Women’s Hockey Fast Grounds For First Round

Press, Volume C, Issue 29501, 1 May 1961, Page 8

Women’s Hockey Fast Grounds For First Round

Overhead conditions were good and grounds warp hard and fast for the first round of the Canterbury Warren's Hockey Association’s senior championship, played on Saturday. Carlton, last year’s winner. had a win over West Old Girls, but both Digby’s and Rawhiti. runners-up last year, were beaten. Teachers’ Co’iwe has been relegated to the senior A reserve grade and its place has been taken by Hfaemoa. last year's senior A reserve grade winner. Most games were marred by too much stick interference and body play. This appears to be caused by too early tackling and a lack of knowledge of the basic skills of the game. More time spent by ail players on acquiring better stickwork and tall control would greatly improve th* standard of the hockey played. Results were:— University 5, Digby’s 9. Carlton 5, West Old Girls Aranui 3, Rawhiti 6. Harewood S, Hinemoa 2. Aranui v. Rawhiti Both teams favoured a hard by virtue of mow accurate shooting. In a fairly everilv matched game Aranui displayed more cohesion than Rawhiti. Lack of fitness was evident, however, and a certain amount of mis-trapptng Aranui has a voung team this year, onlythree of the players being over 25. and did well to defeat the older, experienced Rawhiti side. B. Strong, in goal, played well and gave confidence to the two backs, promoted from the senior reserve grade. M. McGarry, at centre-half, was inclined tc wander, and has a habit of getting on the wrong side of the player when Intercepting. and consequently obstructing. The wing-halves. A. Fleete and T. Prestage, kept their positions well. S. Cowles (nec McCaw). at left-inner, was easily the most impressive of the forward Hne. She has good ball control and is quick to take advantage of lose balls She would be better sometimes to pass . the ball after making t*’e play and ■’rawing the defence, rather than trying to go through on her own. J. Ashenden, leftwing. worked hard and is showing Improvement. Rawhiti did not have a very happy day. The team was experimenting. but lack of cohesion and poor shooting cost the game. The players were slow to the ball and allowed Aranui to intercept too often. J. Jarden, in goal, on several occasions started to come out and then changed her mind, with fatal results. N. Lennie ! ■at left-back, was the only , Bawhiti player who gave ac- ; curate, controlled passes, and j frequently put her right flank on attack. K. Geddes, rightback. did quite well in her first game In seniors, as she had the unenviable task of markine S. Cowes. The halves were standing too flat, and were failing to get the ball up to their forwards. B. Simmonds at left-half, was the pick of them. The forwards lacked combination and their shooting was far from impressive.' K. Herritt moved from centrehalf to the forwards st halftime, but although this strengthened the forward line thev were still unable to (Store Aranui's goals were scored by S. Cowles (2) and G. Meyer. University v. Digby’s The Dlgbv’s team was no , match for the University side, which deserved to win because of its superior positional play, trapping and passing. There was a distinct contrast In the type of hockey played by these teams—University being exponents of short passing, while Digby's played a more bustling game. For University. J. Pawsey made some good saves in goal, but it was S. Comer, at centrehalf. and 3. Galnrford, at lefthalf. who imoreesed most on defence. S. Comer’s accuracy is invaluable for her side, and stte kept her forwards well

supplied with the baK. J. Gamrtord covered her backs best of the forwards, and she worked tirelessly for the whole game The other forwards on the day were not up to her standard, amd many ox the teems right wing attack* broke down through lack of anticipation on the’part of L. Kearns B in goal for Digbvs, made many good saves in her characteristic cool fashion. but »he was unsighted at times by poor positional play by her halves and backs. of combination ,fa fae iof~ ward line was the main fault in the Digfcys attack, and although they performed quite well fadiv,dually iheir attack bad no sting. S. Wood, who played for Teachers’ College last year, worked hard, as did. D. McKinnel and M. Healy. The team will have to improve considerably if it wishes to finish as near the top as it did last year. Goals were scored for University by F. Keßy («) and K. Carlton v. Wert Old Giris • This game ./“SS scrappy in the first half, but after, half-time Carkor settled down, and played some good cotnbdned hockey, passing the baH around wen, particularly among the forwards. Fol Wert Old Girls. L. Berg played very well. Had it not been for her good display in goal Carlton’s score would have been much higher. One of the main weaknesses of the West side was poor marking on the part Ost the halves and backs They allowed the Carlton forwards too much leeway, and Carlton quickly took advantage. J. Hall, who has played right-back for many years, has transferred, to centre-half, and N. Powell Is back after a season on the sideline, at right-back instead, of right-half. The forward line had little combination, and the three goals they scored were the result of close circle play, rather than from any decisive moves. Carlton had a number of young players promoted from second grade, and they all displayed promising form in their first appearance in seniors—S. Abraham, goal. J. Witte, righthalf, and A. Colville, centrehalf. The halves marked well and the forwards, under the leadership of C. Cole, passed! the ball about effectively. A. Tourell. back again at leftwing in place of M. Donnelly, the New Zealand representative, who has transferred, is a tiger for work, and showed plenty of her old determina. tion. M. Mangels, playing at left-back, and L. Drummond.at left-half, combined well. L.Drummond did not stray .Infield as much as she had last season. C. Cole spread the play and made many openings for her other forwards, but they were not always ready to take advantage. Ar. improvement in the field play of A. Howman, J. Thomson and A. McDonald would improve the forward hne. Goals were scored by P. Hayles (3) for West Old Girls, and A. McDonald, IC. Cole, A. Howman, J. Thomson, and A. Tourell for Carlton. Lower Grades Senior Reserve.—Technical 1. Carlton 1; Carlton 2, Shirley 1; Hornby 3, Aranui 1; Digby’s 3, Teachers' College 1. Second Grade.—West 1, Carlton 1. Third Grade.—University 5, Dental Nurses 1; Shirley 5. Aranui 0: Avonside 7. West High 1; Harewood 2, Teachers’ College 1. Fourth Grade—Hornby 5, Belfast 1. Fifth Grade.—Shirley 8. Digby’s 2. Sixth Grade.—Aranui 6, Carlton 0; Hare wood 3, Shirley 1; Hinemoa 1, Rawhtti 1. Seventh Grade.—Carlton 7, Technical 0; Shirley 3, Digby's 0. -i L