HOCKEY

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17571, 23 June 1925, Page 4

HOCKEY

NOTES AND COMMENTS

NOTES AND COMMENTS(I3y " CENTRE HALF.”) Mild autumn weather with sodden, heavy grounds, were the conditions for the playing of the seventh round of matches on Saturday- last. The ground for the Sydenham-Varsity match at Lancaster Park was very heavy-, and the ball travelled slowly when hit. The Ensors Road ground was much better and the game was fast and furious. Ilagley Park grounds were very wet, and two of the ladies’ matches which had been set down for No. 1 ground had to be postponed. St Albans A are unlucky' in losing Mander, who has forsaken his club, arid • Vincent, who has moved to Wellington. * Sydenham were without Skelton, who ; is available only on alternate Satur- j days, James, who has gone to West , Coast, and Pascoe, the left half. Varsity will have to do without Strack in future, as he has retired now that the team is established. Technical were without Rogers in the halves, but were fortunate, enough to have Hitchens j available again. VARSITY (3) v.' SYDENHAM (0). Had the ground at Lancaster Park been dry and hard this match would have been well worth watching, but with the players scarcely able to retain a foothold and the bail burying itself in the mud the game slackened up considerably. Varsity- are to be cor.gratu- j lated upon their play, their forwards i showing great improvement. In the j first match between these two teams \ Sydenham had an easy- victory by six ! goals to nil, but with a weak eleven i:i I the field on Saturday-, and those who ! were present lar below their t-rxie .form, j they looked like a third grade team l j Even the redoubtable Snooks had a j day off. Macdonald went well in the bac r .s j and held up the Varsity defence time and again, Campbell was only lair in the first half and early in the second spell received an injury. N. Pragieii was out for his first game and played right half indifferently. Ward was the best of a poor line. The front line was also weak as James was absent and S. French was playing for the. first time. R. Sherrills was the only forward to stand out as Holland was suffering from a strained muscle and could not run, so that there was little combination in the attack. The Varsity front line went with a swing, and fo ra young team possessed fine combination. Each man played unselfishly and therein lay their .success as they indulged in short passing rushes except when Ford got well away by himself. llis work must have set tlie selector thinking about the left wing representative and on present form he cannot very well leave the Varsity left wing man out. Holland, Jvmyvett and Cameron all went veil and the right wing, a third grade lad, played remarkably well for ono so young. Hill was the best of the halves, all of whom worked hard and kept wed on the game considering the ground Newton and Loney put up a good defence in the back line and Mackie 1 stopped some good shots in goal. Altogether Varsitv have greatly improved and are likely to beat any team in the competition. TECHNICAL (3) r. ST ALBANS (1) St Albans were unfortunate in not having the services of Marnier and they had to play ono short in their game with Technical at Ensor’s Road. The ground was in iair condition and the play was very fast. Technical liad the upper hand throughout and gave their best display to date, tho forwards in particular making good use of their opportunities. On the left Edginton putin some useful runs and *his speed proved a great asset. He kept his j>osition though he failed to back tackle enough. Teague- proved himself a good worker and liis two goals were beauties. "His following up, in common with that of the rest of the forwards, was a great improvement on recent games. At centre-forward Grade was inclined to wander and frequently was found on the left wing. Ho was goesl otherwise and must he in the running for representative honours. The

two players on the right. Hill and Scott-, were steady and the latter is improving every game. The halves were fair, though they let their opponents away a good deal. Turner, on the right, was the best, and played his usual steady game. Wear, position. With a hard man to mark, Barnes performed fairly well, and kept right on to the game. Hitchen, who made his first appearance this year, saved his side on several occasions, and revelled in the hard work. He will be an acquisition to the team. Grafton was not too sure on occasions, and appeared to be nonplussed j by some of the decisions given against | ban for obstruction. Harvey, in goal, was very sure, and ; had littie chance with the one that j beat him. St Albans were badly disorganised, but nevertheless the forwards were dangerous on occasion, and had they received judicious feeding they would have proved much more troublesome, i At right wing Quartermain played a i fine game, but he did not receive much support. Small, who turned out at inside right, did not show tip much, and | Drayton, at centre forward, was patchy. Ilale, on the left, was tricky, and his goal was well deserved, as he kept his position well. Soper came up to centre half, but his wild hitting failed to do his side much j good. Lucas went to right half, and | played a very sound game. If he had ; I been left at centre half, he would have been more use to the side. Graham, at j left half, was going all the time, and j always looking for work. Tie is a fine | example cf just how lit a player can j get. Templeton had too much to do, but | throughout he was very steady. lie j could not hope, however, to clear every j time in face of the following-up of the Technical forwards. Cummins, in goal, brought off some good saves, but was not properly supported. SELWYN A (-1) v* SELWYN B (1). The greasy ground at Ilagley Park was against good hockey being played m the Selwyn A and B match. The A team, who were one man short, proved themselves superior, and won by four goals to one. IV. Bell was the outstanding player in the A forward line, and he received good support from IV. Richmond. j With A. Mahoney in the backs, the j i Selwyn A team possess a fine defence, jas Mahoney is playing very consist- I ; ently this year, and standing up to the j hard games much better than in previFnuikner’s work in goal lor the B . team is worthy of comment, as he stop- | ! ped some hot shots and proved himself j | a custodian of no mean ability. B. Here, was the other prominent I i player in the B team, and his play this J season entities him to some considera- J | cion for inclusion in the representative j JO i TIN GS. The injury received by P. Campbell j has'developed more seriously than was ; expected, and medical attention disclosed a broken rib. - Campbell was j struck by a ball hit by one of his own team. S. Holland’s injury is of a feu* weeks’ standing, and consists c-f a strained j muscle. lie requires a rest for a while, j An unpleasant incident occurred between referee and player in the St Al-bans-Technical match. One of the St Albans players whose fault is incessant appealing received a word of caution fiom the referee, to which the player j objected in terms of indignation, and , j was promptly ordered to the side line. | At the request of the Technical cap- ! tain, however, the referee consented to | allow the player to resume, and it is satisfactory to record that he appreci- I ' ated the leniency extended to him. Players must not question the authority of the referee. 1 At the meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association, many members i made adverse comments upon the management of the New Zealand Hockey Referees’ Association, and suggested that a change of headquarters would be advisable.