Seniors given a workout

Press, 11 May 1981, Page 36

Seniors given a workout

Canterbury beat the Canterbury colts, 4-1, in a representative hockey match at Porritt Park yesterday, but the score rather flattered the senior side. For three-quarters of the game the colts matched the senior side for stickwork and control, and it was only in the last quarter that the senior team began to show a definite advantage. There was no score at the interval, and Canterbury’s first two goals were both from penalty-strokes scored by Balvant Bhana. The second was unfortunate. David Loader, the colts’ goalkeeper, dropped his stick attempting to clear the ball from his goal-mouth. A minute after Bhana scored his first stroke, the colts attacked and the Canterbury goal-keeper, Marty Fitzsimons fell on the ball in front of a colts’ attacker. Unfortunately there was no stroke for the colts.

Canterbury, with its forward line starting to show drive and combination, began to make frequent attacks on the colts’ circle, and from a

penalty-corner Ross Ambler scored the third goal.

The colts continued to fight, making some swift breaks, and eventually the left-wing, Matt Slark, scored after some lax trapping and poor covering by the Canterbury defence. His run started from the 25m area and finished when he ran around Fitzsimons to push the ball into the net. The best goal was left to last. lan Riach, the Canterbury centre-forward, made a neat trap just outside the circle from a free hit, and slipped the ball into the circle for Mark Burtt to score. Bhana, Riach, and Burtt combined with some swift passing moves in the late stages of the. game but met some stiff resistance from, the colts’ defence, where Andy Innes and Malcolm Wood trapped and tackled safely. The Canterbury forwards received excellent service from their half line of Robin Wilson, Ross Fowler, and Craig Burtt.