Hockey University heading for 14th title?

Press, 12 May 1980, Page 30

Hockey University heading for 14th title?

With onlv a quarter of the senior men's hockey championship played, and a three-potat lead, University looks set to win its fourteenth successive title. On Saturday University’s nearest challenger, High School Old Bovs, succumbed to in a peculiar match. Old Boys still holds second place on goal average. ahead of Selwyn-Hilmorton. University struggled against _a Woolston side that marked it closely, but it eventually won 2-0. University was harrassed continually and its attack never moved with the fluency of which it Much Pa of e " the Harewood-Old Boys clash was confined to indecisive play between the 255, but in a spectactular threeminute spell — the last minute before half-time and the first two after — Harewood scored three goals. Pegasus had a surprise but served win against Linwood United. Its application to the basics was_ commendable and to a large degree was responsible for its success. Linwood, which was beaten only in the last minute by University last week, has not scored a point. But it is a better team than its position on the points table indicates, and when its forwards can score a few more goals it will score a few points.

Results and scorers were:— Harewood 3 (I. Hill 3, B. Bhana), High School Old Boys 1 (K. Thomas). University 2 (J. H. Christensen, C. G. Maister), Woolston 0. Pegasus 2 (W. A. Thomson 2), Linwood United 0. Selwyn-Hlllmorton 0, Redcliffffs 0.

PURPLE PATCH The chief difference between Harewood and Old Boys was that Harewood passed to Harewood, and Old Boys passed to Harewood. Time after time promising Old Boys attacks foundered when the ball was passed direct to a Harewood defender. Much of the first half was indecisive, both teams taking a long time to settle, and tending to play the game too fast. In the 10 minutes before half time Harewood slowed its pace, took more care with its passes, and the result was that it found

Itself making a series of dangerous attacks. The first goal came after Balvant Bhana forced a penaltycorner with a close dribble. His push shot at goal bobbled to lan Hill and with a sweeping shot he beat the Old Boys goalie, Graeme Sligo. . . From the start of the second half Harewood attacked end Balvant Bhana was the first to a loose ball in the circle, and scored. Just seconds Taler be was involved again when a penalty corner was forced. His shot was blocked but Hill took the rebound off Sligo’s pads to score. Old Boys fought back admirably and Kerry Thomas scored after 10 v »tautes. through the half Greg Armstrong had a clear shot at goal but missed. OM Boys continued to attack and force several penaltycorners but the Harewood defence, marshalled by Dick Pettit, kept its errors to a minimum. ’ P WIN DESERVED Pegasus gave a much improved performance against Linwood United. The whole team was thoughtful in every move it started and this led to some coordinated and dangerous attacks. One led to a Penalty-stroke, which after a considerable wait, Bill Thomson scored from. The greying Thomson, playing in the uncharacteristic role of rightback, scored the se 9° n A_ from a penalty-corner in the secOt pegasuB had much to thank Thomson, and the left-back Bruce Radovonich, for- Their trapping was safe and they calmly eluded tackles to put side back on attack. Both were playing their first senior game of the season. Radovonich m fact played his first- He had played rugby league until this season. Darryl Neate at right-half did valuable work covering for Pegasus, and he was quick to put his forwards on attack. The best of these were Roger Turner and Bernie Sawtell, both of whom found space readily. Darryl Small worked hard to get the Unwood forwards to show some form of combination, but generally there was too much dribbling. In the Linwood defence Bhifchu Bhana and John Whitford made few errors In trapping and tackling, but When they did the cover was slow to support them. GAME SPOILED The Woolston-Universlty game was marred, especially In the second half, by an excessive amount of body play and stick slapping. It was unfortunate because both teams had something to contribute had they been allowed.

University showed flashes of Its superb controlled play whereever it was able to break away from the close-marking Woolston side. Woolston obviously started with a view to marking the key University players closely. Thia immediately led to some etude tackles, and one by a Woolston player earned him a warning early in the game. Unfortunately'breaches after that went largely • unpunished by the umpires. Tempers boiled and Peter Davies of Woolston was sent to the “sin bin” after an Incident’ involving John Christensen. In the dying seconds Selwyn' Maister received a similar sentence after addressing aome ? terse words to one of the umpires. In spite of elose attention, Barry Maister made some bullocktag dribbles, and Christensen and Chris Maister, who scored the goals from a corner and pen-alty-corner, also dribbled strongly. -• Neither Selwyn Maister nor Greg Pierce had happy days in the halves, several times being robbed of the ball. Gary Copsey saved a number of hard shots in the Woolston goal, and at centre-half Stevo Barrow was calm and assured. Don McKenzie and Graeme Stevenson in the forwards showed flashes of skill but could not co» ordinate it. SELWYN LOSE CHANCES Selwyn dominated the greater part of the match against Red-; cliffs. It had many more scoring >■ opportunities and missed all of . them. But there was little to en- , those about. Much of the game was confined to the area between the 25s and was very scrappy. Both teams played too fast on & ground that was slightly humpy. Selwyn. put the ball in the Redeliffs goal twice at penaltycorners, but both shots were ' ruled dangerous. And as ttno was running out a Selwyn player pushed the ball across the goal with the goal-keeper well out of position. Mark Butt worked hard linking, back-tackling, and running j In support on attack, but he also, made an unusual number of basic errors. George Carnoutsos was the best Selwyn forward, I finding room readily to receive passes. Robin Wilson was the key v figure in an improving defence. . Murray Johnston, back after I an injury, was the most dan. gerous Redeliffs forward, dribbling with speed and control but sometimes too far. Tony Ineson I (Redeliffs) worked hard to keep control of Carnoutsos and Pat Hayde (Selwyn) and blunted 1 much of their effectiveness. _ _

The points table Is: P W D L F A Pts University 4 4 0 0 13 0 8 Old Boys 4 1 1 5 4 5 Selwyn 4 2 1 1 7 4 5 Harewood 3 2 0 1 5 5 4 Redcliffs 3 1 1 1 2 3 3 Sydenham 3 1 I 1 4 5 3 Woolston 4 1 0 3 3 6 2 Pegasus 3 1 0 2 2 9 2 Linwood 4 0 0 4 2 7 0