N.Z. goes down, 0-4, after inept hockey display

Press, 19 September 1977, Page 19

N.Z. goes down, 0-4, after inept hockey display

By KEVIN TUTTY New Zealand lost any right to call itself the world hockey champion after its humiliating loss, 0-4, to Australia in the second test at Porritt Park on Saturday.

The Olympic gold medals that 10 members of the team won last year would have been small consolation to them as they left the field after one of the most inept displays from a New Zealand team for many years.

The loss cost New Zealand any chance of winning the four-test series, and the Manning Cup, at stake in the series and held by Australia.

The performance of the New Zealand side was in complete contrast to its play the previous week in the first test at Auckland, when it was desperately unlucky not to draw.

As a spectacle Saturday’s match was full of errors and never reached the high standard of the first test. It was not because the Australians played any better that they won so easily, but because New Zealand’s play fell away dramatically in the second half.

The match was certainly not helped by the umpiring of Messrs Eian Johnson (Wellington) and Gordon Getley (Perth). The advantage rule was not played well, and cost New Zealand a scoring chance in the first half when Thur Borren broke past two Australians into the circle but was brought back outside the circle for a free hit. The standard of umpiring was below what players could expect for an international match.

In comparison to the first test, the New Zealand forwards on Saturday lacked thrust and the controlled inter-passing of which they are capable. Often attacks broke down because the ball was passed square to wing halves when the forwards could not find a gap to dribble or pass through. New Zealand shared possession with Australia in the first half, and had it scored first the situation might have been different. But a minute from half-time, Terry Walsh scored the first goal after Paul Ackerley missed a clearing push from his circle. Walsh hit the ball through a narrow gap into the corner of the goal. Australia had two scoring chances in the first five minutes. The first was in the opening minute when Walsh, on the right wing, fired a shot across the New Zealand goal. Steve Smith, on the left wing, playing in his first test, reached the cross but pushed it round the side of the goal. After five minutes, Greg Dayman slipped on the greasy surface in mid-field trying to trap a loose ball. Greg Browning picked up the ball behind Dayman and beat the New Zealand goalkeeper, Les Wilson, who came out to the top of the circle. But in moving left and turning to line up his shot, he allowed the New Zealand captain, Tony Ineson, who was covering, to get into the goal-mouth and hand-stop Walsh’s shot, then clear the ball. New Zealand took 10 minutes to settle down and then forced a penalty-comer — but it was wasted when Barry Maister, usually very safe on the hand-stop, missed it. It was the only penalty-corner New Zealand gained in the half, and it had only two in the match. One of the few promising attacks New Zealand made

in the first half was just after the penalty-comer. Ramesh Patel broke through a gap and was heading for the Australian circle, but just outside the 25 he was brought down by a crude tackle. To the amazement of the crowd of 2000, no free hit was awarded, and no warning given the Australian offender by Mr Johnson.

As the half wore on, New Zealand’s passing became more ponderous and its trapping loose. The centrehalf Selwyn Maister, and the right half, Alan Chesney, dwelt too long before passing, thus allowing the Australians time to reform and back-tackle. New Zealand’s best scoring chance came two minutes after half-time when Archibald shot for goal. The Australian goal-keeper, Bob Proctor, got a boot to the ball which rebounded behind Patel and the left wing, Arthur Parkin, in the goalmouth. Archibald made two other good breaks in the early stages of the half, but then came the blow which seemed to deflate the New Zealand side. Australia was on attack and given a free hit just outside the New Zealand circle. Dayman pushed the ball away from the spot and Mr Johnson awarded a penaltycorner to Australia.

lan Cooke, the strapping left back, who broke Trevor Manning's knee in the dying stages of the Olympic final last year, pounded an unstoppable shot past the New Zealand defence. New Zealand’s error rate increased as it tried in vain to get the forwards moving. Traps and tackles were missed and pass after pass given to the opposition; and the New Zealand forwards were harassed by the backtackling of their counterparts. Australia’s third goal after 24 minutes will not provide fond memories for Wilson. It was a soft shot from Smith at the top of the circle, but Wilson miskicked and the ball rolled behind him into the net. Greg Browning scored the last goal, four minutes from full-time after the Australian captain, Ric Charlesworth, worked his way along the back-line inside the circle. His cross hit Selwyn Maister’s leg and rebounded to a grateful Browning. Although he made the error that led to the first goal, Paul Ackerley at left half was the best New Zealand player. He allowed Walsh on the Australian right wing little space to move. His tackling was safe, and he was the only defender not to hesitate when passing. Selwyn Maister, at centre half, appeared upset by physical close marking by Browning, while Chesney at right half did his best work tackling and covering. Too many of his passes were wasted.

Ineson and Dayman several times in the second half appeared at a loss as to how to clear the ball from inside the New Zealand 25. Several times Ineson stood looking for a gap before he was challenged and lost the ball, and too often he tried to dribble his way out of trouble.

None of the New Zealand forwards was outstanding. The wings, Thur Borren on

the right, and Parkin, received little ball in the second half. Jeff Archibald, at inside right, made some useful dribbles but did not set up other forwards as well as he did in the first test. Ramesh Patel made -;ome bold breaks but found difficulty controlling the ball on the holding ground and often over-ran it. At centre for ward, Barry Maister’s trapping again let him down

although he featured in a few good bursts in the first half. It was perplexing that he should be substituted by Alan Mclntyre after 15 minutes of the second half. It was even more puzzling that Parkin was not brought in to centre forward and Mclntyre put on the left wing. As centre forward in the Auckland team at the national tournament. Parkin was brilliant. The strength of the Aus-

tralian defence was its right back, Jim Irvine — whose tackling and passing was first-class — and the wing halves, Barry Dancer, on the left, and David Bell. Dancer was the most impressive because he had more work to do and appeared to thrive on it. He gave some superb passes in the second half. All the Australian forwards were dangerous given room

to move, but Walsh, Charlesworth, and Poole stood out for their speed to seize opportunities inside the New Zealand 25. It was a demoralised New Zealand team that boarded the bus 30 minutes after the match to travel under Ministry of Transport escort to Christchurch Airport. From there the team, with the Australians, flew to Sydney and on to Melbourne.