Amuri wins polo

Press, 10 April 1978, Page 32

Amuri wins polo

For only the second time in the Gould Cup’s 14-year history, Amuri A won the premier trophy at the Soutn Island polo championships, which ended at Ryan’s Road yesterday. Amuri beat Ashburton A, winner of the trophy on nine occasions, 6-5, in a final that see-sawed from the second of the six chukkas. Amuri did the majority of attacking in the scoreless first chukka. Ashburton had the first shot at goal, but it was the only time it got near the Amuri goal until well into the second chukka.

Colin Clark (Amuri) had a splendid scoring opportunity in the first minute of the second chukka. From lOin front of the goal he played over the ball. Ashburton failed to clear and Amuri was awarded a penalty. Srom 20 yards Graeme Higginson galloped at the ball and his unnecessarily-hard shot went wide.

Fortunately for Amuri an Ashburton player failed to stay the statutory 30 yards from the ball and another penalty was given. This time Alan Calder scored with a controlled shot. Higginson made amends for his early misdemeanour with some fine play for the remainder of the game and

’scored his side’s last four goals.

Ashburton launched a come-back and in the last couple of minutes of the second chukka John Askin levelled the scores. Three minutes after the re-start he scored again and Guy Martin gave Ashburton a 3-1 lead two minutes later when Amuri failed to clear the ball from a scramble in front of its goal.

From the start of the fourth chukka the balance swung back io Amuri. Two shots in the first 90 seconds just went wide of the goal but moments later Alan Calder scored.

■Higginson levelled the scores at 3-alI with a welldirected shot near the end of the chukka. Two minutes into the fifth period he scored a superb goal from a penalty 50m out. From the restart Amuri went back on to attack, Higginson missing narrowly with another shot; minutes later he put Amuri ahead 5-3. At the start of the last chukka, Amuri looked safe, with a two-goal lead. But over-cautiousness led to mistakes and with rapid goals from Andrew and John Askin the scores were tied again. John Askin’s goal had all

the control and skill of a hockey forward. From ' a scramble in front of the goal he emerged tapping the ball just ahead of him and through the goal. Immediately there was further excitement. Brian Calder (Amuri) broke from halfway. Ten metres from the goal his final swing at the ball failed, but its momentum carried it towards the goal. Martin, following up, reached the ball on the line and back-handed it clear. Two minutes later Higginson scored the winning goal with a neat flick from an acute angle. In the last minute Ashburton attacked with a two-men-to-one press but the Amuri player in the middle, Colin Clark, cleared the ball. Results were:— Gould Cup (senior open) final: Amuri A 6, Ashburton A 5. Rhodes Cup (senior handicap)—Ashburton A 5, Blenheim A 3|. Plaisted Cup (medium-goal open): — Waimate A 3j, Waimate B 3. Michael Bellerby Cup (me-dium-goal handicap): — Taieri 8), Amuri D 4. Low-goal open:— Ashburton B 5, Blenheim B 1. Low-goal handicap:—Geraldine B 4|, Amuri C 1.