Dominant premier teams make final

Press, 11 September 1989, Page 22

Dominant premier teams make final

Pegasus and Harewood, the two dominant teams in Christchurch premier men’s hockey this season, will meet in the final of the Athol McCrorie Trophy at Porritt Park next Sunday. In the semi-finals at Porritt Park yesterday Pegasus scored three goals in the last 20 minutes to beat Selwyn 3-0 while Harewood romped to a 7-0 win against High School Old Boys. The results’showed fully the strength of the two sides and their final next week will be an interesting encounter. In two championship games this year the teams drew, while Harewood won the final of the pre-season competition in March. Selwyn made Pegasus fight for its win yesterday. The game was even throughout but the difference in the end was the ability of the Pegasus forward to finish its attacks.

Selwyn certainly had plenty of chances to score, but did not have the same finishing power. Selwyn had a number of penalty-corners in the second half but all of its shots were blocked by the Pegasus defence. Pegasus, Which was quick to counter-attack, always looked the more dangerous

side, but Selwyn, led by George Camoutsos at inside right, kept plugging away, without success. The second half was 22 minutes old before Craig Mcßobb scored the first goal. David Grundy robbed a Selwyn player on the right flank, burst down the' sideline and along the backline before laying the ball back to Craig. Mcßobb who guided it into the pet. At that stage there was a prospect Selwyp would fight back and take the game to extra time' but that hope was dashed three minutes later when John Radovonich whacked home a penaltycorner. ! Selwyn, still refusing to die, came back and forced a handful of penalty-corners but could not break the determined Pegasus defence. Radovonich ..scored his team's third goal and his second a minute from the end with a bullet-like shot high into the net from the circle edge. Harewood was always in control against Old Boys. It kept a firm grip on possession, building up with slick passing through the mid-field, keeping the Old Boys defence on the back foot. Old Boys found itself con-

stantly under pressure because when it did manage to Intercept passes and gain possession it quickly lost the ball and found itself defending again a few seconds later. Harewood varied its attack astutely. The right flank of Grant Edwards and Phil Burke did most of the attacking but for variety attacks were promoted through the centre and the left side. Chris • Leslie scored three goals for Harewood and Glenn Hayde and Edwards scored two each. In the competition between the bottom four teams, University and Redcliffs will meet in the final next weekend. On Saturday Redcliffs had a comfortable 6-2 win against Sydenham, University had to go into extra time before it overcame Woolston 3-2. There was no score at half time In the Unlversity-Wools-ton game but in a hectic second-half Chris Dockerill scored first for University. Woolston burst back, and goals to Greg Rhodes and Barry Phillips gave Woolston the lead before Dockerill ' equalised to force extra time. Dockerill completed an important hat-trick when he scored in extra time for University to win the game.