Mangapai Hockey Team Is Four Points Ahead

Northern Advocate, 1 August 1949, Page 2

Mangapai Hockey Team Is Four Points Ahead

BY beating Springfield 2—l at Kensington Park on Saturday, Mangapai took a four-point lead in the men’s A grade competition of the Whangarei Hockey Association. With so much depending on the result, the game was willing, but not productive of a high standard of hockey.

Several upsets occurred in the women’s grades. Chief of these was the defeat of Old Girls Blue by High School A. This was School’s first win this season, although it drew with Hikurangi A in the first round. At Maungakaramea, the local women maintained their lead in the A grade by beating the nearest contender, Old Girls Gold, by an odd goal. Determined to maintain its lead, Mangapai started off against Springfield with gusto, but was quelled by the solidity of A. Price and C. Whittle, and the good keeping of E. Norton. Although called upon only occasionally. Norton cleared and kicked well.

ness of High School A and the soundness of its defence, but won 5—4. N Chainey scored all School’s goals. KARAMEA LADIES AHEAD Avenging its 2—3 defeat in the first round, Maungakaramea beat Old Girls Gold at ’Karamea, I—o. The score indicated the evenness of the game. Old Girls was without several of its strong players, and could not gain its usual penetration. ’Karamea is now three points ahead of Old Girls Gold, but has the bye this week. Mangapai women consolidated their lead in the intermediate grade with a I—o1 —0 win over Maungatapere.

Play was going up and down the field when a long pass to Springfield right winger, S. Carter, set the forwards in motion for J. Palmer to dratv first blood. Both umpires were inclined to be lenient, and this tended to speed the game up and make it rugged. THE WINNING SHOT After several fruitless runs down the side-line, M. Carter, the Mangapai right wing, got the ball to the circle, and instead of centring, had a shot at goal and equalised. For the first half, Mangapai was without its custodian, G. Horn. L. Price, who was playing his usual cool game, averted a goal when he stopped the ball about an inch from the line. Springfield wing, L. Carter, had beaten the defence and had an open field. With a reversed stick, he appeared to have shot the goal but Price came from out of the blue. The winning shot came about 10 minutes after half-time. Mangapai was awarded a penalty corner, and R. Price made no mistake. Both sets of defenders played wf!l with L. Price outstanding. Playing two short Old Boys appeared to be subdued by the superior fit-