MEN’S HOCKEY COMPETITION

Southland Times, Issue 22948, 22 July 1936, Page 14

MEN’S HOCKEY COMPETITION

Civil Service or Central ?

(By

“Bully.”)

Tlie fourth and final round of the Southland Men’s Hockey Association’s competitio: was begun last Saturday, and the winner of the Doublebee Cup for the season 193 C is still unknown. If Civil Service had defeated Central on Saturday it would have been in an unassailable position, with two matches to play and a lead of six points. As it is a draw gives it a royal chance of winning the cup from Central, the only other team that has a chance of drawing level with it. Collegiate and Central Blues have no chance of winning now.

Next Saturday Civil Service will play Central Blues, the bottom team in the competition, and the odds are certainly in the former’s favour, although it would not be surprising to see the competition leader have another of its partial collapse,. A Direct Flan. Central was, in many ways, unlucky not to win on Saturday against Civil Service. It played good hockey, and always worked with a direct plan in view—the scoring of as many goals as possible in the quickest, manner. Civil Service, ffio, it is presumed, was desirous of scoring goals, but its methods, although they might have been more subtle, were certainly less efficacious. The score was two-nil in favour of Central before play had beur in progress many minutes and Civil Service’s anaemic display of penetration and anticipation was in direct contrast to Central’s more orthodox, but just as successful, style of play. After this reverse Civil Service tightened up its play and made its attack more forceful and somewhat more accurate.

The struggle to goal was a long and despairing one, but at last persistency brought, ii. this case, its due reward. At two goals all, a certain amount of discretion was thrown to the winds and resounding smacks were dealt with more than usual frequency as a result of the players forsaking their wrist shots for longer and harder drives. In the midst of some heated exchanges there were some bright altercations between players and umpires and among the players themselves. The second half wore on and neither team held any definite advantage, although numerous chances of scoring were thrown away by over-eagerness in the circle. Civil Service then took the lead and, with its strong back division, it seemed as if its chances of winning were rosy; but shortly before time the Central forwards broke through, and after the ball had been smacked aimlessly about the goalmouth, it was sent to Maystme, who had merely to push it into the net. From then on the game became increasingly willing, but less scientific.

Taylor showed glimpses of his old form and cleared strongly on several occasions. Jenkins played moderately well, but is unfortunate in playing with a different half almost every Saturday. Goldstone kept his position well, but favoured a pass which seemed somewhat too long for cohesive play among all sections of the team. In common with Dakin he found it difficult to trap the ball with his stick, because of the bumpy nature of the ground. Sharp was here, there and everywhere and played well as a defensive and attacking half, but not as a centre-half. Until he learns to keep his position, combination, in the strict sense of the word, is impossible. Campbell, the young High School player, who was playing right-half, held his position well, intercepted with his usual skill and, in many respects, was the best of the three halves. The forwards were much the same as ever —good in patches. M. Crosbie, while he may in many respects not be the best forward, is the only one who is master of the push and flick shots. Souness and Poole are the side’s best goal-getters, but neither was as certain as usual on Saturday. Renwick sent across many good centres, but was too prone t 6 carry the ball right down to the back line, from where he would endeavour to shoot goals from impossible angles. Chisnall, who is brilliant at times < nd disappointing at others, was sound on Saturday and kicked with much of his old-time skill. Patton and Howard gave the Civil Service forwards no peace, and, backed up by McLean and W. Crosbie, kept the passing long and accurate. Hughes, Maystone and H. Kennedy played fast and sure hockey and were unlucky not to goal on numerous occasions.

A Near Thing.

Collegiate always has trouble with Central Blues, which plays a game that is a happy mixture of firm hitting and short, crisp passing. At half-time Central Blues was leading by two goals to one and kept Collegiate very quiet with its short passing and keen interceptions. Kennedy, Flaus and Speirs are as good a trio of inside forwards as there are in the competition, and it was only towards the end of the game, when the Central backs became bustled, that they were starved of the ball. Semmens and Fields both played well, but they found the strain of holding the Collegiate forwards in check too much. Towards the end of the game both Tisbury and Lythgoe speculated wildly. The Collegiate team had in a difficult forward line on Saturday, but it did not display any better form than the old one. Larner, a player from Christchurch, was in the left wing and Melrose played in Trim’s place as insideright. The new left wing, Larner, was not impressive, but it is early yet to fcrm any definite opinion. Shields and V. Poole were the two players who paved the way for Collegiate’s success. At the critical moment they broke

through the Central Blues defence and scored three goals in quick succession. Hunt, Richards and Pankhurst formed a solid half-line, but the Central Blues inside forwards did not find it impossible to elude them when they kept the passing close. Martin, playing his first senior game for some time, cleared 'strongly and was, on the day, superior to Dixon. N. Poole did not advance his claims for inclusion in the Southland team as goalkeeper. Senior B Games. High School A, with two of its best forwards, Aitken and Gray, absent was hard pressed by Collegiate, which was strengthened by the inclusion of Trim and Fenton. At half-time the scores were equal, Collegiate having had slightly the better of the game. Poole played well for High School in the forwards and scored when a goal was most wanted. The halves failed to deliver their passes with the requisite accuracy and made their own jobs and that of their forwards doubly hard. Elliot is still too jerky in his movements and should endeavour to make them more rhythmic. Otherwise he plays well, keeping well up with the play and tackling surely. The outstanding players for Collegiate were Jones, Fenton and Trim.

Technical displayed improved form against High School B and kept the play close and its passing short. Watson plays a good game as centre-forward, his passing being judicious and wellcontrolled and his shooting clean and accurate. Hill is improving with every game and looks more dangerous now he is using the push-shot. S. Mason would be wise to concentrate on the short passing game and forgo any wild hitting. Many players in this grade attempt to push and flick the ball with hands at the top of the stick. Proper control cannot be gained over these strokes until the right hand is allowed to slip further down the stick.

Misunderstandings in India.

Dhyan Chand, who will captain the team which India proposes to send to defend her hockey title at the Berlin Olympic Games, recently gave a wireless talk on hockey from the Calcutta broadcasting station and proved to be an effective and concise speaker. One of the things which this famous centre-forward urged was that India should take hockey more seriously, even at the cost of other games. His reason was that hockey is the only sport in which India stands supreme in the world. The All-India cricketers now in England might not entirely agree with such advocacy of concentration upon, hockey (remarks an English commentator) but there is one member of the side who will sympathize with Dhyan Chand’s view—namely, M. J. Gopalan, one of India’s half-backs in the team which piled up nearly 400 goals during a tour of Australia and New Zealand last year. Gopalan can understand how much leeway India has to make up before she can claim world parity in cricket, lawn tennis, football, and athletics, and consequently how greatly India prizes her hockey title. At tlie same time, Dhyan Chand’s advice to his country has arrived at an opportune moment, for one of those peculiar territorial disputes has arisen which threatens cancellation of the plan to send a hockey team to Berlin. This time the trouble is due to Bengal’s having taken exception to the Indian Hockey Federation’s demand that each province should contribute to the expenses of the tour an amount directly in proportion to its own quota of players in the team, at the rate of 1500. rupees each (roughly £120). To this method Bengal (herself one of the richest provinces) objects on the ground that it implies the “purchase” of players, whereby the poorer provinces are placed at a disadvantage. The selection of India’s team took place several weeks ago, after a series of inter-provincial and trial matches in Calcutta and before any method of financing the visit to Berlin was settled. The hitch which belatedly arose on a matter of principle (which should have been determined long before) may mean a serious setback to the chances of the Indian team’s knitting itself into a definite combination before leaving for the Olympic Games. Unless a compromise is quickly reached between the Bengal Hockey Association and the Indian Hockey Federation (continues the English ,writer) that handicap may prove to be the lightest effect of the dispute, for the tour itself is jeopardized by Bengal’s threat to withdraw her substantial contribution unless the federation alters its method of levy. Cancellation of the tour would indeed be regrettable, for India had chosen a very good side indeed to resist the strong German challenge for the Olympic title, which India gained in 1928 at Amsterdam and retained in 1932 at Los Angeles. Dhyan Chand and his brother Roop Singh, inside left, have been playing in as good form as ever, and the strength of the Indian Olympic side was indicated when it defeated another picked team, representing the Rest of India, 7—2.