University’s lead unbeatable

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 19

University’s lead unbeatable

University collected its fourteenth successive senior men’s hockey championship at Ham Oval on Saturday when it beat its nearest rival, Selwyn-Hillmorton, and took an unbeatable points lead. University was in impressive form. Yesterday it beat Harewood 8-2 in a deferred game in one of its best displays for several years. Saturday’s game was tense from the start. It threatened to get out of hand several times but the umpires kept tempers under control and three Selwyn plavers had spells in the “sin-bin.”

Selwyn needed victory on Saturday to have any chance of winning the competition, but now it could struggle to hold second place. In other games on Saturday, Sydenham-Cashmere beat Harewood at Cottesmore; Woolston sneaked home by a goal against Linwood; and Redcliffs easily beat Pegasus. Results and scorers were: University 4 (J. H. Christensen, B. J. Maister, S. G. Maister, N. D. Edmundson), Selwyn-Hillmorton 1 (G. Car. noutsos).

Sydenham-Cashmere 3 (S. Ambler 3), Harewood 2 (B. Bhana, D. Pettit). Woolston 2 (A. Chapman, D. McKenzie), Linwood 1 (G. Barrett). Redcliffs 4 (P. Christensen, 3, S. Smith).

University 8 (B. J. Maister 3, N. Edmundson 2, C. G. Maister, J. H. Christensen, S. G. Maister), Harewood 2 (I. Hill, D. King).

Early chance lost The excitement soon came in the University-Selwyn game. 'After three minutes Selwyn received a penalty stroke when Mark Burt had his stick held after a penalty corner. Moments earlier a penalty’ stroke looked likely when Selwyn’s Pat Hayde was pushed off the ball as he prepared to shoot at goal. Unfortunately for Selwyn, George Carnoutsos’s penalty stroke went straight to the Nniversity goal-keeper, Rodger Meli arg The missed stroke seemed to take some sting out of Selwyn. Its best forwards. Carnoutsos and Mark Burt, were marked closely and allowed little opportunity to link to press University’s defence.

Hayde at centre forward was too distant from the other forwards and failed to put pressure on Selwyn Maister, the University' centre half.

By contrast, the University forwards pressed constantly against Selwyn’s halves and forwards in mid-field, winning loose ball and setting up attacks. Fifteen minutes into the first half University scored its first goal through John Christensen at a corner. Six minutes from half time Barry Maister scored for University after a long period on attack. He flicked the

ball neatly over the goal-keeper’s head from long range. A minute after the interval the University forwards screamed for a penalty stroke when a penalty corner was stopped by a Selwyn boot on the goal-line, but to no avail. Moments later in a similar incident University: received the stroke and Selwyn Maister scored Selwyn received a second stroke after eight minutes of the half and Carnoutsos scored, but by then the chance of Selwyn’s winning were scuttled Five minutes from full time Neil Edmundson added the fourth University goal from a penaltycorner rebound. Superb form The University forwards were unstoppable in the first 25 minutes against Harewood yesterday. They passed with urgency and’precision and the Harewood defence was at a loss to know where to try’ to plug the manv gaps.

. Harewood managed to score one goal in the .first half from a penalty corner by Darrvl King, (but it conceded six. In the second half, playing to the more difficult end. the University forwards were unable to dribble with the same ease but had enough possession to keep the Harewood defence fully occupied. Barry- Maister and John. Christensen were outstanding in their dribbling, back tackling and ability to find space, and their teammates, Chris Maister and Warwick Shillito, played with the same urgency. Dick Pettit and And and Chris Innes hardly had time to rest in the Harewood defence, but coped yvell with an excessive work load. Entertaining half The first half of the HarewoodSydenham clash at Cottesmore was entertaining. Both sides played a little fast for the conditions but there was sufficient good hockey to maintain an intense interest. AU the goals came in the first half: the second half was a series

of errors interrupted by the whistle and contentious umpiring decisions; At one stage Harewood lost its right wing. Andy Innes, and inside-right, Balvant Bhana, in one swoop. Both were, sent to the “sin bin.” Bhana after apparently exercising his captain’s right to ask why Innes was suspended. Steve Ambler scored his first goal when he beat the Harewood defence to a loose ball after a penalty corner. Minutes later, Dick Pettit equalised after Bhana beat several defenders. . - The next three goals came in rapid succession. Ambler scored again from a penalty corner, then Bhana from a penalty stroke after the Sydenham goalkeeper, Marty Fitzsimons, appeared to make a legitimate stop. Soon afterwoods Ambler scored again, the Harewood defence failing to clear the ball quickly from its circle. Linwood unlucky

Woolston was fortunate to hold its one goal advantage against Linwood United. The last quarter was dominated by Linwood, which forced numerous penalty corners. Greg Barrett, the corner striker, three times hit the goal post. The game was made difficult by conditions at Porritt Park; the goalmouths were mudpools and several areas of the field were boggy. Woolston was a goal ahead at the interval. It scored early in the match when Alistair Chapman pushed the ball in from a goalmouth melee. Soon after half-time, Don McKenzie put Woolston two goals ahead when he beat three defenders and sneaked the ball in with a push shot. Then Linwood started to put heavy pressure on the Woolston defence, and midway through the half Barrett scored from a penalty corner. With Bhikhu guiding the attack intelligently from centrehalf, and Darryl Small dribbling and passing effectively at insideright, W'oolston was constantly on the back foot. But luck, {

which has deserted Linwood all season, stayed away on Saturday. Redcliffs dominant. On a sticky Porritt Park, Redcliffs outplayed Pegasus in every facet. The . trapping and passing of Redcliffs was far superior to that of Pegasus, whoso trapping was especially poor. On a couple of areas the ball could be moved freely and Redcliffs made use of these to niggle away at the Pegasus defence. It was~two goals up at half-time. The Pegasus forwards were un-co-ordinated in their attacks, most of their passes being thrown straight to Redcliffs defenders instead of Pegasus forwards.

For the Pegasus defence. Jeff McEwan and Roger W'esnev played steadily and Dave Robbins made good saves in goal. He had little chance with the shots that passed him.

The points table is:— A. pts p W D L F Varsity 15 12 2 1 51 12 26 Selwyn 14 7 4 3 21 44 18 H.S.u.B. 14 6 4 4 21 15 16 Redcliffs 14 5 3 4 15 12 15 SydTiam 14 5 5 4 15 15 15 Woolston 15 5 4 6 11 16 14 Harew’d 14 5 7 18 26 12 Pegasus 14 3 3 8 11 32 9 Linwood 14 1 1 12 8 29 3