty-corner, but mysteriously, the umpire, Mr M.

Rigden, ruled the waist-high shotl dangerous. R. Bailey and R. Smith on the! Old Boys right flank combined' well, and weie well supplied by J. Gibson and E. Barnes. S. G. Maister (University) kept his concentration at centre-half when the pressure was applied, and he received good support from right-half. P, D. Ackerley, and E. A. Holstein at left-back. [C. G. Maister showed further development as a left wing. A ' Borren was typically elusive moving forward and his ability to be on the spot led to a fine goal ■3osecs from full time. LINWOOD MISS CHANCES Linwood dominated Selwyn to a • larger extent than the score suggests. It should have won by a greater margin but for poor circle work, and the good play of the Selwyn goal-keeper. S. Harvey. I Linwood scored 15mins into the ! first half from a penalty-stroke, • which Harvey almost saved. Thereafter the Linwood forwards made attack after attack, with Balvant Bhana, D. S. Small and •G. Davies causing consternation lin the Selwyn defence. The Lin- : wood halves had a wonderful time intercepting passes, and they distributed them intelligently. while the full-backs, K. Budhia and J. Whitford, successfully blocked the hit-and-run tactics employed by Selwyn in the second half. Selwyn made an all-out effort in the last 15mins to level the scores, but wasted too much possession with wild passes. D. Simpson at centre-half for Selwyn was cool under pressure and passed sensibly, and the insideleft. M. McK. Burtt, worked vigorously, back-tackling and dribbling, but lacked support, especially from A. Hayde who played too far upfield at centreforward. Although the Linwood High School ground was wet, it was still suited to short passing as Linwood showed. HAGLEY FINDING FORM

Hagley’s forwards gave their most convincing display of the season, scoring three goals and breaking a long drought. But trapping and passing errors in deep defence were well exploited by Redcliffs. As a unit the Redcliffs forwards seldom worked well, but individually they hunted tirelessly. L. Munt, the left-wing, was the best forward. He moved into spaces and used a left to right side-step effectively. R. Hardie roamed to some effect, but at times his absence from the centre hindered the develpoment of attacks. A. Ineson, the Redcliffs centrehalf, was generally reliable but showed a tendency to be drawn into tackles. Poor positioning and tackling by C. Prutton at lefthalf allowed Hagley to make good progress in the first half, but he improved in the second half. J. Bailey, the Hagley rightwing, used available space well to make swift progress and backtackled well. W. Thomson’s improved mobility allowed him to use his stickwork to advantage. Generally Hagley moved forward with more urgency, and harassed its opponents more than has been its habit. A. Cook and P. F. Clark both played sound games in the Hagley defence.

P W D L F A Pts University 3 3 0 0 8 1 6 Linwood O.B. 3 1 0 2 3 2 4 H.S.O.B. 3 1 1 1 4 3 3 Haglev O.B. 3 0 0 3 3 3 3 Redcliffs 3 0 1 2 5 6 2 Selwyn-H. 3 0 3 0 0 8 0