HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 22074, 22 July 1933, Page 15

HOCKEY

(By

“Half Back.”)

At the executive meeting of the Otago Men’s Hockey Association last Monday night, it was decided that the South Island tournament should be abandoned for this season and that suitable dates for _ representative matches be arranged immediately. Four lone players put in their appearance at the card evening arranged by the executive of the Men s Association last week. Such a poor muster must have been most disheartening to the officials and really there is no excuse for such a lack ot interest. If the players wont help themselves how can they rightly appeal for assistance to the outside supporters of the game?

TOWN v. SOUTHERN TRIAL

Visitors Overshadowed.

Three main excuses advanced by many of the supporters of Town who •witnessed the Town v. Southern trial at Fortrose last Saturday were: (1) The

Ground; (2) The ball and (3) The fact that certain players were feeling the etfects of the bus trip. Even accepting all these, it was as clear as a bump on a bald man’s head that Southern was the better team on the day’s play ana well-deserved their win. True it is that the well-nigh brilliant goal-keep-ing of C. Crighton, the Southern custodian, kept down Town s tally but the visitors had opportunities galore that they could not push home. No one should grudge Southern their victory—it was a win on the merits of the play. . . The most disappointing feature of Town’s display was that several of the players failed to approach anything like their usual club hockey form and certainly there were only three girls who could be said to be up to rep. form—V. Robb, M. Balch and, perhaps, L. Heaps. Unless the Town players wake themselves up in the remaining trials the claims of several of the Southern girls to inclusion in the rep team will have to be justly accorded preference. Town, however, have their opportunity of avenging the defeat this afternoon at Queen’s Park Can they do so? The game having already been fully reported, the writer intends in this column to briefly comment on the players in the match. C. Crighton (the Southern goalie) gave an inspiring display between the posts and some of her saves were “gaspers.” P. Stait (the Town custodian) had had an uncomfortable bus trip and this may have accounted for her unsettled state in the opening stages when Southern netted two easy goals in close succession. Later she saved on two or three occasions in her usual cool fashion. The. Town selectors gave her her chance in this “big” game but lack of experience told its tale. She committed tactical errors when her full backs, standing well up near the halfline, were passed with strong hits. It was then the goalie s place to rush out while she had plenty of time and either boot or hit the ball clear from the circle or 25. Instead, she stood by her posts and enabled the dashing Southern forwards to hurry up and command the ball —then danger arose! Still she is a goalie who will go far, though her experience is not yet just ripe enough. Town Fullbacks Fail.

Neither Town fullbacks (M. Dawson and E. Kerse) gave a display along the lines of their true capabilities and L. McNatty and M. Lee, the Southern backs, quite overshadowed the visiting pair. When they saw that their halves were being overwhelmed so much, they should have stood much further back instead of mingling with the half line. Then once the ball was sent past them, it was often too late to get back. Later they settled down better but were never thoroughly comfortable. Both the Southern girls were cleaner hitters than the Town couple and certainly they will challenge hard for the touring team. It was gratifying to note the return to form of L. McNatty who extricated her side repeatedly from dangerous situations. Her tendency to give "sticks,” too, was refreshingly absent. With the exception of V. Robb (Town) and L. Humphries (Southern) the halves were nothing to wax enthusiastic about. The former player would appear a certainty for the rep. team in the right half’s job for she has given consistently sound displays right through the season and has no serious rival. L. Humphries, too, must challenge strongly for her maroon blouse again this season. A versatile player, she may help to solve the difficulty confronting the selectors of finding good fullbacks and half backs. M. Munro (Town), once she settled down, played a solid game but, though she must eventually attain rep. honours if she continues to show an improvement, it is, in the writer’s opinion, highly debateable whether, in five weeks, a comparative senior novice can be moulded to rep. standard. A certain amount of experience must necessarily play an important part in the capabilities of any aspirant for rep. honours. M. Smith (the Town left half) was the weak link of the line. At no time did she give even glimpses of her usual club hockey form and, once passed, made no attempt to get back to help her backs. To watch her one would think she had had a bad attack of sleeping sickness. A Lack of Cohesion. As a unit, the Town vanguard lacked cohesion. The inside forwards scratched around in the circle like fowls and their positional play needed a good polish up for time and again they were bunching one upon the other. When they did penetrate the Southern defence there was an absence of the short, crisp, passing rushes that always prove such dangerous weapons of attack. M. Balch (Town) was a distinct success as right wing and she put her inside forwards continually on attack (especially in the second spell) by strong flank dashes culminating in good centring hits. Considering she was playing in an altogether strange position, her display was particularly meritorious. Her one mistake lay in her often leaving her centring hits too late. As a general rule a wing should always centre at the 25 yards’ line. If she is obliged to run down nearly to the goal line or comer flag she must centre back to the edge of the circle and not straight across the goal mouth as so many do. I. Rewcastle (Town right inner) showed up well at times but did not receive much support from her centre forward. When M. Balch found that her centreing hits were so often being wasted she came right in herself in an , effort to net. A trick, which might

then have well proved effective, would have been for I. Rewcastle to have run outside M. Balch to have been handy to receive a pass if necessary. Such tactics, however, are possible only when there is a perfect understanding between the players and, once the rep. team is settled, one has no doubt the official coach (Miss Guest) will work hard to attain the combination so essentially desirable. W. Belsham (Town left wing) was also capable of a better showing. She fiddled around far too much when she received the ball and there was nothing decisive in her flank work. In fairness, however, it should be made clear she was suffering from the effects of a bad cold. L. Heaps (right inner) worked hard and, considering she received little support, shouldered a difficult job well. She is a good forwaid at following in—the two inners and the centre forward should rush in hard after every shot before waiting to see if the goalie has saved it or not. E. Bell (centre forward) failed to strike form and never looked really dangerous in the circle. She must remember, too, that she has four forwards alongside her, and not endeavour to take too much upon herself. A serious contender for the centreforward’s job in the touring team must be M. White (Southern) if she continues to maintain her present form. She shaded E. Bell in this game and infused considerable dash into her work. It was refreshing to note, too, that she played most unselfishly and, when cornered, passed the ball to mates in a better position than she then was. N. Crighton (right wing) also impressed while Mrs Morton proved an effective right inner link. M. Leith, on the left wing, showed up well on attack. M. McEwan (left inner) is another Southerner who will knock hard at the door for her Maroon

blouse again this year—but she must keep on side. As a unit, Southern vanguard was superior iV, at of the visitors. . Southern’s policy of omg off with a dash” bore fruit for they rushed their opponents at the start and had two goals secured in the first few. minutes of the game. Such a policy gives confidence and disconcerts opponents.

To-day’s Town Team.

In an attempt to put in the field a strengthened Town team for the return match against Southern this afternoon, the Town selectors have made four changes in their eleven. O. Stott (Collegiate) replaces P. Start as goalie. With her past experience to stand her in good stead, she should give a sound display between the posts. It is to be hoped she reproduces her recent club form and that she will not hesitate to rush out to save awkward situations. E. Kerse has been so consistently sound throughout the season as a fullback, that her indifferent work last week does not altogether disentitle her to another chance to show her mettle Accordingly she is retained, but K. Breen replaces M. Dawson, who has not been altogether on her game for •<hfc last three or four weeks. There is a dearth of rep. standard backs in Town this season —E. Kerse, M. Dawson and K. Breen being the only three anything above mediocrity at all. The writer clings strongly to his belief that E. Kerse is a half rather than a fullback, but, were the Town selectors to shift her to the half line this afternoon, they would have to depend upon M. Dawson and K. Breen as the fullbacks and the selectors are not prepared to take that risk in case M. Dawson did not strike proper form. Monica Wood—a player improved out of sight this season—replaces M. Munro, while B. Turner takes M. Smith’s place in the halves. It is hoped that the half-line will thus be considerably strengthened, for M. Wood, even if a stronger hit could be looked for from her at times, can be relied upon to feed her forwards whenever possible, while B. Turner is a hard, honest toiler, quick to cover up her full-backs if necessary yet aggressive on attack. Whether certain members of the vanguard should, or should not, have been dropped seriously concerned the selectors who, however, are giving the players in question another opportunity to prove themselves. The selectors have not lost sight of the fact that they possess two energetic forwards in D. Boyle and K. Hodgetts, but the line is to remain as it was last week. It ipay be desirable, during the game, to shut M. Balch in to centre-forward, put E. Bell right inner and I. Rewcastle out on the right wing. If E. Bell strikes her true form, however, such a step should not be necessary. M. Mclntyre and V. McKenzie were both seriously considered for the left wing but W. Belsham gets another "life.” So it’s up to the whole team now. A Difficult Task. After this afternoon’s games, the ladies’ selectors should be in a better position to sort out some of the aspirants for rep. honours. It is fortunate for them that the executive, in its wisdom, set aside a certain number of playing Saturdays for trial matches as aoparently they will all be needed. Last week’s showing by the Town eleven has necessitated a recasting of values, for several players, who had struck the Town selectors' eyes, slumped badly and only the games still to be played will show whether the fall from grace is a flash in the pan or not, For certain positions in . the rep. team the material appearing is well below the standard so eminently desirable and a problem that must be tackled by the selectors will be to decide whether to take the best girl offering for any one such position or to take a player out of her usual berth and endeavour to coach her for the one that

has to be filled. For instance, there is no outstanding left wing available; nor a centre half. M. Balch has shown promise on the right wing, but supposing the centre forwards in view do not come up to expectations, she may have to be taken from the wing and tried out as pivot. Then where is the right wing to come from? K. Hodgetts is being tried out on the left wing in one of the trials to-day just to see how she shapes. If she be not impressive, other “importations” will, have to be tried so that their showing in comparison with the “permanent” . left wings can be judged. And such will be the case in certain other positions. The selectors certainly have no easy task ahead of them. It is getting somewhat late now to experiment but, if the material appearing is not up to standard, some serious attempt must be made to find the right players. Men’s Representative Team Again! Again this week the postman brings me the following contribution on the above subject from a correspondent signing himself “Criticus II”:— “Dear Half Back.—So the would-be selectors have (through the medium of your column) started to pick the Southland team already, and, after reading their remarks, I feel as though I would like to comment on them. Apparently your correspondents are keen supporters of some club other than Collegiate, or can they explain why in all the teams they have picked they have included only one Collegiate player? Yet Collegiate have a three point lead. . ..They will immediately reply that combination has won the games for Collegiate and yet, as far as I can see, the worst fault in the Collegiate eleven is the lack of combination.

“To get down to individuals, what is wrong with McGavin? As a spectator at the last Central-Collegiate game, and as an old player, I thought he proved himself to be one of the best inside rights we have had in Southland for some years. Boyd and Chisholm are also worth consideration seeing that they are up against stronger backs than the other teams.

“We now come to the halves and, after seeing Lindsay come back to form in the last few games, I think he must also be a strong contender for a place in the team, for when he is on his game I do not think we have a more aggressive half in Southland. “Why also has Norman Poole not been considered as the goalkeeper? He has had, I think, fewer goals scored against him than any other goalkeeper in the first grade competition and yet he is playing behind the weakest pair of backs. “So apparently, Half Back, your correspondents have had one eye closed when they picked their teams and I think they should de the same as I intend to do and leave the teams to the selectors appointed by the association. I have enough faith in our selectors to know that they will not be swayed by the advice of these amateurs. After last year’s experience I feel sure that when the Southland team is picked it will be the very best available. Our selectors know their job.”

[At any rate everyone will be soon put out of their misery, for the selectors intend announcing their team to play Canterbury after to-day’s games—- “ Half Back.”] What About Th’: Eleven?

“Side-liner” forwards to this column the following team as that which, in his opinion, is the most worthy to represent Southland against Canterbury: Goalkeeper, Chisnall; full-backs, Ireland and Hanning; halves, Lindsay (left), Maystone (centre) and Rigby (right); forwards, Souness (left wing), McKelvie (left inner), Boyd (centre), McGavin (right inner), Rennick (right wing). “Sideliner” adds: “Chisnall appears to be' the best goalie available, but N. Poole and Taylor should each also be in the running. Morgan could take the place of Hanning at right full-back. The three halves seem to stand out, but Vik, Semmens and Stirling is each worth a trial. Souness and Rennick appear to be the best wings available. McKelvie could fill either the centre’s or inside left’s position, while Boyd is preferred to Lockhart as centre forward. Both Hughes and McGavin play well at inside right and look to be well in the running for a place.”

Judging by the number of players “Sideliner” considers should be “in the running,” he has chosen not eleven players, but about 17. Why could he not confine himself to the actual eleven and give three or four emergencies if he wanted to be on the safe side?— Half Back.”

And “Enthusiast” chips in with his favoured team as follows: Chisnall, Ireland, Hanning; Semmens, Mayston, Rigby; Hughes, McGavin, Lockhart, McKelvie, Souness. . Emergencies: Morgan, Lindsay and Boyd.