HOCKEY. WELLINGTON 6 v. WANGANUI 3.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 49, 26 August 1907, Page 2

HOCKEY. WELLINGTON 6 v. WANGANUI 3.

On Saturday tho weather was perfect! and the giouud in admirable condition for good play. A considerable number of spectators journeyed to Day's Bay to see this coUesi. Tho play did not quite reach the otaudard usually Been in first-class representative matches; but the game was, nevertheless, an exhibition of very good hockey. Wellington, it will bo seen, won by three goals; and, on the day's play ihis margin indicates very fairly the relative strength of the two teams. Li the first spell Wellington had much the bettor of tho play ; but in tl.e .recand half matters were fairly even, and whatever advantage therd was etill remained iv Weilington's favour. Wanganui played the five-eighths system— that is, instead of playing a goal-keeper, a man was placed in front of tho two full-backs. This method of placing tho men in tho field resulted in much use of the whistle Tor "oif-sido" play on tho part of Wellington's forwards. Thin formation should not be encouraged, as it is not conducive to good work, and leads only to frequent stoppages on account of "off-side" play. It is gratifying, however, to note that Wanganui saw the error, and changed tho formation later ju tho game Tha Wangonui players are characterised by hard, clean hitting and long passes across tho field. There is in the team, however, more than a tendency lo indulge in "speculative hits," which greatly spoiled their work, f ho Wellington team, on the oth« hand, were far superior to their opponent* in stopping and hitting in a desired direction. Wellington played with their usual fine forward combination. Th© Wanganui team consisted of— Full-backs, Henderson, Cave, D. Miller; halves, A. Winstone, m! tvoldsburg, U. Haase ; forwards, W. luompeon, H. Hams, W. Harris, A. H f ' n- hh a * ]m - T £ e Wellington team of — Goal-keeper, Shirioy; full-backs, Spiers, Ashbolt ; halves, Sinythe, Camp' bell Cathie; forwards, Organ, Willis, Birkeil, Davies, Smythe Play opened with a good Mtsek by Wanganui. The ball, however, got among tho Wellington forwards, and a very pretty rush back to Wanganui's twenty-fivo lin» was made by Smythe nnd Daviee. Somevery good play followed, mostly in Wanganui quarters. Organ and Willis made a j-.?M?. ck: Orsm ver y neatl y centred, and Willis, securing the ball, shot the first goal. Wellington returned to the attact but a free hit for "off-side" play relieve*? the pressure. Wanganui now attacked strongly, but the shot at goal missed tho mark. The next atUok by Wanganui resulted in Thompson hittipg a goal, aud thus equalising the scores. Very goot play by Wellington followed, in which <£. Smythe was very conspicuous, "off-sidii" play, owing to Wanganui's peculiar form.-w Uon, spoiling what appeared to be certain scores. Wellington continued to attack, and Organ splendidly passed the ball right across tho field to his feilowi-wing. Smytho Borured it and hit a fino dean goal. Plar was again carried on in the Wangama twenty-five, but once more shots were pravented by tho v/bi&ilc sounding for "offEide." VTauganui started au attack, h«fe i heir weakness in fielding the ball was tb» cau?e of llieir quickly losing it. Birkcet made a pretty rush dbwn the field, but ha was cleverly checked by Henderson. Another fine attack by Wellington was made down the centre and right; Organ neatly caiUred at the right moment, aud Willis secured hia second goal. The first spell cuded without further ecore. Wellington. 3, Wanganui 1. Tho second half opened with an attack by Wanganui, They wera» however, unfortunate. From a. free bit tho ball was shot, but it struck the Wellington goaJ post. A series of very fine rushes by both sides followed. In tho Wanganui attacks Coo wa? particularly prominent. Daviea spoiled a great deal of hi? work by ono-handed play. Tho Wanganui attacks wers characterised by good open rushes and hard passes. They, howox er, again met with misfortune, this tiina lifting the ball over the bar. One of Wellington's attacks ended in Davies obtaining au easy goal. afterwards Harris thot a goal for Wanganui. Tlie play now changed from ono end of tho field to the other in very quick succession. Davies hit Wellington's fifth goal, and Ceo Wanganui's third. The fin&l goal, obtained by Willis, was the tiutcom* of some very pretty irtay on the part -dt Wellington right iv front of tho Y/angauui goal posts Wanganui mado a final rush, but tho ball, when shot, hit tho post a, second time. The whistle souuded time, with tho scoro at— Wellington 6, Wanganui S. For Wanganui, Coe, NaylorJ and Thompson played good forward games, the first-named being especially good. Goldsburg made a useful centre half, but he does not feed his forwards as well as he might. The thrco fuU.-blackif, Henderson, Cave, and Miller, were good, their hitting being very strong Of the Wellingtons, (.4. Smythe stood out by himsojf ; he played tho best gamo of all tho forwards in tho conteat. Organ, Willis, and Birkett were also good. Dalies was not up to bin usual form N. Smytho was the best of the_ half-backe, - and Ashbolt played a very admirable full-back game. Shirley was observed smoking a. cigarette during the second spell. This, porhaps, betokens coolness, but it is not hockoy. Hi 6 powers, however, were not often teßted. LADIES' MATCH. Marlborough v. Kiwi.— This match was fairly interesting. The Marlborough team was composed of some very small girls, but they played very well indeed. Kiwi, however, had much tho better of the play Ihe game ended— Kiwi 3, Marlborough 0, Goals were scored by Misses Cooper, Knox, and Glasgow.