Woolston continues its good form

Press, 28 April 1980, Page 22

Woolston continues its good form

Woolston, the surprise team in senior hockey matches this year, continued, its fine form on Saturday when it beat the highly regarded Selwyn-Hlllmor-ton side 2-0 in the second round of the senior championship. Earlier ' this- year Woolston beat another team of superior experience, Redcliffs, in an inter-district league match. While Woolston had to spend much of the game against Seiwyn defending tenaciously, its win was deserted because it took the few chances it received.

High School Old Boys dominated its same against Linwood United. hut like SelwynHillmorton. could not make use of manv scoring chances. Old Boys won 1-0 but the goal was scored by a Linwood defender attempting to clear his circle.

University was untroubled to beat Sydenham-Cashmere. It won 4-0 and onlv one of the goals came from corners. The others were the result of classy build-up play. Harewood beat Redcliffs 2-0 on a bumpy ground at Burwood Park. Both goals were excellent individual efforts by Balvant Bhana, but in the second-half Harewood had to defend stoutly as Redcliffs fought back and forced a number of penaltycomers. Results and scorers were: Woolston 2 tG. Rhodes, A. Chapman), Selwyn-Hillmorton 0. The points table is:

University 4 (W. Shillito 2, C. G. Maister 2), SydenhamCashmere 0.

Harewood 2 (B. Bhana), Redcliffs 0.

High School Old Bovs 1 (J. Gibson). Linwood United 0. Chances squandered

It was a disbelieving Selwvn that left the field after its 2-0 loss to Woolston at Barrington Park. It did probably 80 per cent of the attacking in the secondhalf but saw chance after chance fold on a pugnacious Woolston defence.

Woolston shared the attacks in the first 35 minutes and looked more dangerous than Selwvn. From one attack after 10 minutes it received a penalty-corner and Greg Rhodes scored with a thigh-high shot. Graeme Stevenson made bold runs down the Woolston leftwing and Geoff Chalk’in and Alistair Chapman combined in good passing movements down the right flank. Selwvn in contrast threw long passes which were intercepted easily by Woolston.

In the second-half Selwyn attacked with vigour. Passes were shorter and more accurate and the inside-forward trio of George Carnoutsos. Pat Hyde and Mark Burtt often thrust forward with fast passing movements. After 10 minutes a cross from the left was turned towards the goal by Carnoutsos but it hit the cross-bar and a breach was ruled as the ball bounced back into play.

Stevenson made a run down the Woolston left-wing after 15 minutes of the half and worked the ball into the circle before passing to Chanman who beat the off-guard Selwyn defence. Brian Taylor, filling in for Gary Copsey in the Woolston goal, did a magnificent job. At right-back Tony Neilson tackled and clearer! the circle with apparent ease and Steve Barrow

directed play well from centrehalf. Kobin Wilson at centre-half and Craig Burtt kept the Selwyn attack moving with a steady supply of passes, and their quick taking of free hits often caught Woolston off guard. University polished Sydenham-Cashmere played one of its better games this season even though it was well beaten. It’s attacks were cohesive and the forwards showed intelligence running off the ball. Unfortunately they lacked the skills of their counterparts and Steve Ambler, Sydenham's best forward, saw too little of the ball.

University played typical flowing hockey, helped by a good ground inside the university athletics stadium. The ball’ wax switched quickly among the forwards and after about 15 minutes Chris Maister scored when he received a cross from the inside, right, Warwick Shillito. Shillito, whose confidence seems to grow with each match, played superbly. His dribbling was incisive and he combined easily with Neil Edmundson on the right-wing and the other in-side-forwards, John Christensen and Barry Maister. He prepared the second goal with a devastating dribble and finished the move himself. Chris Maister scored the third goal from a corner minutes before half-time. Three minutes after the interval Shillito scored his second goal when he trapped a weak clearance and fired baek a shot that beat the defence. Murray Peacock for Sydenham kept his forwards moving with good passes from centre-half and Brian Ayson’s defence was solid. Ross Ambler spoilt an otherwise good game with aimless hitting from dteep defence. The University defence looked slightly susceptible in the sec-ond-half. Selwyn Maister was robbed of the ball several times,!

but the cover and organisation of, the defence meant the goal wash kept intact. In two champion-j ships matches the forwards have ' scored 10 goals, and none have ; been conceded. In the last few minutes University mounted two copy-book movements, the ball moving from one side of the field to the ' other before penalty-corners : were forced. ,1 Harewood unbeaten j Harewood continued its perfect]: record this season with five wins. Its game against Redcliffs,: on Saturday was its first in they senior championship, but it had! l previously won its four matches ; in the inter-district league. Uni- : versity is the only other team to|. have won all its games this sea-;' son. . ; Both teams were hampered by, an uneven ground at Burwood! Park but Balvant Bhana, the elv- i sive Harewood forward, scored!, two good field goals in the first- 1.

half. Both were the result of; I skilful dribbling. _ I Bhana and Cnuni Bhikha pro. vidcd the thrust in the Harewocd attack, and behind them Diet Pe’tlt at centre-half supported his’ forwards closely and was au’ck to clear on defence. Andy Innes at right-back tackled and cleared reliably and Ror. Smith in goal had a tremendous game especially in the secondIha’f when he had to face a barI rage of Tony Ineson penalty-cor-lYan Jackson and Leon Munt inspired the Redcliffs attack, but : luck was not with them. Peter (Christensen at right-half sup. ported the forwards well. Ineson lat centre-half was wayward with I his passing at times although bls > work on defence was invaluable. Luck with Old Boys I Old Boys would have been unfortunate not to win. It had mos lof the possession but the goa~ I was lucky.

j Jeff Gibson burst into the j circle mid-way through me set. ond-nalf and pushed a weak shot towards tne goal. Bruce 'lretnt. wey, trying to clear for Linwood was mortified to see the ball end in the net. In the first-haif Linwood had worked hard enough to earn a ; penalty-stroke but Greg Barrett’s push was weak and Graeme Sligo saved easily. Both teams were unable to . play the controlled hockey they would have liked because 'of the . erratic Burwood ground. Old Boys took a tight grip s,i the game in the second-half, it forced nine penalty-corners and two corners but many proved fruitless because of the difficulty of stopping the ball on the une. ven surface. The Old Boys coach, Bill Browne, had a word of encourigement for ths way the two.' inspires. Jeff McEwen, a teen. >.ger. and Leon Munt. a senior flayer, allowed the game to flow.

P W D L F A Pts University 2 2 0 0 10 0 4 H.S.O.B. 2 1 1 0 o 1 3 Harewood 1 I 0 0 2 0 2 Selwyn 2 1 0 1 3 4 9 IVooIston 9 1 0 1 3 2 9 Redcliffs •> 1 0 1 2 3 2 Sydenham 9 0 1 0 1 3 1 Linwood 2 0 0 2 2 4 0 Pegasus 1 0 0 1 0 6 0