Women play only two main matches

Press, 26 June 1978, Page 20

Women play only two main matches

Only two matches were playei when the senior A women s hoc key competition continued oi Saturday. The early game at Ham. be tween Digbys and University, wa called off. and then the lat< game at the North Hagle; ground, between Carlton anBurnside, was postponed. Th games will be played later L the season. The two games that did g> ahead as scheduled provide* enough interest, however, to sat isfy the most ardent hockey sup porter. Cranmer provided tlu upset of the season when it re peated its indoor win against the competition leader. WoolstonRawhiti, and Linwood Unite* gave a rejuvenated display t* hold Harewood to a 1-0 win. Points table: —

Cranmer 1, Woolston-Rawhiti 0 Woolston suffered its first de-i feat of the season when it lost, bv a single goal to Cranmer in] the last five minutes. Cranmer deserved its win. for it adapted far better to the trying conditions. The ground at Ham was ' surprisingly good and the rain 1 that made for bleak watching earlier in the day was not so 'heavy. Cranmer had an idea it could win, and so played constructive , and intelligent hockey. It em- ; ployed a right wing attack (throughout, which was good play 1 in the circumstances. By com-

jarison. the Woolston players ended to crowd each other in he centre, and the side became] jogged down. Play swung up and down the leld but Cranmer refused to be owed. Nicki Sherriff. the skilled! ight wing, and Barbara Roper, m the left, did well for Cranmer md it was Roper who scored the joal in the last five minutes; rom a penalty corner, to clinch he match. Vickie McGregor, the Cranmei captain and left half, directed day well, and Dawn Wilson was i forceful centre half. Woolston players to stand out were the ?x-Canlerbury representative and] left back. Jill Barry, and the 15 ' year-old. Debbie Hockley. Hockley, at right half, played] very solid, consistent hockey, and] <he seems to be improving with 1 every game. Harewood 1. Linwood United 0 Linwood gave perhaps its best] display this season to hold the more fancied Harewood to a solitary. second half goal. It was a plucky performance, from the team that lost by a staggering 10 goals only last week. If the improvement can; be sustained over the next few rounds, some of the higher placed teams in the competition may be left with egg on theii , uniforms. It was a very even match, played in abysmal conditions on| a pitch that became a quagmire.

, The mud was a great leveller, and play tended to be confined jto a centre field struggle! I amongst the forwards. Good, strong clearing hits we»e| at a premium and were worth a dozen pieces of fancy play. Harewood’s Lynette Sutherland and Barbara Turbott stood out in this aspect of play at the back, clearJing the ball well before it reached the circle and breaking up > the sharp Linwood attacks. Harewood took greater control in the second half, after an e'en goal less first spell. But despite ; having more of the ball, it tound Jit very difficult to piece a well marshalled Linwood defensive Har'ewood finally broke through Hate in the half to score the dell elding goal. The left wing. Allison Sutherland, capped a fine i f ame when she finished oil a move that had begun deep in i her own half. I Harewood may well have scored another three goals but ' for the superb reHexes of Leanne Summerton. Harewood took three corners at various stages of the ! second half and on each ocea'jsion it was left to Summerton ‘lto make brilliant saves on her I I own line. Penny Carnaby was another i Harewood player who did well ''under the conditions, while Sue I Spivev and Lois Surgeoner were potent and very dangerous on the j fast breaks they started for Lin- . wood.

P W D L F A pts Woolston-R 9 7 1 1 25 7 7 Carlton 8 6 1 I 28 7 Harewood 9 5 2 2 14 7 6 Burnside 8 5 2 1 24 10 6 Cranm.er 9 4 2 2 20 7 5 University 8 1 * ,, <■ 19 2 Linwood U 9 1 0 8 4 38 1 Digbys 8 0 1 7 □ 30 1