MEN’S HOCKEY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 257, 27 July 1936, Page 3

MEN’S HOCKEY

Karori II Force Huia To Draw: TECHNICAL BEAT WELLINGTON Wesley .Take Honours From Hutt In playing a .drawn game, one goal all, Karori II and Hu,ia staged the brightest exhibition of the season at Nai Nai on Saturday, despite a sluggish field. Karori I defeated University by four goals to two, also at Nai Nai. At Karori Park, Technical .were victorious against Wellington, the final score being three to two. Wesley did well to -take honours from Hutt, the final score being two goals to one. v KARORI I v. UNIVERSITY Karori I’s defence was too good for University in their match at Nai Nai on Saturday, which resulted in victory to Karori by four goals to two. The standard of play left something to be desired in the first half, but in the second the students gave an improved exhibition. The students were first to goal, Shaw, inside right, finding the net early in the encounter. Karori responded with characteristic forward rushes, and it was not long before E. Adams scored, to be followed shortly by another from P. Adams. Karori’s full-backs, Hull and Spiers, were hard to get past. These two goals were obtained through the students’ net being found undefended when the full-backs had been negotiated, University again playing three full-backs and no goalie. Before half-time Macdonald added a third goal for Karori. A fourth came to Karori from E. Adams’s stick. A corner against Karori enabled Robinson to contribute another for University. KARORI II v. HUIA

By holding Huia to a one-all draw at Nai Nai on Saturday, Karori II created the surprise of the season. To a man the black jerseys rose to the occasion and disputed the issue with the Huia combination stroke for stroke of their nimble sticks. It was one of the finest all-round exhibitions of the game seen since the Indians last played in Wellington. The teams rose superior to the sluggish turf and put on a match that had the gallery on their toes. By fearless tackling and smart stickwork Karori saw as much of the ball as their opponents. The Karori forward line —Gapes, Roberts, Pbypers, A. Edwards, and Jcromson —-worked like clockwork and had the Huia defenders hard pressed. Karori scored ten minutes from the start, A. Edwards finding the net. Cooper led Huia s front line in a spell of attacking, but Perrin and Shaw were intercepting with cool judgment. Even when they broke through Huia met trouble in the Karori goalkeeper, Smith, who was applauded tor many saves. At half-time Karori were one goal to the good, Huia having tailed to opeu their account. The best feature was the way in which the players on both sides used their heads. The tactics

employed were almost up to interprovincial standard. Midway iu the second half Wheatley equalised for Huia with a .high shot. If all club hockey were like this game the public would soon crowd the sidelines.

WESLEY v. HUTT

A shortage of umpires at Karori Park —a shortage which is becoming chronic —delayed the start of the Wesley-Hutt game on No. 2 ground for nearly half an hour. Finally Mr. W. G. Purves transferred' from a lower grade game. The game was remarkably fast, the handling of the ball being much cleaner than was expected from the condition of the ground. Throughout Wesley set the paee and did all the attacking, repeatedly robbing Hutt in midfield. Wesley’s share of the ball was greater than, the score of 2-1 in their favour would indicate, but although they consistently raided the Hutt circle there most of their efforts collapsed in confusion. From one of their rare "attacks Hutt opened the scoring and were one up at half-time.. Wesley pegged away on resumption, and were rewarded when au offence by the Hutt goalkeeper gave them a penalty bully. Bade, who took the bully for Wesley, was obstructed, aud the referee awarded him a penalty goal. Wesley continued to press, but it was some time before one of their many attacks could be finished off. They were still attacking at the end, and gained another penalty bully, this time fruitless.

TECHNICAL v. WELLINGTON

An extremely heavy ground and treacherous foothold spoiled any prospects of a fast or open game on Karori No. 7, where Technical and Wellington meh Too much of the players’ interest was centred on retaining the perpendicular for them to worry much about where their teammates were, and ~both sides spent most of the game charging about the field in bunches. Wellington were further at a disadvantage through a vacancy in their front line, which was filled by a junior player. Nevertheless they were first to attack, and from a long corner the ball was within inches of the Technical goalmouth. Half the spell elapsed before ■ the scoring opened, a long pass up to Kelly enabling him to put in a good run and slam home a hard shot at close range for Technical’s first goal. Just before the half-time whistle Fergusson equalised for Wellington. Technical opened the second spell with more semblance of combined play, but Wellington were first to add to the score. Technical immediately retaliated, and thereafter had somewhat the better of the game, finishing one up. Both Sharratt, the Wellington goalkeeper, and Mason, the Technical goalkeeper, were worked hard and gave fine exhibitions to keep the score down to 3-2.