WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20037, 8 September 1939, Page 13

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

FORM AT TOURNAMENT POVERTY • BAY DISPLAY PLACINCS CRITICISED The following letter signed by "Disappointed Enthusiast” has been sent to the editor of the Herald: — “Now that the Poverty Bay women’s hockey team has returned from Blenheim we learn details, and in justice to the team I would like the following published:— “First, the team spent a whole morning in Palmerston North, and every morning in Blenheim withou, even 10 minutes’ practice. In their first match, the captain. Miss Single, was stood down, and played only one match in her correct place at right half, playing once at right wing and twice at full-back. “It was stated in a report that the full-backs were slow on recovery, but, to be fair, we should should have been told who played back in the various matches. The two players picked as full-backs played only two matches together, and in neither of those were the big scores put up against the team. “Old enthusiasts pointed out one very definite weakness in the backs, and in the only match in which that advice was heeded the team played a draw against the strong Marlborough A team, which already had drawn against Canterbury, the K Cup winners. “The best team ever picked could not win matches with players in different positions every game, and to that must be placed the indifferent display of the team.” Commenting on the criticism made in the above letter, the manager of the team, Mr. H. K. Swan, said that the team was over-loaded with halves, even one of the full-backs selected for the trip having played as a half most of the time for her club. In the first game, the team was played as near as possible to that which met Wairoa just before the side left for the tournament,- and the captain, Miss L. Single, Wairoa, who was a half, was asked to watch tire fortn of the team from the sideline. Following the initial defeat, when it was seen that Poverty Bay had no chance of winning their section, it was decided to give all players with ♦he team a game, and more frequent changes were made in the full-back line. Miss Single was found to be one of the best in the full-back position, and she and Miss Wilson were the two full-backs when the team played its drawn game with Marlborough A. Miss Raihania. another half, was in goal on that occasion. The halves were altered twice and the forwards only once.