HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1186, 22 July 1911, Page 12

HOCKEY.

(Br "Right-Half.")

Next Saturday will sec (lie finish of this season's championship mutches, but the rc-ult ivill not aliect (ho loading team—lvnroii —who have a thire-point lead over Victoria College. After being runners-lip for nine years, Karori ore to be congratulated,on at nilaining the honoured position. United, who wero at (ho foot of the ladder at the end of the first round, have had better success this round, and are now third. The following are the positions of the various teams:—

The noticeable feature in the K.iroriVictoria College came , last Saturday was the individual play on bath sides., particularly by the losers. The winners' wingers received more of the. ball than their opponents, and this usually cnded_ in the College backs having some anxious moments in stopping the Karori forwards in the circle. Oh the College fide tho Strack Bros, worked the "centre" too much, and were pulled up by Campbell or C. Davies on tho twenty-five. It was not until tho last fifteen minutes that the ball was sent out to Salck, and then his colleagues had some good chances, but failed badly. Hunter, Karori goal-keeper, did riot have a great deal to do, but whenever tho ball came his way lie was cool, and did the right thing. Tho College keeper, Cockrcll, had his hands full, and ."saved" some hot shots well, but ho made a poor attempt to stop G. Davies's goal. The full-backs on both sides were sound on defence, hitting cleanly, and when pressed'they always found the line. Kibblewhite and Keid (a promoted junior) played quite up to senior form, and cleared their circle just when things looked black for College. . C. Davies played a far surer game than his fellow back, L. Davies, and invariably stopped G. Strack on the twenty-five.

Campbell, centre-half for ICarori, played up to representative form, and was always in the thick of the panic. Burbidge, playing in tho same position for College, kept his place, and stopped the ICarori forwards on many occasions, buMic should send the ball out to his wings—not hit straight down the field. Aiclten, right wing, got through a lot of work, but at times played too far back. Putnam, the other wing half for Karori, was weak, and let his side down badly through failing to stoji tho ball, and he never tried to recover it, appearing to be out of form. The College wing-halves were not playing up to foim, and penalised their side on several occasions by obstructing. Elins, right wing for ICarori in the first spell, failed to do tho right thing when in possession of the ball, but in the second half he recovered himself, and by sending the ball into the centre gavo the opposing backs a good deal to do in order to clear.

Hall, inside right, wandered a good deal, and was slow when in the striking area. Lcwer, centre forward, gavo a, good display, beating G. Strack in tho "bully" and" playing unselfishly all through the game.. His pass to his left-inside forward resulted in the only goal in tho match. It was achieved through sending the ball on when ho had drawn the centre-half on to him.

G. Davies was the best forward on the field, but he seems liable at times to overdo his one-banded play. Ho was, however, in the best of form, and started most of the Karori attacks. Murphy, on the left wing, was weak, and did not show sufficient pace for a wing forward. He will need to bo faster to-day, especially if Loader should send the ball across to itjie ciftdo. .ni?, ■ f\isn}tiV| .on, the previoiis Saturday was iar superior' (b that of last 'fjnlwrW. da ,liolJllillo,o . ... '" ' r'ilfuVl Salok, tho College wings, did not have a great deal of (he ball. Salek received it nioro -towards (ho end of the game, and the result was that his foiv wards reached the circle far oftener, and had more chances. These, however, were lost through erratic shooting. The College forwards make tho mistake of trying to go too much on their own account. G. Strack played a selfish game, and too often endeavoured to bent Cainpliell instead of passing. His brother, C. Strack, who has not shown representative form so far, was a weale spot in the forwards. On tn;o or three occasions ho obtained the ball on tho half-way line, and, instead of drawing on the wing-half, passed in-field to his 'brother. It appears to the- writer that he is only in the team to-day so ar, to givo his brother tho ball—to take it down fiolil or to pass to his" wing would bo a "serious mistake" on his part.

Y.MC.A. haye at last made a change on the right wing, and it is a change for (lie better. Last Saturday, Fosetto played in that position (Robertson playing in-side-right), and gavo his best display this season.

Owing to the bad state of tho ground, the best of play was out of the question. 13y defeating Wesley on Saturday, YIM.C.A. have secured their first win in this round.

United did not have things all their own way in their game with Wellington. The latter stormed their opponents' goal for an equal portion of the , game, but the defence set up by Hickson iuul ll'Eldowney prevented any score. This ground was in a muddy condition, which fact accounted for (he forwards of both teams not showing combination. Strong comment has been mado by senior players over the selector stating that ho did not see his way clear to break tho combination on tho left wing in the representative team. This is a surprise' to anyone who has watched the previous shield matches, and have noticed how Loader is starved on that wing by tho other forwards. The present insid'o left forward has not shown any clear indication of representative form so far this season, and cannot be compared with G. Davies, who has experience, is fast, and is also a good scoring forward. This season ho has twenty-one goals to his credithalf tho total of the gcals registered by I his club.

As the local association have agreed to Hiiwke's Bay's proposal to have two referons (one for each half of the field) in to-day's shield match, this new departure will no doubt bo watched with great interest with a view to its possible adoption in future matches. Junior and third-class games aro to be played to-day, but it is doubtful whether sufficient referees will be available.

Karori 9 8 0 1 42 10 1" Victoria College 0 6 0 2 21 -1 14 United 9 4 5 0 22 19 8 Wellington 9 :l S 1 IS 29 7 y.ji.o.a n≤6117 an r> Wcslev 9 1 7 1 1G 37 3