HOCKEY SEASON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21239, 20 July 1932, Page 17

HOCKEY SEASON.

COUNTRY TEAM IMPRESSES.

TOWN ELEVEN WEAKENED.

FORWARD LINE DISAPPOINTING

Two fwcts were clearly shown by the niatch on Saturday, in which Town deviated Country after a very closely contested struggle by four goals to two. The first was that the town representative team has been seriously weakened by the absence <jn Australia of four of tho leading forwards and the injury received by a fifth; and the second, that the association will/ be able to fill deficiencies and field a very strong. team for any Challenge Shield match that may be arranged while the New Zealand team is on tour by drawing on some of tho country players who were seen in action on Saturday. '

The game opened at a fast pace, which was maintained throughout, and numerous bouts of strenuous jcircle J>lay provided plenty of excitement for" the large crowd oi spectators. Auckland opened with a fast attack, but it was not long before it was evident that the Country forwards would give the Town defence a hard time. Territorially, Countiy won the honours, of the day, and it was only the splendid game played by two members of the! Town team, Vaile, in goal, and 11. Watts, at centre-forward, that presented the visitors from being victorious. E. Watts' Fine Game.

The Town forward lino was on the whole /very disappointing. M. Jones, Jfift wing, playing his first senior representative match, and taking a position .whidh was unusual fo£ him, Was not at case, although he was seen in several fast runs which gave the inside forwards good shooting, opportunities. Indirectly, lie was responsible for Auckland's first goal, which E. Watts netted. C. Watts, playing inside left, was off form in t!he first half, but he later became used to the ground, which was in a very tricky condition, and played a splendid game, '• working in brilliantly with his brother. In the centre, E. Watts was up to his Lest under the conditions ruling. His shooting was deadly and his command of the finer tactics of the game .was seen in several typical movements which completely tricked tho opposing backs. Seccombe, right inside, worked hard} but poor stickwork and faulty directional hitting spoiled his play. On the wing, Monteith, except for one or two really brilliant flank runs and clever centres, failed to show up to any extent. The' Town defence was, if anything, inore /disappointing, except for Vaile's work. In the halves, both Robertson, light, and McLeod, centre, were off form, being frequently caught out of position and mishitting. On the left, Hedges played a sound, defensive game, bdt did not feed his forwards enough. Williams, right fullback, was patchy, but improved greatly toward the end, while Smith/ his partner, marred a fairly soundv game by topping, the ball time after time. In the goal Vaile flayed a dogged and- remarkably effective game, several of his eaves /being brilliant. ■? ,tStrong Hall Line. On the ether liahd, the Country goalkeeperrWyatt, was not impressive. Although./ two of-.the.. goals that beat him were very tricky, • the other two shotdd have been anticipated. He was, moreover, well sheltered by the Country defence, which also showed that some of its members should run city players hard for provincial honours. Of the two fullbacks, Dunning, right, was the more prominent, but he seemed inclined to raise his stick dangerously neaiHo infringement height. The half line, every member of wh:icn plays as. centre-half for his home team, was //outstandingly good. Turnbull, centre, having to cover the most dangerous trio of the whole Town line, was the most in the limelight, but Johns, right, played" a remarkably steady game. Toovey, left, while brilliant in the first half, appeared to tire later in the game. Of the forward line, honours undoubtedly go to Grimmer, inside, a.nd Goertz, on the left flank. Playing in close combination and having a very useful turn of speed, they kept battering nt the Auckland • defence from start to * finish of the game. At centre, B. Spiers, who had had a strenuous week, 1 formed a great key to the line. He had .< played in the Country Week tourney at Auckland on Monday and Tuesday, laterreturning to Te Awamutu on-the Wednesdav, and leaving again the same day for Stratford, where he played in ithe Norden Cup match. He was back in Auckland on Friday night, and, as the result'of a rearrangement of the Country team, was able to take his placet in the concluding game of the week.rj,* Byles, right inside, and Civil, right wing, did mot see so much of the ball as the other •flank, but they played an effective game. Juniors' Good Showing. The junior Auckland team, the qualifications for which were the same as those for a Junior Challenge Cup match, mad« a good showing against the junior Country team by winning by three goals to two. Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the game was the form shown by. Challenger, the Country goalkeeper. His versatility in saving all types of shots costTown several goals. The fullbacks, Lawrence and Langridge, played an cftec•tive game, but the halves did not play Jar enough up the field. In the forward line, the right wing and inside, Carter and Edwards, respectively, were the hardest workers, but A. Spiers finished off several movements nicely. Although all the members of the van were good individualists, they lacked adequate combination. . . . Gawk well, right fullback, was the pick of the Auckland defence, but he was approached very closely by Pickens, who, as centre-half, played a splendid game, marred only by too much roving. 1 e forward line as a whol<? played very v. e , honours perhaps going to lioyd, left ineide, and Cooper, centre.