HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 12

HOCKEY.

(Bγ Driver.)

;■ One ;of. the best expositions of,' hookey ever seen at Day's Bay was' the'gante'.between those veteran: teams, United and Karbri.' Unfortu nately. the bad: weather , of the Week deterred many from going' across to see .the struggle. It. must'be admitted-that United were lucky in winning, and that.Karori on the duy seemed superior to their opponents. -A striking feature was the'sportsmanlike, Way in which both' teams. fought their.- battle. :; There- was no "argument,' and although Karori think that they were not satisfaoorfiy. treated by the reforee, they have just. taken the situation as they found it, and let things.stand at that. ; United played the ''characteristic game which haawon the championship for them for'many Isoaaons . past. They .knew that they had a' hard, gamb to face and\that, if they won,, it ;meant:that, the championship 'wottid be almost assured to them. The.writer feels certain that United-.would far rather that'there had been ■no occasion for comment after the game. As :sports!- they ciinnot 'be beaten. . Every man plays; his best' and, .come win or loss, United are 1 prepared- to l take' it. ■ 'Both; teams were at'.their best and, despite the heiSivy ground! a fast paee.wus iiiaintaiufcd right .through ElliottMvas easily United's best forwiirdj ;;jmd- his■>first- goal tfus the result of !faultless ■individual ;effort. Organ wits sound,, but,did.not play so well as lie probably would have.done had.lie been on-the wing instead ol ;ihside.; Mills missed.'two easy shbts. King, at half, was in good form,'and fed his forwards •nicfely,: taking' advantage l of any opportunity which afforded itself. - ■._■.:., ,-.- .- ..The Question has often been askpd: "What, iwbuld United be liko without'Hicksou anil Ashbolt?": and well it might. ■ They. played sterling .games last Saturday, aiid were v'erj clever, ftt intercepting passes. Dwye'r, in gudl, would ;take , a lot of beating, 'some of his "saves": .being really a-.treat to watch. .'■' pf,:Karori; it must be said that they worked hardito a mad and, judging by the number ot ehahc.es they had. (which'in 1 seme cases-were lucky'"saves" by United) they should have won by a fair, margin. Uoiyies niis in his best fettie, : iind showed his cleverness in'carrying the ball; right' through on ; several o6casions, hU stick play: being exceptionally good. .Murphy wns neat,-but has played better, while Willis on tho wing did well when ho got the ball, which was not often enough. Campbell, centifl-hftlf, was the well-known jjlayoi uf.-old, auditUwwod but well in dcloucs

and also for good judgment with hie hits. Geridall, right-half, played his best gamo this season. Spiers, full-back, was in form, and hia "length-of-the-ground" hits were very effective. He was seldom beaten by tho attacking opponent, and intercepted coolly end with apparently the greatest ease. The representative team will shortly have to be chosen to meet Wellington engagements with other provinces. Here is my own fancy i Goal, Dwyer; left full-back, Ashbolt (United), Harty (Wellington), second, and Ralph (Wesley), third pick; right full-back, Hickson (United); left-half, Dawson (Y.M.C.A.); centrehalf, C. Campbell (Karori), second choice, King (United); right-half, , Christie (Weeley); leftwing, Smytho (United); inside-left, G. Davies (Karori); bully, Elliott (United); inside-right, Organ (United), second choice, Murphy (Karori); right-wing, Willis (Karori),/ second choice, Loader (Y.M.C.A.).' The match between Y.M.C.A. and Wesley •was interesting and fairly even. After about five minutes' play, Y.M.C.A. attacked vigorously, and had one or two shots at goal, out to no effect. The winners (Y.M.C.A.) played a new man, Jacobsen, as centre-forward, but ha did not prove himself a "bustler" on the day's.form. The two wines, l'arton, on the right, and Loader, on the left, and Wheatley and Carde, right and left insides, played very well indeed. Of the halves, Dawson, on the left, was out by himself.', Of the backs, A. Parton was the better of .'the'two. ~ .-"■ •', ',

Wesley had the misfortune to lose Curgenven, who missed the boat. . Dr., poster was added to the team, and he was played in goal; Sherwood was brought up to full-back, and Keall wasj ehifted up to left-half. Dγ: Brown then changed from the latter position to the forward line, where he shaped very well. Among several accidents which, happened to the Wesley team, Brown got his thumb put out in tho Becond half, and Keys; sustained a hit which disabled him during the remainder of the game, i Smith took his place, and played a really pretty game. He, bow- : ever, had his knee put but in the Becond spell. Birch, left-wing,. played easily the best forward game, being in great.form. His strong point was his beating of Holmee, and hie centring. ' Diion played very fairly. Of the halves, Keall could not mnnare Parton; and Gapper could not check all of Loader's at tacks. Christie wa.s- the mainstay. of the. defenca. Of, the baoks,- Ralph was the better of the, two, Sherwood weming to have lost some of. his fitness after being in goal for a week or two.- ■■. '. v ■ ■ . ' ' . .

Y.M.C.A.'b second goal was- to all appearances scored off-eide.' Had tine not been' allowed a jinvf would have resulted. *•;■' ' ■'■;;.

Wesley meets United to-day. The former trill be handioapped by tho . loss of Christie, who will be absent, v, ■ '"V" ..'-> —

Thomdon has' at , , last won a. game in', eenioi hockey. .Vivian were the, sufferers, and received: a rather heavy \beating, ,the score being .ir-i. The winners' team socme to have benefited by. the chanue of places; .arid it is hoped that it will keep: up to its doings on Saturday. When .it is remembered that the team; l went from third-grade- to senior,, one must say that Thorndon: has -"stuck to 4 it"; gamely, taking , their-boatings in good spirit, and ever learning pointe'from !other. teaina. Viotoria College had little difficulty in beating Wellington, who eeem to be in itheir. worst form of late. True,; the team has. lost members during the season, but that is ho reason why 'it should , not play and. try to get as.high up in tho ohainpiohship as post Biblo. ■•■■;'■. ■. \-'-- ■ ■.:■'■ ''',■•■■'" V- ■ /.■ •■'■ ; ' '•.- "'-.. ■ Junior hockey is likely to have representatives travelling this season. The representative team picked tolplayWairarapa was published 'on Thursday, and- should hold its own without much:,difficulty; ; .: ' • ■ ' ,;.,';.;.'.. : .'.