Three teams poised to win

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 25

Three teams poised to win

The premier women’s hockey top four play-offs are poised at an interesting stage with one round left to conclude the 1989 season. Three teams have a chance of finishing first in the playoffs and the other possibility is that all four teams could finish equal on points when the final round is played in three weeks.

Woolston has three points from a win and a draw, Harewood two points, Selwyn two points and Burnside I a solitary point. In the latest round on Saturday Woolston beat Harewood 3-0 and Selwyn I and Burnside I drew 1-1, Burnside gaining a late goal to secure its point. Harewood, the surprise package of the first round when it beat Burnside I, could not produce the same form on Saturday against Woolston. It was down two goals at the interval and the

experience of Woolston did not allow the Harewood players to settle into their game. Chris Arthur scored Woolston’s first goal from field play and Maia Lewis added the second from a penalty corner. Arthur completed the scoring in the second half with a penalty stroke.

The Harewood defence allowed the Woolston forwards too much space in which to work and Arthur and Lewis were constant threats against tentative tackling.

Harewood was not completely overwhelmed. It did put togther some useful passing movements and created some scoring opportunities but could not complete them.

Selwyn started in spectacular fashion against Burnside. From the push-off Shelly Hawthorn and Lyndal McGruther combined in a right-flank attack and after

several short passes McGruther was left to score the first goal after 25 seconds.

Encouraged by the start Selwyn I continued to attack for the first 15 minutes but slowly Burnside I gained its composure and began to fight back gaining an increasing share of the mid-field possession.

Burnside had dominance of possession in the secondhalf but frittered most of it away. It forced a number of penalty corners, all unsuccessful until three minutes from fulltime when Mary Clinton finally managed to clout one past the defence to give Burnside the equaliser.

Selwyn marked the key Burnside players closely in the first half but as the match wore on and Burnside’s forwards continued to run tirelessly, the Selwyn defence began to flag allowing more scoring opportunities.

When the final round is played in three weeks four teams could finish on the same points. A win to Bumside I against Woolston and a draw between Harewood and Selwyn I would produce that scenario.

Alternatively either Woolston, Harewood or Selwyn I could finish alone in first place, but the odds are with Woolston finishing the top of the pool. However, the only incentive to do so is for its own pride and satisfaction as there is no trophy at stake on the round. A final would have been logical to add some spice to the round. In the bottom four competition Carlton and Selwyn II had their game on Friday night postponed after it was discovered that the artificial surface at Porritt Park was double booked.

Pegasus beat Burnside II 20 in the other game.