Hockey H.S.O.B. cuts Selwyn’s lead

Press, 13 July 1981, Page 17

Hockey H.S.O.B. cuts Selwyn’s lead

Selwyn-Hilhnorton had a bye in the senior men's hockey championship on Saturday but still has a three-point lead in the competition. High School Old Boys reduced Selwyn’s lead by two'points but the leader has a game in band against its nearest challenger and should move to a five-point lead again later in the round. The standard of play in all games on Saturday was poor. Some of the trapping and passing was well below senior standard and the grounds could not be used to excuse the mistakes.

Old Boys struggled to beat Redcliffs. 1-0. having to withstand some strong attacks from the Redcliffs forwards in the second-half.

Harewood should comfortably have beaten Linwood United but made heavy weather of its task and eventually scraped home, 21. University and SydenhamCashmere both scored late in the game for a draw, a fair indication of a mediocre game. Woolston also struggled, against Pegasus, and it was only two goals late in the game that took it to a 3-1 lead. Results and scores: High School Old Boys 1 (K. Thomas), Redcliffs 0. Sydenham-Cashmere 1 (B. Ayson), University 1 (M. Slark). Harewocd 2 (I. Riach, C. Leslie), Linwood 1 (M. McLean). Woolston 3 (G. Stevenson, A. Chapman, G. Rhodes), Pegasus 1 (R. Wilson). Points:

EVEN GAME t Old Boys took the advantage t against Redcliffs in the first 20 f minutes. It attacked using the t full width of the field and forced ( several penalty-corners but all were worthless. Finally, Kerry . Thomas was left unmarked in | front of the Redcliffs goal. He . received a pass and calmly ( slipped the ball into the net. .

A reason for the inability of Redcliffs to score was another accomplished display by the Old Boys goal-keeper, ’ Dave Stuthrldge. He blocked and cleared a number of firm shots. • Steve Smith was a driving centre-forward for Redcliffs, several times breaking into the

circle to force penalty-corners. He combined well with the inside forwards, Brent Stanley and Murray Johnson. LATE GOALS Sydenham and University struggled for three-quarters of the match on a puggy ground at Ham, each side trying to wrest an advantage. After 20 minutes of the secondhalf, Sydenham moved a goal ahead when the University defence failed to clear a loose ball in its circle. One shot was parried but the ball rebounded to Bryan Ayson, who pushed it into the net.' University attacked immediately and two minutes later it equalised, although a little fortunately. From a penalty-corner the ball was pushed to Matt Slark, who fired the ball home from a sharp angle. LACK-LUSTRE HAREWOOD Harewood bumbled its way to a two-point lead over Linwood. Its build-up play was stodgy and the forwards, and even some of the defenders, dribbled more and more as the match progressed. Linwood, if little else, is tenacious and Harewood, although it had the ability, did not have the inclination to play forcefully for the full 70 minutes. Helped by a hard-working and back-tackling forward line, Linwood held Harewood to two goals, the first nipped in by lan Riach after a goal-mouth scramble and the second scored by Chris Leslie after a thoughtful pass from Andy Innes, who«. played a commendable game at centre-half for Harewood.

Mark McLean scored Linwood's goal in the first-half from a penalty-corner. PEGASUS UNLUCKY Pegasus was a little unfortunate not to take a point from the match against Woolston. It fought gamely and it was only two defensive errors in the final few minutes that cost It a draw. Pegasus scored first from a penalty-stroke well into the firsthalf, when Rob Wilson converted a penalty-stroke after a penaltycorner snot had been stopped by a defender's leg. Woolston had to wait until the second half before it equalised. Graeme Stevenson guided a cross past the Pegasus defence. The other goals were scored by Alistair Chapman, who beat the defence with a mis-hit, and Greg Rhodes from a penaltycomer.

P w D L F A Pt Selwyn 10 8 2 0 23 3 18 H.S.O.B. 11 7 1 3 15 9 15 University 11 5 3 3 14 8 13 Syd.-Cash. 10 4 4 2 17 9 12 Harewood 11 5 2 4 18 15 12 Redcliffs 10 4 3 3 14 9 11 Woolston n 3 4 4 12 13 10 Linwood n 9 0 9 12 33 4 Pegasus n 0 1 10 4 30 1