H.S.O.B. retains lead in senior men’s hockey

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 26

H.S.O.B. retains lead in senior men’s hockey

High School Old Boys, the only earn with three wins, still holds i one-point advantage in the senior men's hockey competition liter Saturday’s round. Selwyn-Hillmorton is in second place. It, too, is unbeaten but has a draw. From its display on Saturday it will be a difficult earn to beat as the season progresses. Its forward line has remendous goal-scoring potential and it seems to be on the verge of realising it. Selwyn's game against Sydenham-Cashmere was the best of the day but even it, as were the other games, was marred by constant talking and questioning >f the umpires’ decisions. After complaining about the grounds ast week, players finally had good surfaces to play on but were still not content. University has moved into third-equal place with Harewood after a 2-1 win against Redcliffs while at the bottom of the table Pegasus had its first win of the season against a luckless Woolston Working Men’s Club. Results:— High School Old Boys 1 (G. Gibson), Harewood 0. University 2 (C. G. Maister, B. J. Maister), Redcliffs 1 (R. Munt). Selwyn-Hillmorton 2 (M. Burtt), Sydenham-Cashmere 1 (S. Ambler). Pegasus 2 (I. Thomson), Woolston Working Men’s Club 1.

OPEN HOCKEY Selwyn, after being close toi scoring on several occasions in the first-half made a dramatic I breakthrough early in the second, scoring its two goals in the first 1

7min. Both were the result of quick reflexes by Mark Burtt. Sydenham was not outclassed however and mid-way fhrough the half a stupid error allowed Steve Ambler to score. A Selwyn defender tried to clear the ball across his goal but succeeded only in finding Ambler at the top of the circle. He beat two defenders and the goalkeeper. The game was played at a fast pact, with both sides using the full width of the field to attack. Selwyn had a little more combination in the forwards and this was the difference. Mark Burtt set up attacks well at inside-left and back-tackled enthusiastically.

Tony Jury showed improved form for Selwyn at centre-half. His passing was more accurate and he covered well. Robin Wilson and Craig Burtt kept Sydenham’s right-flank attacks to a minimum.

Marty Fitzsimmons had little chance with the two goals that beat him. He saved many other shots. The fulllbacks, Bevan Hall and Ross Ambler, provided a formidable defensive wall for Sydenham. At centre-half, Murray Peacock passed and tackled well. Steve Ambler was the most incisive Sydenham forward but with a little more combination inside the Selwyn 25 the result would have been closer. In the first half, the Sydenham right-half, lan Rhodes, was given a temporary suspension for a minor misdemeanour. “Who is the game for? The players or the umpires?” he muttered as he trudged to the “sin-bin.” The comment had many spectators wondering. SCRAPPY GAME The most enthralling period of the University-Redcliffs match was the lOmin before half-time when the three goals were scored. Each team made some good attacks but apart from a short period early in the spell the second-half was a series of errors and infringements. Stick,

hacking was rife and nothing: was done by the umpires to correct the situation. Redcliffs scored first when Rodger McHarg blocked a penalty corner from Tony Ineson but Richard Munt scooped the rebound into the net.

University took little time to retaliate. Two minutes later it attacked down its left flank and a cross found Barry Maister in front of the goal. He calmly trapped the ball and pushed it into the right-hand corner. Pressure was kept on the Redcliffs defence and a few minutes later Kerry Wootten had to make three saves in rapid succession. However, a penalty corner was conceded and Chris Maister scored from it. Redcliffs had one chance to equalise in the second half. An Ineson corner, travelling at frightening speed, deflected on to an upright and carried high over the goal. Much second-half play was scrappy and confined to midfield. University’s forwards were closely marked and given no freedom of movement, while Redcliffs wasted much possession with pointless hits up the left wing. STUBBORN DEFENCE

For the third time in as many games, the High School Old Boys defence won the match for them. It was under great pressure for much of the secondhalf but held firm against a Harewood attack that lacked imagination. Geoff Gibson scored the solitary goal from a penalty stroke in the first-half after a shot was stopped bv a Harewood defender’s foot on the goal-line. Harewood’s problem was that the attack was too slow in its build-on nlay, nflth the exception nf Balvant Rhana and Bruce McLean on the left-flank. Hare-; wood's most danre»-ous forays; cam? *rom th’s quarier.

Rovdnn well often held tb e ball ton long, allowing the Old Boys defence

to close any gaps. One could not help wondering if the Hare wood attack would have beer better with Agent and Bhana at centre-forward and inside-left. Maurice Kidd, Chris Tye, and Graeme Sligo were the domin ant members of the Old Boys defence. Sligo made two good saves late in the game and the tackling and covering of Kidd and Tve was invaluable. Gibson gave his forwards good service but saw much of it squandered Harewood gained much posses Sion from wayward Old Boys passes. Alan Chenev fed his forwards well but spent the las + ?nvn of the game in the "sir bin” after questioning the umpires’ decision once tno often lan Steel and D’ck Pettit also played well on defence. CLOSE ENCOUNTER Pegasus won an even match against Woolston because it made better use of its chances. Both sides attacked frequently in a fast, open game but it was Pegasus which scored first. A melee in the circle resulted in a penalty stroke and Ivan Thomson scored from it. He also scored Pegasus’s second goal after good build-up play about lOmin later. Throughout this time Woolston had continued to attack without success but Graeme Kirby scored. Although it came close a couple of times in +he second-half, Woolston could not score the equaliser. Thomson and Bob Best were the best Pegasus forwards. Their skill gave the Woolston defence manv anxious moments but Gary .Tones and Tom Brennan worked tenaciously to halt many of the attacks.

Stu Tasker, who wandered ahnu* in mid-field. often behind the T’eeasus halves, made some useful njrc but lacked support. Rill Griffin *»artic«il?ri” wen ?nd Gilson and 'flxriin T Tst, gin c . ”nti] K e to loave fieJH "’th a • shAnWaf injury, missed few tackles.

Points: P w D L F A Pts H.S.O.B. 3 3 0 0 5 2 6 Selwyn 3 2 1 0 9 3 Harewood 3 0 I 3 1 4 University 3 2 0 1 4 3 4 Redcliffs 3 1 0 2 Pegasus ■' 1 0 I 2 2 2 Linwood ■ > 0 I 1 3 1 Sydenham 2 0 0 1 4 0 W.W.M.C. 3 0 0 3 1 8 0