Depleted Canterbury has walk-over hockey win

Press, 24 August 1977, Page 42

Depleted Canterbury has walk-over hockey win

From KE\ IN TU I 'IV. in Wanganui

Canterbury fielded its second- string side at the Rothmans national hockey tournament yesterday but still won, 12-0, against Wairarapa.

Canterbury’s three most experienced piayers — Selwyn and Barry- Maister and John Christensen — were rested, but enough talent remained tn the Canterbury side for it to shatter the Wairarapa defence time after rime. But for some good goal-keeping by Garry Chapman in the second half, the score would have been three or four Canterbury scored six goals in each half and four of the total were penaltystrokes converted by Gary Marshall. He pushed a fifth over the net, but has now scored eight goals in two yames from strokes. Canterbury’s goal total is now 21 from two games. The Canterbury forward line was an unusual combination yesterday. From right wing to left the line was Roydon Agent. Balvant Bhana. Thur Borren, Mark Burtt and Chris Maister.

As in the first game against Wanganui on Sunfay, the Canterbury left flank functioned more smoothly than the right and Burtt and Chris Maister had the Wairarapa defence flummoxed with their nippy passing and deft stickwork. Burtt scored three fine goals, the second the result of following the ball into the circle. The goal-keeper could have let the ball roll over the back line, but chose to kick clear and succeeded only in nudging the ball a couple of feet on to a grateful Burtt's stick.

The goal of the day award, which carries with it a bottle of sparkling wine, was won by Balvant Bhana. He scored the eleventh goal from the bully after the tenth. He raced down the centre of the field, eluding tiefenders with his slick ttickwork and with a dive in the circle guided the ball past the goal-keeper. Wairarapa was the architect of its own debacle. Throughout the match its defence stood square, allowing the Canterbury forwards to run on to through passes without being challenged. The Canterbury defence played reasonably well, but will need to improve before It meets stronger forward fines' later in the week.

• Yesterday Tony Ineson played at centre half, and ali though he was adequate, he ■made more trapping errors ■than normal Alan Chesney lat right back got himself i into unnecessary strife by i attempting to dribble out of ; trouble. Marshall, the left ■ back, and the wing halves, >Bikhu Bhana and Paul Ackerley. were the most sound iof the defenders. I The Canterbury goalscorers, with the minutes ;n I parentheses, were: Ineson (4minl Marshall <l4. 22. 58, 69), Burtt fl 6, 26. 34), Chris , Maister (37, 40), Borren (6) : Balvant Bhana (63). South Canterbury inI creased its chances of sucI cess in the Rothmans Cun ■ when it beat Hutt Valley, 3-0. It led 1-0 at half-time, and i completely dominated the .'second half and was unlucky 'not to score two more goals. : Late in the game Graeme I Stanbury hit a post with a ! penalty-stroke. South Canterbury is now in equal first place in pool A with Horowhenua. Both teams have three points. Nelson lost its third suc- ; cessive game in the Challenge Shield section. After I being a goal ahead at halfitime, Nelson had no answer to a strong Otago right-flank attack in the second half and conceded six goals.

n Northland routed Hawkes - Bay 8-0, with a splendid sec-e!ond-ha!f performance that s ■ brought it eight goals. In the /1 first half Northland tried to f I play at the same breakneck! y speed as Hawkes Bay and in f doing so sacrificed much t control. ’■. On instructions from its "j coach, Trevor Blake, Northeland slowed its game in the ■ second half with dramatic -! results. Its passing improved i ■ greatly, enabling the fora i wards to rip the Hawkes •.; Bay defence open with swift si controlled movements. The • INew Zealand representative ; Neil McLeod was especially -1 impressive and scored four . igoals. ’ The home team, Wangar •• I nui, had its fans in a ifjubiliant mood when it -i scored two late second-half i goals to beat Manawatu, 2-1. • I Manawatu has now lost any 5 1 chance of reaching the semii finals. The West Coast mainf tained its fine record by 1 beating Army, 5-1, in the 1 India Plate section. Coast, now has three wins from as; . many games and its play . still continues to improve. r ; Colin Schafer (4) and Alan Schafer scored the goals : Also in the India Plate fi section, Marlborough was; outplayed bv Southland andi

lost, 1-3, and Ashburton I suffered a similar fate at the 'hands of Horowhenua in the Rothmans Cup section. It post 1-5, and will be in danger of relegation to the i India Plate section. Results. — CHALLENGE SHIELD Pool A.—Northland 8 (M. Gray 2, N. McLeod 4, T. Salmon 2), Hauke’s Bay 0; Otago 6 (P. Chapman 3, D. White 3), Nelson 1 (D. Gribble). Points: Auckland 4. Northland 4, Otago 2, Hawke’s Bay 2, Nelson 0 Pool B—Wanganui 2 ®. Laugesen 2), Manawatu 1 (S. Lord); Canterbury 12 (G. Marsnail 4. M. Burtt 3, C. Maister 2, T. Borren, B. Bhana, T. Ineson), Wairarapa 0. Points: Wellington 4. Canterbury 4, Wauganui 4, Manawatu 0. Wairarapa 0. ROTHMANS CUP I Pool A.—Horowhenua 5 (1. Burrows 3, M. Meredith, D. Wiley), Ashburton 1 (D. Honey); South Canterbury 3 (C. Leslie, G. LesUe, G. Stanbury), Hutt Valley 0. Points: Horowhenua 3, South Canterbury 3. Hutt Valley 2, Ashburton 0. Poo! B.—North Otago 2 (A. Brown. K. Devlin), Tauranga 1 iB. Bishop); Taranaki 2 (N. Johnson, I. Budd), Hamilton 1 (R. Jackson). Points: Taranaki 4, Hamilton 2, North Otago 2, (Tauranga 0. INDIA PLATE Third round.—Southland 3 (K. Carpenter, D. Balfour, I. Cannon), Marlborough 7 (D. Hale); West Coast 5 (C. Shafer 4, A. Shafer), Army 1; Piako 2 iR. Prevett, G. Gudsell), Air Force 0; Rotorua 4 <K. Rigby 3. S. Bhana), Poverty Bay 0. Points: Rotorua 6, West Coast 6. Piako 4, Poverty Bay 4, Air Force 2, Southland 2. Marlborough 0, Armv 0