ROTHMANS HOCKEY Canterbury struggles to semi-final place

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33933, 28 August 1975, Page 26

ROTHMANS HOCKEY Canterbury struggles to semi-final place

I From

KEVIN TUTTY

HAMILTON. Canterbury assured itself of a place in the semi-finals for the Challenge Shield at the Rothmans national men’s hockey tournament at Hamilton yesterday.

Seeking its tenth successive tenure of the shield, Canterbury beat Manawatu, 3-0. and now has three wins from three games, and should score its fourth when it meets Wangauui in its final pool game today. Wanganui has had three losses.

Canterbury’s win was not easily achieved against Manawatu. It led only 1-0 at half-time, and the game was as even as the score suggests. Canterbury took a long time to settle down, and for the first 15 minutes Manawatu had the edge. Its trapping was excellent, and it harrassed the Canterbury forwards and halves into mistakes and intercepted a host of Canterbury passes through fine anticipation. The pace was furious for the first 20 minutes, and though Manawatu was able to cope with it, it appeared to upset Canterbury’s play. Haste to make traps and passes was the chief reason for many errors.

Thomson’s control Brian' Holmes, the Manawatu centre-forward, caused Canterbury considerable worry in the first 10 minutes with strong driving runs that took him well into the circle. Murray Thomson on the right-wing also dribbled well, and his close control made him the most dangerous forward.

Canterbury’s goal came

from a penalty-stroke after several attacks down the leftflank, Chris Maister slipped a pass to his brother, Barry, in the circle. He flicked the ball and the Manawatu goalkeeper, Roy Jaggard, diving to his left, stopped the ball, but he knocked it forward several feet.

Selwyn Maister scored with the penalty. The goal was scored after 20 minutes, and with Manawatu playing to its right-flank effectively, Canterbury was forced to use its left for counter-attacks. This it did well, Chris Maister and Thur Borren, and sometimes Barry Maister, making much ground. At times they had to weave through five or six defenders. Part of Manawatu’s tactics was closely to mark the Canterbury forwards, and the centre-half, Selwyn Maister. This it did successfully for most of the match, greatly reducing the normal effectiveness of these players. Second penalty Manawatu was unlucky not to be level at half-time. With minutes remaining it made one of its rapid raid* and was awarded a penaltycorner. The ball was in the goal, but the shot was disallowed because of “sticks. * much to the disappointment of the Manawatu team, and the relief of Canterbury, which was still finding its feet. Slowly Canterbury took control in the second-half, as Manawatu appeared to run out of energy but it was only in the last 15 minutes that it dominated Manawatu.

Canterbury’s second goal came after nine minutes, when Tony Ineson scored cleanly from a penaltycomer, and the last was another Selwyn Maister penalty-stroke after 26 minutes, when Jaggard fell in the goal-mouth with the ball underneath him. Manawatu was not totally without life, and three minutes after Canterbury’s last goal it swept down the field and had the ball in the net but it was given a penalty-stroke. This was well saved by Rodger McHarg’s diving to his left and stopping a ground shot.

No upsets occurred in the other Challenge Shield ■ matches yesterday, and it that Northland and i Canterbury from pool B, and Auckland and Wellington ■ from pool A. will be the semi-finalists tomorrow. i In the Rothmans Cup. North Otago had its fourth win. and it needs only to draw with Hamilton today to win its pool. That will be a hard task, however, and if 'Hamilton wins it will move iinto the semi-finals on goal average. Ashburton and South Canterbury had byes in the shield section yesterday.