Bruising hockey win

Press, 5 June 1978, Page 20

Bruising hockey win

Special correspondent

A diving flick through a crowded Wellington defence by Mark Burtt gave Canterbury victory in the last seconds of a quadrangular tournament hockey match played in Palmerston North yesterday. The goal came with the last hit in extra time after the sides had battled out a 1-all draw during the regulation time. It capped off a fine individual performance for Burtt, who had played skilfully ’ throughout the match. The game was a scrappy and at times bad-tempered affair but was always exciting. The closeness of the score and obvious tension between the players held the crowd’s interest throughout. Wellington, as usual, lifted its game for the season’s grudge match, and through constant bustling and forceful tackling never let Canterbury settle into its normal controlled rythym. Early in the first spell the Wellington wing, Bruce Holmes, and Canterbury half-back Alan Chesney,

were sent off for a quarter of an hour after a fracas near the Canterbury goal. Soon aftgr they came back on to the pitch John Christensen and Peter Miskinnin followed them into the “sin bin.”

No goals came from a scrappy first half that towards the end degenerated into a series of fouls by both sides.

The second spell was a few minutes old when only a spectacular diving save from a Wellington defender saved a certain goal after Christensen had broken through the middle. Bad fouling continued to mar the game and the referee was forced to call both captains together to lay down the law.

Midway through the spell Canterbury began to exert some dominance and Tony Ineson finally broke the deadlock when he drove home a shot from a corner. However, Wellington came right back and flung everything into attack, being rewarded when Phil Befield cracked an Alan Mclntyre corner into the net.

After the goal Wellington tore into its more fancied opponent with a vengeance and had most of the play, setting up a couple of good scoring opportunities only to see them go begging. Play during the extra time was evenly contested, with goai-mouth action at both ends of the paddock. However, Burtt sealed the game with his goal giving Wellington no time to reply. Canterbury’s captain, Selwyn Maister, said after the game he was disappointed with the way his side had played. “I’m not very happy with our players at all,” he said.

Maister said the game was marred by too many body checks and infringements. “I’m afraid it was a very unpleasant game to be involved in,” he said. Canterbury’s win almost assures it of victory in the quadrangular tournament with only two matches to be played. It is the only unbeaten team and meets Manawatu today. In yesterday’s early match Manawatu lifted its game considerably to beat Otago 3-1.