Inter-club water polo

Press, 26 November 1980, Page 29

Inter-club water polo

Beckenham-Sockburn will have one team In the premier A grade water polo grand final next week, maybe two. The combined club’s B team—secondary in name, but possessing most o£ the old hands—last evening at Queen Elizabeth II Park won its way into the final with a lastditch. 8-7 win against Wharenui A. Its opposition will either bfe that team again, or BeckenhamSockburn A; the latter beat Wharenul B in the minor semifinal, 6-5, and plays Wharenul A in the major semi-final.

As the scores indicate, the games were worthy matches for those approaching the final stages, in both cases the Beck-enham-Sockburn teams holding the advantage going into the final quarter and all but lasing The match involving Wharenul B and Beckenham-Sockburn A was played for more than the time with each team short of one of its best and most experienced players. Wharenul lost Richard Clark, to what appeared to be a torn eye vessel; in the first quarter; Beckenham-Sockburn went without Greg Harding from the second quarter when he was sent out for disrespect. In that quarter. Wharenul actually held an advantage for the only time; it went 4-3 ahead. But thanks in most part to the strong shooting of Geoff Barry, BeckenhamSockburn got back into the lead In the third quarter—s-4—and managed to hold that one goal lead to the end. . For Beckenham ■ Sockburn, Barry (three), Harding, Martin Forbes and Joe Boyce scored goals. Wharenul’s were scored by Warwick Williamson, Richard Tweedie, BUI Brookes, Murray McGirr and Matt Lewis. The pin-point shooting of Wharenul’s Steven Wakefield — with one crucial miss—and the quickness of John Davie (Beck-enbam-Sockbum) highlighted the minor final, Davie scored four goals, mainly with his fast breaking and abUity to make room for himself in tight situations. and the others for Beek-enham-Sockburn were scored by Dennis Reid and Mark Harding (both two)., .... Wakefield always shot strongly and accurately, particularly, in the man-up situation?, to also score four goals for Wharenul, the last of them with 23sec remaining and. which put the teams level. Yet ironically, he shot straight into the chest of Harding a little earlier In another advantage play move. The other Wharenul goals were to John KOens—this the goal of the evening, a delicate touch-ln—Chris Lewis and Brent Ferlgo; but Harding had the final answer, scoring the critical goal, and thus avoiding extra time, with just 7see to play.