Hockey Linwood, Woolston cause upsets

Press, 12 April 1982, Page 14

Hockey Linwood, Woolston cause upsets

Two upset results highlighted the first round of the Canterbury Hockey Association’s senior men’s competition on Saturday. Linwood United, second to bottom in the championship last year, emerged with a substantial feather in its cap by beating SydenhamCashmere, the runner-up last season, 2-1. It was a pleasing result for the young Linwood team who have a new lease of life this year with several new young players in its ranks. Woolston’s 1-0 win against High School Old Boys w’as another reversal, although Woolston played so well in the second round last year that Saturday's result was not an entire surprise. It has retained its team from last year while Old Boys have lost a couple of key players. Selwyn. last year’s champion, beat Pegasus 2-0. it was a gritty display by Pegasuswhich has also had an injection of young players, and in the last week it has gained the former Canterbury goalkeeper, Dave Stuthridge. Harewood started the season in impressive fashion. It has perhaps the best balanced side in the competition and after a slow start on Saturday scored three second-half goals to comfortably beat Redcliffs 4-1. The first round illustrated the closeness of the teams this season and the race for the championships should be much closer than it has been for many seasons. Results and scorers were: Selwyn 2 (G. Carnoutsos, C. Burtt), Pegasus 0. Linwood 2 (S. Willocks, P.

Bhana), Sydenham-Cashmere 1 (C. Rophia). Woolston 1 (D. McKenzie), High School Old Boys 0. Harewood 4 (I. Hill 2. C. Leslie, B. Bhana), Redcliffs 1 (P. Christensen). Second-half revival Harewood last year was an inconsistent side, and the indications in the first-half on Saturday was that this was going to be another season of missed opportunities. Harewood did more attacking than Redcliffs. but the scores were level 1-1 at the interval. Chris Leslie scored from a pen-alty-stroke for Harewood and Peter Christensen converted a penalty-corner for Redcliffs. After the interval the Redcliffs defence found it more difficult to control the Harewood forward line however, as its true ability began to flourish. It bore down on the Redcliffs goal from all points of the field scoring two field goals and Balvant Bhana scoring from a pen-alty-stroke. Sydenham shocked Sydenham coasted along comfortably in the first-half against a Linwood team that looked to be finding its feet, but Sydenham could not turn an advantage of possession into goals. After the interval Sydenham was stunned by two quick goals from Linwood. First Simon Willocks scored from a penaltystroke and then minutes later Parsot Bhana scored a field goal. Btloyed by its success Linwood tightened its defence and allowed the Sydenham forwards less space to work in and it was not until six minutes from the end that Svdenham recovered a goal when Colin Rophia scored from a right-wing cross. Sydenham had a penalty-cor-ner late in the game, but it would have been an injustice for the gutsy Linwood side had it been robbed of its success. Woolston Takes its chance The match between Woolston

and High School Old Boys at Burwood Park, as expected, was dominated by two tight defences. From the attacking viewpoint there was little to excite the few spectators. It became obvious fairly early in the game that the team to score first would probably have a distinct advantage. In fact Woolston did not score until well into the second-half when Don McKenzie netted a fine field goal, good reward for the hard work he did in the Woolston attack. Old Boys had a slight monopoly on possession, but could not turn its advantage into goals. It mounted a number of promising attacks, but mostly they were individual efforts that were isolated by the Woolston defence. Selwyn Dominant Selwyn deserved its win. It had a greater share of possession and it used it more positively than Pegasus. The Selwyn insideforward trio of George'Carnoutsos. Richard Schoeman and Mark burtt combined effectively and often, but the Pegasus defence was able to cope with almost every variation the attack was able to throw at it.

The Pegasus attack did not have the skill to put sufficient pressure on the Selwyn defence, and its case was not helped by a great deal of mis-trapping and poor passing. Craig Burtt scored Selwyn’s first goal from a penalty-corner in the first-half, and the NeuZealand representative. Carnoutsos. added the second mid-way through the second-half.