HOCKEY HITS.

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 48, 7 August 1915, Page 22

HOCKEY HITS.

[By Linb-Out.]

THE championship matches under the auspices of the Auckland Hockey Association, were continued last Saturday under favourable conditions. The grounds were fairly fast and the cold weather infused much dash and vim into the players. The senior matches resulted: Auckland 3, v. Areta, 1; University, 5, v. Mt. Eden, 0. The results do not interfere seriously with Unity's position at the hiead of affaire. Auckland, by defeS Areta, l- /e strengthened their hofd on secondplace, and are how only four points behind the lead era Last year's champions, Areta, S,srf« when fhe members students. The prevailing last _™ej ' Can Auckland beat. Areta? Ine JSSnt performances of the red and bkcte made them favourites, and the subsequent play .j*** v< ™ ©pinion expressed in tneir *avoui. TWghout the seventy minutes of ifiiv Auckland were masters of the £aW Perhaps a trifle dowg etartina but, once warmed to tneir wS the result never lay m doubt that won tne championship last year. Goalkeeper Men,, of f* ck ]^ JSe was clearly evidenced, and he often brought the sideline as he would St tap tihe ball away, jimp forw.ards' sticks, S then clear bie best fashion. While Sloman wae not as brilliant M he has been he nevertheless gave rmagnifcenTdisplay of hitting One strokrin particular-.was of his summer abilities. He got a half voUey, and landed the ball over Se hedge into ijhe tennis .courts. It have been the Areta forwards the way he took tne ball from them with, epeculators. Steele offered: splendid defence and attacking powers e® tie Horspool came prominently into the limelight for his stick work and clever clearing and placing. Osborne was in great form as centre forward, Indiemed unable to go wrong Sneddon, while not so brilTiant, was there all the time, putting in hie work solidly, while HW has never been seen to greater advantage in completing a dangerous trio. Baildon was very weak between Areta's uprights. Neither England nor Ellison were in good form. Perhaps the former can be given the day's honours. The half-line is weak, and none of the trio's work claims special mention. Combination is a forgotten quantity with the forwards. Moginie and Thomas were best, but their efforts were entirely of an individual character.

Once again Mount Eden failed and allowed University the big win of 5 goals to nil. Opening the game in a promising manner, it Jooked as though another surprise was in etore. The ray of hope soon d.windled, and after the first quarter the

students were reaping the reward of their efforts!. Mount Eden's endeavours lacked 6ting, and their work assumed too much individuality. The players do not realXy offer much comment, for both among the winners and losers the work was of but a modierate character . The most Ico/n----spicuous of the students backs were West and Bongard, while of the front line Jacobsen, Mahoney and Rowe. Both King and 1 Till indulged in some safe stopping, but it was the farmer's clearing that was a redeeming feature. Johns and Garretfc were best of the halves, while forward Alexander and Fletcher. In the second grade two surprises occurredi. The first was the Mount Eden-Areta match, which proved disastrous to the leaders 1 of the competition, Areta, who went down by 3 goals to 1. In the first meeting Areta proved victors by 5 to 3. In the school section, Stanley Bay A defeated Edendaie by 5 to 2, goalis beimg scored by Sanders (2), Emerali, Froude and Jaggs for the winners, while Walker and! Salek scored for the losem The score would have been much bigger had it not been for the siever stopping of Edend ale's goalkeeper. Stanley Bay forwards work well together, but lack of combination' spoils Edendaie team, for though it is perhaps the heaviest in the grade and contains some clever boys it has , failed to give a good account of itself this season. At the Shore, Devonport defeated Grafton by one to nil, Rykers finding the net for the winners. The game was a very even one, the good! play of the fuli-backs on both sides being much in evidence.

The match of the day was between the Takapuna amd Mount Eden teams, the former winning by two goals from the stick of W. Kusabs. a fine little player. teams were very evenly matched', the game being very fast and open, with a clever exhibition of stick work by several of the players. McCarthy, the winner's full-back, played a very brilliant game, while Kusaibs and Warman, the two smallest players on the field shone out well. Roberts played the best game for the losers, while the centre forward was a tower of strength to hie side.

Stamey Bay B defeated! Remuera B by two goals (Miiller and White) to one (Kingston). This game was very evenly contested, but both sides lacked combination.