Hockey pool leaders

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 30

Hockey pool leaders

(Pr.vn KEVIN TIITTYI HAMILTON. Although both ha ’byes yesterday, Auckland and Canterbury (are emerging as the (prospective winners o( ’their pools in the Challenge Shield section of the Rothmans national men’s hockey tournament at Hamilton. Auckland has two wins in pool A and is a point ahead of Otago and Hawke's Bay Canterbury has four points in pool B from two games. Manawatu has four points, but it has played a game more than Canterbury. There was one surprise result in the Challenge Shield section yesterday. South Canterbury, which was promoted to the shield section after winning the Rothmans Cup last year, beat Wanganui 3-1. Last year Wanganui fin ished fourth in the Challenge Shield and looked to be one of the improving teams. SCRAPPY GAME Northland won its first points yesterday when it beat Manawatu 2-0 in a scrappy game that was notable for the large amount of body checking. Ashburton scored the first goal against Otago in their match and the half-time score was 1-all. It was only in the last seven minutes that Otago took the advantage with two quick goals With three losses and Wellington to play Ashburton looks doomed to finish las’, in its pool. Wellington had to fight very hard to keep alive its chances of reaching the semi-finals. Hawke’s Bay led it for part of the first-half and it was only in the last 10 minutes that Wellington scored two goals for a final score of 4-2. In the Rothmans Cup sec tion Nelson was beaten 2-1 by Piako, and North Otago won its third successive match when it beat Central King Country 2-0, but it has two hard matches to play against Hamilton A and Marlborough. Rothmans Cup results:— Hamilton B 2, Air Force 1 North Otago 2, Central King Country 0; Tauranga 8, Rotorua 0; Hamilton A 3, Marlborough 2 Piako 2, Nelson 1; Hutt Valle' 3, Horowhenua 0; Wairarapa 5, Southland 2; Army 3, Poverty 3, Poverty Bay 1.