Polo side weakened

Press, 21 February 1978, Page 30

Polo side weakened

Beckenham - Sockburn’s I chances of winning the premier water-polo competition for the seventh successive season has oeer. severely affected by its contribution to the national team.

That side is at present ini Auckland before leaving for| the United States, taking with it five of the Becken-j ham-Sockbum A side. With such defections, it had to field a very weakened team for last evening’s match at Queen Eliza beth II Park 000 l against Wharenui B, the side which beat it tn an upset just before Christmas.

It also makes it doubtful whether Beckenham-Sock-bum will be able to muster sufficient strength to retain the Freshbake Trophy next month. To be represented otherwise in the grand final. Beckenham-Sockburn’s B team would need to beat Wharenui B. a side with which it has drawn on both occasions this season, and then it had the international goalie, Murray Davie. Last evening’s matches established the top four teams and removed the necessity of catching up on the two rounds affected by the Canterbury swimming championships on Waitangi Day.

Points are: Beckenham-Snckburn A 21, Wharenui A 21, Wharenui B 18, Beckenham-Sock-bum B 10, North Beach 5, Waimairi-Pegasus 3. Wharenui B 11 (B. D. Lewis 3, P. R. Tweedie 3. B. W. Buck 2, W. R Williamson, R. P. Langley, D. .1. Ferigo), Beckenham-Sockburn A 1 (G. M. Hern). Not only was BeckenhamSockburn without its leading players, but it also started one short. It did not reach full strength until the third quarter, by which time Wharenui had eight goals. •

Four of these came in the first quarter, before Becken-ham-Sockburn had properly marshalled its defences, and thereafter it made scoring more difficult. Wharenui I was not at completely full strength, but it was not in suchs traits as BeckenhamSockburn, with only three regular players and fielding two under-iss.

Wharenui A 10 (S. J. Wakefield 5, M. J. Lewis 2, J. N. Koens 2, D. H. Ferigo), Waimairi-Pegasus 0.

I Also not at full strength, Wharenui A moved in fits land starts without its most experienced plaj’ers. Five goals were systematically placed into the net in the first quarter, before

Wharenui lapsed in attack and attitude and was to slow to pass and shoot. There was a brief resurgence of fluidity in the third quartet but Wharenui could score only once in each of the second and fourth quarters. In the lat f er, WaimairiPegasus was a man short with Bria.) Honeybone out for brutality. Beckenham-Sockburn B 12 (J F. Langesen 6, D. Symon 2, C. P. Walls 2, B. M. Mustchin R. J. Lee), North Beach 6 (C. L. Beeby 5, M. Dixon). Beckenham-Sockburn made certain of its place in the semi-finals with a systematic attack, much of it based on the trength of John Laugesen in the hole, and shot home few goals to only one in reply. North Beach matched goal for goal in the middle quarters, with Craig Beeby his team’s most potent aggressor, but Beckenham-Sock- ■ bum and Laugesen cut loose again in the final (quarter.

Boxing. — Freddy Castillo (Mexico) has won the World Boxing Council’s junior fiy-weight title in Caracas with a fourteenth-round knockout of reigning champion Luis “Lumumba” Estaba (Venezuela).

Golf.—Gil Morgan withstood a challenge by Jack Nicklaus to win the SL'S2OU,9M Glen Campbell Los Angeles open golf tournament by two strokes at 278. six under par.