HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 20205, 16 June 1927, Page 10

HOCKEY

YESTERDAY'S MATCHES. Though the grounds at Queen’s Park were somewhat heavy after the rain, conditions were quite pleasant for yesterday’s two matches. lhe two leading teams, Winton and Collegiate, gained decisive victories over Progressive and Invercargill respectively. COLLEGIATE (9) v. INVERCARGILL (5). It says very little for one of the leading teams in the competition that because it was considered that they were up against a weak side only four girls turned up. Yet this was the case with Collegiate. There must surely be something radically wrong with the sense of sportsmanship and courtesy of those seven girls who failed to put in an appearance. At first sight it will seem amazing that the four Collegiate players should have been able 'to defeat their eleven opjxjnents so easily. The main reason for the victory was, however, that the Invercargill girls could not keep on-side and launch attacks with only four opposing them. The match was reduced to absurdity, yet the referee had no other course but to adhere to the rules and give a penalty against Invercargill each time they took the ball offside. The only bright feature of the game was the great work of the four lone Collegiate girls. Miss Mclntyre in particular played brilliantly and shot most of the goals. Invercargill’s whole team work was hampered by the danger of getting offside. It paid them better to play individually, as they realised after the interval, with the result that they scored three goals to Collegiate’s two. The lead of 7—2 in Collegiate’s favour at halftime, however, gave them victory at the end by 9 —5. WINTON (10) v. PROGRESSIVE (0). Though that excellent combination from Winton proved much too good for Progressive, the latter team put up a plucky fight and made the visitors work hard for all their goals. Play was nearly always in Progressive’s twenty-five and all the Yellow girls were kept busy defending. Though their hitting lacked sting and direction their determination time and again enabled them to clear. Occasionally, however, a hot shot would beat all the defenders and Winton’s score gradually mounted up. The Progressive goalie did much excellent saving, however, and let only tne fast ones through, Winton’s combination and team-work were again greatly in evidence and if passing proved ineffective on one wing the ball was whipped across to the other.