Problems for Selwyn

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 44

Problems for Selwyn

By KEVIN TUTTY Delays that have plagued the completion of the new artificial hockey surface in Wellington, continued up to the eve of the first major competition on the field this week-end.

Selwyn, the defending champion in the H. W. Smith Trophy national inter-club hockey competition, had to cancel a practice match against a Wellington team on the field last evening, because the ground had not been marked.

This evening Selwyn will meet Palmerston North High School Old Boys in one of the semi-finals of the 1984 H. W. Smith Trophy and it intended to use last evening’s game to familiarise itself with the surface.

The ground was marked yesterday and will be ready for this evening’s semifinals.

Those worries aside, Mr Abernethy is happy with the preparation of his team. He has one injury worry. Mark Beatson has an injured shoulder, but has been receiving treatment and is likely to take his place in the defence.

To prepare for the weekend — the final, and third and fourth place play-off, are tomorrow — Mr Abernethy has had his team practising two nights a week and playing matches on both days of the weekend since the end of the season seven weeks ago. The team has been fortunate because it has played against Canterbury members of the New Zealand team and several other players chosen for New Zealand trials on December 1 and 2.

The team will get an hour of practice on the artificial surface this afternoon and another short warmup before its match at 7.30 p.m. Mr Abernethy hopes that will be enough for the players to adapt to the speed of the surface.

Fortunately he has four players who have played on

artificial turf before. Mark Burtt, Robin Wilson and George Carnoutsos are all New Zealand representatives who have played on the turf, and Kelvin Reid was a member of a New Zealand Combined Services team which played on artificial turf in Australia recently. Selwyn should be much too skilled and fit for its semi-final opponent, but the forwards, including Burtt, Carnoutsos and Richard Schoeman will have to be shooting strongly and accurately because they will be opposed in goal by Graeme Sligo, the New Zealand goal-keeper. St Lukes, of Auckland, should beat Wairarapa College Old Boys in the other semi-final, providing another Auckland-Christ-church final as in the last two years. Last year Selwyn beat Indians, of Auckland, 32, in extra time. St Lukes will be led by the redoubtable Ramesh Patel and it boasts several other accomplished players, particularly in defence. It has virtually an Auckland defence. Mark Smithells and Dave Petersen are the full-backs and in the halves are Chris Brown and Mohan Patel, who have both played for New Zealand.

Should it play St Lukes, Selwyn’s likely policy will be to keep the ball away from Ramesh Patel whose astute passing and incisive dribbling could be vital.