Hockey Muddy grounds spoil senior match

Press, 21 May 1979, Page 18

Hockey Muddy grounds spoil senior match

Unless the Canterbury Hockey Association starts to use some of the alternative grounds available to it, the prospects of seeing interesting matches in the senior championship during the rest of the season are limited. Rain last week has left the outside grounds at Porritt Park In atrocious condition and it is unlikely they will improve much unless there is a long spell without rain. The two senior matches played at Porritt Park on Saturday were both spoilt by soggy and waterlogged surfaces, but in spite of It University and SelwynHlllmorton emerged with wins. At Timaru, Pegasus was beaten by an improved Timaru United side, 1-0, in the final round of the inter-district league. Play-offs in the league will be held next Saturday, University and High School Old Boys meeting in the main match. Results and scorers on Saturday were:— University 4 (B. J. Maister 4), Linwood United 0. Selwyn-Hillmorton 2 (G. Carnofgsos 2). Harewood 0. ■Unaru United 1, Pegasus 0. The points table is:

APPALLING GROUNDS To ask two teams of the calibre of Selwyn-Hilmorton and Harewood to play on the muddy-water-logged ground they were alloted was unfair. Neither side could produce anything like its best form when the players had to concentrate on maintaining their footing, and passing was a matter of chance. If players found themselves on one »f the few areas of firm ground they were able to pass freely but In other parts of the field a shovel would have been as much use as a hockey stick. Selwyn’s goals both came from penalty-strokes .by George Carnoutsos after 25 minutes In each

half. Apart from these two goals, there was little chance of either side scoring. Selwyn showed more enterprise on attack. Carnoutsos and Mark Burtt combined in several movements but it was impossible to string more than three passes together without being beaten by the clogging ground. Harewood did most attacking In the second half but the forwards invariably dribbled too far and lost possession. Balvant Bhana and Chuni Bhikha were the worst offenders. UNIVERSITY SUPERIOR University scored two goals in each half and deserved its fourgoal margin. Linwood badly missed its two top players — Bhikhu Bhana, who was stranded at Auckland, and Darryl Small, who was injured. Barry Maister, in an assertive mood, scored all University’s goals. The first two came in quick succession after 13 and 15 minutes of the first half, and the others after five and 20 minutes of the second half.

University’s performance was greatly improved on its efforts in recent weeks. It started by passing the ball with such rapidity that Linwood players were left stranded. But slowly the ground and a tightened Linwood defence cut the space in which the University halves and forwards were allowed to move.

John Christensen was a prominent figure in many of University’s attacks. He moved forward at speed and linked

well with Barry Maister and the right wing, Neil Edmundson. Selwyn Maister, at centre-half, dominated the mid-field, picking up loose passes at his leisure. At left back, Ewan Holstein was completely safe, tackling and trapping with assurance. Linwood failed to get its attack moving freely and Rodger McHarg, in the University goal, had to involve himself by rushing to the front of the circle and kicking the ball back to his forwards. At left half, Gerard Guillen gave Parsot Bhana, the Linwood right wing, no space to move and effectively blunted Linwood's best attacking forward. TIMARU MATCH Tlie Pegasus forwards could not cope with the close marking of the Timaru team and subsequently its ability to mount attacks was limited. Timaru deserved its win, even though the goal was a little lucky. It came from a free hit midway in the Pegasus half. The hit passed several Pegasus defenders before deflecting off a Timaru player’s stick in the circle, and then off the pads of the Pegasus goal-keeper, Paul Wayman, into the goal. Timaru trapped and passed with more authority than Pegasus and its forwards combined in some good movements, although most broke down on a solid Pegasus defence in the crucial area between the 25m line and the circle.

p w D L F A Pts University 7 5 1 1 21 5 11 Harewood 7 3 2 2 13 15 8 H.S.O.B. 6 3 2 1 11 5 7 Linwood 6 3 1 2 9 7 7 Redcliffs 7 2 2 3 9 12 6 Selwyn 6 2 1 3 6 8 5 Sydenham 6 1 3 2 7 10 5 Pegasus 6 1 2 3 10 15 4 Woolston 5 0 2 3 3 12 2