Hockey.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 133, 12 June 1909, Page 14

Hockey.

(By "Shinty.") |

One-sided games were the feature of last Saturday's senior matches. The four winners —United, Victoria College, Ka rori, and V.M.C.A. —between them scored 28 goals against their opponents' —Wesley, Thorndon, Vivian, and Wellington—s goals. This gives an average of 7 points to a fraction of 1 pomt — a very lop-sided state of affairs. Previous to this, the competitions had been veiy keenly contested. . The falling away of some of the teams is hard to account for. Wesley showed in its first half of its engagement with United, that it is equal to better things. The form of the young Wesleyans in the second spell was disgraceful. Evidently they "shot their bolt" too early. Thorndon showed palpate weakness —lack of combination being mainly re&poneible. Vivian suffers from a similar defect, while Wellington has weakened since the loss of "Tim" Brewer, Ulrieh, and Doughty. While United improved as play progressed, 'Wesley fell away. The latter opened brilliantly; their passing, hitting, and fielding being superb*. Although the score at half-time was 3—23 —2 in favour of United, Wesley had rendered the more meritorious performance. The only consistent Wesley players were Christie (centre-half) and Birch (right wing). The former's de.Lnce was solid, and tie accomplished a great amount of work. Jacobsen, one of the full-backs, was absent, his placo being filled by Brown, the goalkeeper. He and ifleall tackled well at first, but their hitting suffered in comparison with that of Hickson and Aehbolt. Muldoon, n goal, "mulled" everything that came his way. He is from the juniors, and evidently is not accustomed to such shooting as Elliott's. Sherwood, left half, was fair, and Gapper, on the other end, was unfortunate in suffering a relapse to a bad knee. Dixon, left wing, was too well watched to afford him any opportunities to shine. He was not, however, overburdened with work. Curgenven was dashing, but he, Smith, and Keays were erratic. United as a team has not played better this season; and from present appearances, the reds seem likely to yet place themselves at the head of the poll. Elliott was the chief destructive agent to the other side. He scored on no fewer than six occasions. Some of his efforts were admirable. Frequently, he manoeuvred the ball into the circle by individual ingenuity, and thence scored his point. "iShinty" has never seen him in better form. Of the others, all did their best; Ronaldson, outside halt, perhaps contributing the least. Hickson and Ashbolt, it is unnecessary to mention, kept up their end of tho stick as tho full-backs. Thorndon made a very poor showing against Victoria College. The black and whites did not play their customary plucky uphill game, but rather allowed the students to run over them. They appeared too prepossessed with the idea that they were in for a sound drubbing, and accordingly resigned themselves to fate. The College has a reorganised team, and, of course, as tho score (9 —o) indicates, "ail went well." The Stracks, because of their combined play, have again been coupled on the left wing; R. Beer is bully, and D. Smith, from the half-line, and Bogle, are the right flank. The Jatter is becoming initiated into the game, and is coming on fast. He scored three goals. Monaghan has been located at centre-half. Brodie and Coombes, from the juniors, are his assistants. Kibblewhite and Griffiths are two solid full-backs. The former plays a very good game. A. Macdougall is an improvement upon Treadwell in goal. Apropos of the allocation of No. 1 ground, a correspondent writes :—: — "I was delighted with your remarks in last Saturday's Post re allotment of hockey grounds; it is a point which I have been discussing frequently both last season and this. The position taken up by the Grounds Committee, i.e., 'that the best teams should have the best ground, because the committee desires to make the game popular with the public." is typical ot the illogical arguments of this and past hockey management committees. I maintain that if the desire of the Management Committee is to popularise the game, then every team should have an equal opportunity to practise the finer points of the game, and thus become clever exponents; under present circumstances this is impossible, because (at most) some oi the teams enjoy two opportunities only during each season ot playing upon a pro-perly-prepared ground with an even surface.. "Why should Uniteds enjoy this enormous advantage each week, and practically every week, throughout the season? It is not surprising that this team has been the champion team of the city for sd long, when it is so assiduously nursed at the expense of every other club. "Possibly you are aware; that at Home, in every game, nearly "every club, or I might say every club of any standing, has its own private ground, and the procedure is for each club to arrange home and away matches. It usually happens that every team gives the best display on its own ground, and before its own spectators, so that if any ono team played every match on its" own ground the result would be pretty well assured ; and this is what is, and has been, happening with the Uniteds. Other teams might have been as clever had they had equal opportunities, and such opportunities should be the first care of the Executive Committee. "Personally, I should prefer an equal number of games for each club on each ground in turn; if that is not feasible, then the teams who require most instruction in the finer points of the game should have the best ground for at least one season." Although Karori defeated Vivian somewhat simply, the winners' performance was not extraordinary. Superior combination won the game. The' blacks ha<T things mostly their own way, but their forwards did not make the most ot 'chances afforded them by their halves. Elias was again seen on the left wing m the Karori ranks. He scored a very creditable goal. The others played well. Fulton having the least to do. On occasions it would have been tactful to conduct the attack through the agency of the bully, but Fulton, when he has the ball, in turn forgets to transfer'it. Murphy, also, was rather inclined to "go on his own." Tn the half-line, Putnam was seen to bettei advantage than at left wing. Gendall speculated too much on a bumpy ground. Tho full-backs and goalkeeper were not'overburdened with work. Vivian appeared very disorganised, not playing with cohesion and vim. Wing play was a lost art with the blues, although Donovan made a fine effort to score, the ball hitting the post. Fullback Moxham was called upon Lo exerb himself in stemming the invasion. He acquitted himself well. The ccntrc-halr —R. Thompson —stood out above his two confreres. The bully also did some good work. V.M.C.A. and Wellington-provided a game which, was, especially in the firsC spell, exciting and at limes interesting. Wellington had rather the better of the first portion of the game, and showed that the team had improved considerably. V.M.C.A. was slow in settling down to work. The Young Men improved, however, as the game progressed, and at the sound of no-side they were

displaying excellent combination ana good all-round play. On the other hand, Wellington started off well, but towards the end, or after the first spell, practically "went to pieces," V.M.'s forwards shot well, but their efforts were largely spoiled by Craig, who made an excellent substitute goalkeeper for tho blue stockings. Leydon, a new man, also played well amongst the Wellington backs. Holmes and Collie, playing in th<s tull-back line, were very conspicuous, the former having greatly improved since his team met victoria College on the previous Saturday. Walton, playing in Wellington's vanguard, was easily the best player on his side, and the goal he scored in the first half of the gamo was very neat. V.M.'s forwards all played a dashing game, R. H. Parton and Loader being the most prominent. It is suggested that the Wellington representative team play the Wairarapa eleven at Masterton on the 24th inst. This will mean a one-day journey. The team wiU leave on the Saturday morning, and return the same evening. A conrespondent is not satisfied with the team that was selected to play Manawatu. He admits that theie are several candidates fot different positions who have fairly even claims. In his opinion, however, the team should bo constituted as follows : Goalkeeper, Dwyer (United) j full-backs, Hickson (United), or Jacobsen (Wesley); halves, Christie (Wesley) or Monaghau (Victoria College), Parton (V.M.C.A.), Dawson (V.M.C.A.; forwards, Willis (Karori), Organ (United), Elliott (United), G. Davies (Karori), Dixon (Wesley). The same writer sends an alternative forward line in as follows : Willis., Elliott, R. H. Partcm (V.M.C.A.), Davies, Dixon, or Smythe. Over one thousand people witnessed the match between Saturday and Thursday representatives at Christchurch on the 3rd inst. The game is said to have been keenly contested, and as no score was forthcoming until the very last, the contest proved exciting. Both sides scored a goaJ just on time. LADIES' HOCKEY. Again the Wellington Ladies' Hockey Association has had its complete arrangements of fixtures upset *by the withdrawal of grounds, owing to "wet weather." Where possible, however, games ivere proceeded with. Only one senior mafeh was decided —between Victoria College and Hinemoa —andi it ended in a draw —3 points each. Evidently the Collegians are not to have everything their own way, as the result of their match against Wellington on the previous Saturday would lead one to believe. Petone managed to defeat Hinemoa by a mere goal. Accordingly, some exciting contests may be expected. The College was by no means the better team,- for all-round merit Hinemoa being its superior. With three goals, obtained in not many more minutes at the outset, the students appeared to grow lackadaisical and rest on their laurels. On the other hand, the reds moved about restlessly, and were recompensed just on time with the balancing point. The College team may be divided into two unequal parts —one portion good and the other indifferent. Honours rest with the forwards. Of this quintette, the two wingers are admirable, and will bear comparison with any that might be submitted by other clubs. The team, however, does not recognise where its strength lies, wing play being almost an unknown feature of the play. This fault may be laid at the door of the back-rankers. 'Miss Kerslake, on the left flank, is a tactful player, and places the* ball very precisely. 'Miss Taverndale, on the Tight, was asked to do even less than her fellow on the left. Miss 'M'lntosh, inside left, was also prominent. Shs appears to -be the goal shot of the team. The real weakness of the team was 'n the full-back department. These two young ladies were rarely in their correct positions. They stood in very close company, and were frequently caught napping. Strangely enough, the strongest hitter on the field was the diminutive full-back of the Hinemoas. She was an objectlesson to her opposing full-backs. Fair hockeyiets rarely field the ball with the hand, and even less often is a goal-keeper of either sex observed to field a rolling ball in this manner. The reds goalkeeper saved very effectively on three or four occasions in this way. Of an even trio of halves, the right-hand one was most conspicuous. The forwards worked most assiduously. There is a dashing young lady on the left wing.