Return Hockey Match Against Otago Next Saturday

Southland Times, Issue 23922, 14 September 1939, Page 11

Return Hockey Match Against Otago Next Saturday

By

PAD

The return men’s hockey match between Otago and Southland will be played at Dunedin on Saturday. The match at Invercargill, played some weeks ago, was won by Southland by a small margin, and at the end of the game the Otago players looked unlucky on several occasions not to score, The Southland team in that game was superior in the forwards, and its defence was excellent. As the team on Saturday will be substantially the same in the forwards, it should be able to hold its own with Otago. However, as the Otago team will be playing on its own ground—and a knowledge of the ground can make a big difference—it is rather unsafe to predict, as the teams are fairly even. The Otago team will more than likely be the same as the one that came to Invercargill. The only exception may be the goal-keeper. It is quite probable that Hercus, the High School Old Boys goalie and New Zealand Universities representative, may be in goal. If he is, the Southland forwards will have a harder job than they had the last time. Hercus will provide stronger opposition than they have had this season from a goalie. The shooting by the Southland forwards will also have to improve, judging by the Dawson Cup match. Mullen, in particular, was not up to the form he has shown in previous matches. He missed a certain goal after Hennessy had drawn the opposing backs and the goalie. It was a rather unaccountable lapse. Apart from that, the forwards were in reasonably good form. The Southland half-backs, with the possible exception of D. White, have developed a tendency to wander—a tendency that must be checked if the halves are to act in co-ordination with the forwards. When the half-backs wander out of position the opposing forwards are not slow to take advantage of the gaps left in the defence. In the match against Canterbury, W. Semmens and I. Campbell were out of position several times. Campbell tried to go through the Canterbury, backs on several occasions, but each time he was blocked. Each time he went forward he left a gap in his team’s defence that a player with more experience would never have thought of leaving. Campbell is undoubtedly clever with his stick, but after the ball leaves his possession he is no longer in control of the game, so that the place in the half-back line where he should have been becomes a source of danger to his team.

The centre-half, W. Semmens, is showing a similar tendency, but not so much to play forward as to crowd the other halves and follow the ball. A half-back’s job on the field is to feed his forwards and act as the first line of defence. No forward line can hope

to function as such if it is not supported by a line of strong halves who know their job.

Otago Should Field A Strong Team

The Otago side should be strong, and, on its own ground, stronger than it was at Invercargill. With Hercus in goal the backs should have little to worry about. Seelye and Wood will probably be the full-backs again. Their play at Invercargill was quite good, but it was shaded on the day by the play of the Southland defence.

Botting and Gurr will be two hard men to pass in the halves. They both played soundly at Invercargill.

Stewart should be well marked if he plays on the wing on Saturday. He gave the Southland defence no end of trouble in Otago’s last match against Southland and his speed enabled him to be' well away before the half-backs had realized it. B. O. Ryburn is another forward who should be kept under observation by the Southland men. Alldred and G. M. Yule, also, are good when they get away. Dawson Cup Game In Dunedin A team representing Central Club visited Dunedin at the week-end. to play the annual match with a High School Old Boys team for the Dawson Cup. The match was won by Old Boys by 2 goals to 1. Mr A. Batting has presented a cup for competition between the clubs’ junior teams, but there was no match this year. The cup will, therefore, be held by the High School Old Boys colts for the year. The match was fast and well contested, both forward lines combining well, and the excellent condition of the ground allowed the pace to be maintained throughout. The first half was well advanced when Central opened the scoring, Mullen sending in a fast shot and the ball glancing into the net off Hercus’s pads. Just before half-time Old Boys equalized, Edginton following in to score off the rebound from the goalie’s pads. The second half was no less even, and about half way through,“Old Boys gained a penalty comer from which Edginton secured to send in a fast shot which gave the goalie little chance. Central’s centre-half, Semmens, .was probably the most useful member of his side, while Edginton and Hercus were outstanding among Old Boys.