Otago scores historic win

Press, 9 August 1982, Page 3

Otago scores historic win

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Canterbury, after confidence boosting wins against Auckland and Wellington earlier in the season, was brought back to reality with a sharp jolt yesterday when it lost 1-2 to Otago in a representative hockey match at Porritt Park. There were no records on hand to check the last time Otago beat Canterbury, and memories were taxed after the game to recall an Otago victory in clashes between the provinces. It is at least 15 years since Otago had a victory, and there was a feeling there might not have been one since World War 11.

•The Otago coach, Lindsay White, first played for Otago in 1964 and retired two years ago. He missed a couple of seasons in the late 19605. but could not recall an Otago team beating Canterbury. Neither could Bill Thomson, who played for Canterbury between 1961 and 1974.

"Otago has always tried to model- itself on' Canterbury teams, and it was a tremendous thrill to beat them." said Mr White. The win was deserved. Otago started at a tremendous pace and never gave Canterbury a chance to settle in the first 35 minutes. In that period Otago scored its two goals, and had a third in the net. but a penalty-corner

had been avoided an instant before the shot.

Otago forced four penaltycorners in the first half and remarkably Canterbury could not force one. Maurice Marquet. in the Otago goal, touched the ball only once in that 35 minutes, and later became the hero of Otago’s win when he saved a pen-alty-stroke nine minutes from full-time. After his leisurely firsthalf. Marquet came alive in the last 20 minutes when Otago began to run low on energy and Canterbury reached the Otago circle with more regularity. Several times Marquet’s pads whipped the ball away from a Canterbury forward when he looked set for a shot at goal. It was a splendid display, and if he plays as well at the national tournament in Dunedin at the end of this month, he will likely regain his place in the New Zealand team.

Otago’s speed on attack and to the loose ball caused Canterbury acute problems in the first half, and the home team's dilemma was not improved by some dreadful trapping and passing. It was a conservative estimate that half the Canterbury traps rebounded to Otago players, and perhaps 30 per cent of the passes went astray, or were so laborious in their execution that Otago players had

ample time to read them, and intercept them. Otago took the field with the intention of marking the Canterbury players closely, said Mr White, and the tactic worked impressively in the first-half. The key Canterbury forwards, and _ the centre-half, Robin Wilson, usually found they received the ball and an Otago player at the same instant. Otago's first goal came after 10 minutes. It was scored by the right-half, Scott Loudon, who collected a cross from the left and had

metres of space to line up his shot. The second goal came 10 minutes later from a pen-alty-corner and was struck firmly by Neil Payne into the corner of the net. Payne, at left-back, was one of the anchors of the Otago defence, and his display was more remarkable because he played under the handicap of a broken collarbone. Two other Otago defenders who contributed substantially to the side’s effort were Ken Fergus, the left-half, and Chris Seeley, the centre-half.

In the last 20 minutes Canterbury forced five pen-alty-corners and 13 minutes from the end lan Steel scored the side's only goal. Five minutes later. lan Riach. who was the only Canterbury forward with regular penetration, hit the side of the net after a crisp move. With three minutes left Steel had the ball in the net from another penaltycorner. but it was disallowed because of a faulty handstop. In a match between the provincial B teams, the score was 1-1.