MEDIOCRE HOCKEY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1935, Page 7

MEDIOCRE HOCKEY

TARANAKI PLAYS WAIRARAPA, FLASHES OF BRILLIANT PLAY. In a game that was interesting without being spectacular or productive of really good hockey, Taranaki drew with Wairarapa at Waitara yesterday. The score was 2-all. The ground was fast and fairly dry and a good pace was maintained. It was a game of promises and lost opportunities, each team showing a glimpse of the bright play it could have provided but failing to maintain the standard. Taranaki Was the better team on the day, even though it did not field anything like the Strongest provincial combination. Taranaki failed to settle down to team work until well into the first half, although on the whole it showed more combination than Wairarapa. Payne, goalkeeper, was unable to play, and Watson, New Plymouth, had to substitute for him. Although not up to representative standard, he did not disgrace himself, and saved cleverly on more than one occasion. Ryan was not quite up to his usual form, but Morgan was Splendidly sound. Young, who was selected for left half, could not play, and Lucas, a young Waitara player, filled the vacancy with credit, settling down quite well. It should be valuable experience for him. The forwards were far from happy tii the first spell, but a rearrangement in the second, bringing limes out to right wing and putting Huffam outside S. Betts on the left, improved things. STRONG WAIRARAPA DEFENCE. The Wairarapa defence, thanks to the sterling work of Massey, a former New Zealand representative, w*as splendid. Massey was indeed the outstanding man in the team and played a game both safe and enterprising. The halves were a hard-working group, and fed the forwards liberally. Jackson, Sayers and Clarke made ti dashing trio but, although they showed a fine turn of speed on occasions, they did not play up to reputation. Clarke was a useful leader, but except for one or two occasions the line did not work together. The teams were:— Taranaki: Watson; Morgan, Ryan; Lucas, Page, Allen; Huffam, Innes, Fleet, McGlashan, S. Betts. Wairarapa: Tildesley; A. Kay, H. B. Massey; B. Roberts, D. Irwin, Ml Knutsbn; D. Jackson, V. Sayers, R. Clarke, S. Fisher, V. Brazendale. Taranaki rushed play to the Wairarapa twenty-five from the start, but Massey drove them back with a long hit, and the visiting forwards returned the attack, only to lose the ball over the backline. Brazendale raced away on the wing and centred well just in front of the goal but his forwards were not up to it and Morgan cleared. Huffam centred twice across the circle, but they were weak shots and Massey intercepted both before Page could reach them. Knutson received the ball fust past half-way, and drove upfield hard. Clarke took it just inside the circle, dribbled up and beat Watson with a hard shot to the net. Taranaki forwards found themselves in the circle again after a brief spell of indeterminate play between the twenty-five and Fleet had a wonderful chance when he came tip on his own. Tildesley ran out and missed. Kay was too quick, however, and raced into the gap. Betts fielded the Clearing shot, but hit behind. Again the Taranaki forwards broke away, and Tildesley missed again as he came out to a hard shot, but Fleet could not quite reach it and the ball was not touched in the circle. TARANAKI OPENS ACCOUNT. Taranaki continued to press and, although temporarily held up in the goalmouth by the full-backs, opened its account at last when McGlashan hit through the bunch. Hildesley had no chance to save. Again Taranaki came up as Page sent the ball out to Huffam. The winger centred perfectly, but Fleet missed his connection and the ball passed right past the goal. Innes used his speed on the Wing to carry play right down the line but he could not reach the ball in time to centre. A moment later a hard shot from McGlashan hit the post and bounced outside the net. The Wairarapa forwards broke through almost unopposed when Ryan slipped, but Watson saved splendidly. There was ten minutes of rather uninteresting play, in which Taranaki held a slight territorial advantage. Then suddenly the Wairarapa forwards raced away at top speed and, as he came into the circle, Claike hit homo a shot that Watson hardly saw. Taranaki,..'tad a splendid chance when Tildesley .amd out of goal and missed

but Fleet’s shot was just wide. Wairarapa lost a chance just as good a moment later. A fine bit of work by Clarke sent the whole forward line off in a row but Jackson skied his shot at goal. Lucas hit hard upfield and the Taranaki forwards, led by Fleet, followed Up in great style. Fleet capped the move with a neat goal. t • Like Jackson Sayers skied a promising shot from close up. Taranaki was pressing and A. Innes,had just made a splendid run in from the twenty-five, only to miss the goal by a fool, when the final whistle sounded. Taranaki 2 . Wairarapa • • 2 Messrs. N. O. Ebbett and Cummings were the umpires. ENTERTAINMENT OF TEAMS. ASSOCIATION GIVES PINNER. In the evening the Wairarapa team was entertained by the Taranaki Hockey Association at a dinner in the Masonic Hotel. There were about 30 members of the Wairarapa and Taranaki teams present and Mr. H. C. Johnson, president of the association, presided. The guests were Welcomed by Mr. Johnson. He was pleased to Sea Wairarapa return the visit paid by Taranaki last year and to be able to return some of the hospitality given on that occasion, he said. The game was a good one and the score just about indicated the merits of the respective teams. Mr. D. Burgess, manager of the visiting team, replied. A tribute to the way the game was controlled was paid by Mr. Massey, captain of the visiting team, who proposed the toast of “The Referees." Mr. N. O. Ebbett and the Rev. W. Cummings replied. Other toasts were “The Waitara Club (Mr L Page—Mr. J. R. Bennett), and “The Hostess” (Mr. M- Priest-Mrs. Fahy). , Later the visiting team was entertained at a dance at Waitara.