HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 19276, 21 June 1924, Page 12 (Supplement)

HOCKEY

(By

“Circle.”)

Very little interest has attached to recent matches in the Wednesday Competition, as all the harder matches come towards the end of the round. Unfortunately also the weather has been far from favourable, and the playing areas on Queen’s Park are in an unusually heavy state. Union compiled almost a cricket score against Collegiate B on Wednesday afternoon, and goals came with remarkable frequency. Collegiate B did not put up any sort of a fight, and their opponents did very much as they liked, so much so that in the second spell the players were changed about in order to make the game more interesting. Collegiate Bis principally composed of young players, some of whom have not previously had any experience of the game. It is therefore only natural that they should be outclassed when pitted against teams of much larger experience. Collegiates’ play, however, clearly indicates that it is without anyone to guide it or to instruct the players in even the most elementary principles of the game. The players should, if possible, get someone who understands the game to take an interest in the team, and unless this is done the team cannot hope to take a prominent place in club hockey. High School furnished a surprise on Wednesday by all but defeating Collegiate A, and those who watched the game fully anticipated that Collegiate had lost any chance it had of winning the premiership. In the first spell the honours were with the School team which played clean, smart hockey. In the earlier stages of the second spell also High School more than held its own and until late in the game held the advantage by a goal. Collegiate recovered just in time and added two goals within the last five minutes. On the play Collegiate was fortunate to win, and it did not impress one as a team which was capable of extending the best teams in the competition.

On the other hand the play of the High School team showed a most gratifying improvement, and full-backs, halves and forwards worked in well together. The fullbacks were particularly sound on defence and warded off the attacks of the opposing forwards in great style. The forward line also did some fine pasting and followed up

their attacks, a feature of play in which the Collegiate forwards were sadly lacking. Miss F. McKenzie, at centre-forward, gave a bright display, and was a continual source of trouble to the Collegiate backs. Both High’s goals came from her stick, and the second which came from a roll-in, caught the Collegiate full-backs unawares. She had secured |M>ssession and tvas through on her own before they knew what had happened. With only the goal-keeper left she had no difficulty in scoring. Miss Carter, at centre-half, gave her best performance of the season, and used excellent judgment in her passing to the forwards. She also made freer use of the hand-stop, and did it well, but wisely refrained from using it when time did not permit. Miss E. Stevenson and M. Bain, fullbacks, tackled, stopped and cleared well, breaking up many strong Collegiate attacks. Collegiate played its worst game of the season, and even allowing for the improvement in the play of the High School team, should not have had so much difficulty in holding its position among the three first teams in the competition. There was nothing attractive in the style of hockey it played, and mis-directed passes, poor fol-lowing-up, and mis hitting were common faults. The forwards did not combine at ail well, while with few exceptions, the play of the backs was also weak.

It is difficult to account for the indifferent display cf the Collegiate team and the only solution that suggests itself is that the players have not been paying sufficient attention to practice. Next week the team will be called upon to meet Union, and unless it can give a much better performance than it did on Wednesday, it will have to accept defeat. In the meantime much can be done to remedy the more apparent defects in the team and to revive some of the combination which the team displayed in its earlier matches.

To-day’s fixture between High School and College should be an interesting one and if High can re-produce its form of W’ednesday, the College team will find it a much harder proposition than in the first round. Nevertheless the latter team has a lead on points and unless some of the other teams in the Saturday competition brighten up sufficiently to defeat College, High will not be able to make up lee-way. Conditions under which recent matches have been played have been far from pleasant and on several occasions the players have had their uniforms soaked by rain. One of the main ideas those who were responsible for the erection of the pavilion, had in view, was to instal hot and cold water showers so that immediately matches were over players could take advantage of them to ward off any ill-effects they might otherwise suffer from playing in the rain. The expense of installing a water-heater and showers should not be great, and the Association would do well to consider making these improvements while they will be of most benefit.

Remembering the trouble which arose with the Eastern District in regard to the conclusion of its club fixtures in order to enable the representative team to be chosen, the Association should take steps to advise the Western District as early as possible as to when the town competition is brought to a close. It is intended to play a trial match between Town and Western District, and this will probably require to be played immediately the town fixtures have been concluded.

The Rosedale players were greatly amused on Saturday last when the referee awarded them a goal, although the ball was not touched by an attacker after it had passed the twenty-five yards line. As the result of the undeserved criticism which was recently levelled against last year’s selectors, who also acted in the capacity of referees, the Association is now in an unfortunate position in regard to referees for its Saturday games. It does not require a very wide knowledge of hockey to know that a goal can only be scored when the ball comes from off the stick of an attacker within the circle. Yet the ways of the Association are so strange that they appoint one, who apparently lacks even this elementary knowledge of the game, to the position of selector. On Wednesday the Riverton Ladies travelled to Otautau to play the Otautau Ladies. The ground was wet and slippery, and the home team won by six goals to nil. On the same day the Ohai Ladies travelled to Tuatapere and suffered defeat by the Tuatapere Ladies by two goals.

It is a pity that Riverton District High Schools are debarred from competing in the Western Association matches. But on account of the amount of time required for travelling, they would not enter a team. This team of young players play an exceptionally good game and combine well together. If they could get the practice that is obtained in outside matches they would develop into a first-class team that would give a good account of itself amongst the best company.