HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 858, 2 July 1910, Page 12

HOCKEY.

$ ECHOES OP THE-SHIELD MATCH. (By "Bully-off.") * Last Saturday's garao between "Wellington and Hawke's Bay will long be remembered. It was brimful of exciting moments. Many must have felt hoarse on . Saturday, for there was plenty of "encouragement" from the onlookers,, and these demonstrations no doubt "speeded up" tho game. Hav/ko's Bay need not Iks downhearted over the result. Their fine play, laid the icy hand of fear hard on Wellington, and, at one stage, tho locals seemed scarcely to have a chance of "catching up." Although over a thousand journeyed across to see the game, it was still rather surprising to find many old players absent. II ow is it that as soon as a representative hockey match is on many players fly to Rugby or other games? Those who went to Rugby missed a treat. Whatever happened to Wellington's left-wing during the match is hard to understand. For a long time ho failed to give us his usual form, bnt, fortunately, he pulled himself together and saved the situation just in time. Parton was the best forward, and a better man for the right-wing will ba hard to find amongst Wellington players. He got the ball smartly up tho line, and centred promptly and accurately every time. Good judgment, combined with energy, enthusiasm, and determination, also tip-top condition, earned for this young player the great honour of general admiration. Smith -also 1 made some splendid moves, and is a very good partner for Parton. Jones, as-"bully," was rather weak. The position of centre-forward must: .be strengthened, but who can fill, it? ■ It might perhaps bo advisable, to try Beere. Had flie local team's centTe-forward been up to the mark, without doubt a' goal would have been registered on Saturday in the first spell. Tho goal credited to Jones came ofF another player's from outside the circle it is stated —and Jones, waiting near the net, just touched the ball, and the leather glanced off into tho goal-mouth. Some say that the ball passed from outside the 1 circle into the net without being touched during its progress atoll. Then again the goal secured by Fraser (Hawke's Bay) is stated to have'been no goal. It appears that a. fairly reliable authority has asserted that the ball was sent over _ the goal-line, and quickly smuggled into play, and centred to Frase.r, who scoreti. It is authoritatively mentioned that the actual scorei should have read I—o in favour of Wellington. Oil the. whole, however, this is unprofitable kind of talk. Spectators, who were in a good position to see, assert quite the contrary. Regarding the question of centre forward again. It would appear rather peculiar at first to suggest that the selector, Mr. H. V. Walton, should participate in future shield matches, but the position is obvious. If a good and reliable man is not forthcoming, or rather to be had, what would be wrong if Walton himself took 'the position? Wellington were more aggressive during the. first spell, and they .certainly .held the long end of the rope, but the visitors outshone in combination and staying-power for the most part of the second spell. One noticeable feature of the game was tho fact that after Hawke's Bay had secured their goal they tried hard ,to keep the ball out of play, amd consume time. Save for that point, they played a good game. In regard to the halves, Campbell was the most reliable. He was called upon continually to effect "saves." The other Christie • and Nathan Smythe, were not at their' best, and, generally speakinj, the combination of the local halfline was inferior to that of Hawke's Bay.' It may be safely said that the Wellington team did not play so well as oai the previous Saturday. The left wingers and halves did not ke«p theiir respective j>ositions satisfactorily. In the match against Manawatu,-on June 3, they played much better, or; rather, kept their positions in a more;.systematic way. Without Harty, Kibblewhite, and Morpeth the team was doomed. Harty was the best of the three. His sound, and penetrating .shots found favour amongst the supporters. He had a tendency of being rather slow in getting his shots in; but once the leather was touched it travelled almost uninterrupted. On various occasions some really smart "saves" were effected. Kibblewhite was apt' to deal' too leniently with his man. De' Looze, in goal for Hawke's Bay, was very sound and reliable. Brewer was quite at home on No. 1 Ground. He is an old Wellington Club and representative player. The halves ; were much superior to the local lot. ' M'Goldriek right-half, Simmonds centre, and Fear left-half, .were good both in attack and defence. . ' Hallett did not appeal to tho writer as being in form, and it is said that ha has played better games. He is fast, but" Kibblewhite appeared to challenge most of his shots. Atkinson and Eraser were the pick of the challengers' forward line. The latter is a thick set man, with plenty, of pluck: Mr. Hatch, the referee, stated that he never wants to referee in a, better match than the one last Saturday. None of his rulings were disputed, and it was a clean, sportsmanlike game almost throughout. He thought the best team won. He stated that Campbell, centre-half, is just as good as he was six years ago. his only fault being obstruction. ' Mr. Hatch took a prominent part in hockey when in England, and, questioned by the writer in regard to tho play there arid in New Zealand, stated that last Saturday's teams compared moro than favourably with the North of England teams; but /were not so good as the South of England teams. Mr. Hatch was much impressed with tho style of R. Parton's play. Both he and Smythe/(stated Mr. Hatch) gathered tho ball splendidly with the stick. They also used the stick in fine style, making less use of the hand. Most work in the back division fell to Brewer, he being the best back on the day's play, according to tho referee. Another point which should be'noted by Wellington players, is that short, sharp passes are more effective than long risky ones, becauso they are less likely to be intercepted, and a forward lino has more command over the ball. The Hawke's Ray passing was superior, and more effective, than' the,, local team's tactics.