Country Week Play Begins at Remuera

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 710, 9 July 1929, Page 13

Country Week Play Begins at Remuera

PROVINCIAL HOCKEY > MATCHES ; MEN AND WOMEN COMPETE J i The annual country-week hockey competitions began yesterday afte< noon, when the first rounds of the White Horse Cup and the Auckland Provincial Cup were played by the men and women at the Remuera ground. Eight men’s teams from all over the ! province are entered for the White Horse Cup competition and 14 women’s teams, including three from Auckland, are competing for the Auckland Provincial Cup. The A.L.H.A. has been compelled to split up the 14 into three groups, A, B and C. These groups j are only to make the draw simpler, and do not indicate any (difference in grading. Rodney and Franklin are at present joint holders of the White Horse Cup. Waikato, which won the Auckland Provincial Crip last year, was unable to send a team, so that that cup is in open competition. On the whole, the teams yesterday showed considerable skill in their games, considering the fact that they were playing on a strange ground. One or two matches, especially among the women, were marred by poor combination, probably because the teams had had insufficient practice together. Later in the week it is expected that some brilliant hockey will, be seen. The grounds yesterday had not yet recovered from the effects of Sunday’s rain and were decidedly heavy, the women players suffering severely from this. WHITE HORSE HOLDERS WIN As was expected,, the joint holders of the White Horse Cup each won its game. Rodney, playing Wliakatane, won by four to nil, and Franklin beat Thames-Hauraki by three to nil. The Rodney-Wliakatane match was the most interesting of the day. In spite of the four-goal margin in Rodney’s favour, that team had by no means its own way with the game. Wliakatane surprised spectators by attacking vigorously from the first bully, and it kept Rodney defending for all it was worth for some time. Actually, Wliakatane was probably the faster team, but Rodney’s superior combination permitted its forwards to break through the attack and score. The Wliakatane fullbacks distinguished themselves several times, but did not receive sufficient support from the halves. In the second half the Whakaj tane forwards made some really brilliant attacks, but the skill of the Rodney backs and goalkeeper beat them off time and time again. On the whole, Wliakatane had the best of the I game territorially, but they could not j compete with Rodney's combination and practised play. The match between Franklin and Thames-Hauraki opened spectacularly when Franklin scored from the bully. In reply, Thames came down the field and shot the ball into the net, apparently scoring. The referee, however, did not allow the goal, and the game continued. The Thames men kept the Franklin backs busy for some time, and the game was moving fast and fairly evenly throughout the first half. In the second Franklin pulled its attack together, and laid a steady 1 siege at the edge of the Thames circle, hardly giving the Thames men a chance to break out. The passing, on the whole, was fair, and both teams showed 3, certain degree of combination. The stick work was ambitious, but frequently failed to succeed and showed a lack of practice on both sides. Whangarei had little - difficulty in beating Maniapoto, winning by six goals to one. The game was fast, buit very ragged, and neither team seemed to settle down properly. AUCKLAND GIRLS V/1 N The women’s games were well-con-tested matches, and, as with the men, the results were according to anticipations. The chief match of the afternoon, that between Auckland A and Waipa, resolved itself into a gruelling contest on a heavy ground, the home side in the end gaining the decision by four goals to three. The visitors set the i pace from the outset, and within five minutes had placed themselves one goal to the good. Auckland showing, if anything, superior stick 'V'ork, soon turned the tables, and further increased its tally to four, after the ■ visitors, playing with slightly better combination, had scored another two , goals. With five minutes to go, Auck- ! land held the lead by one goal, and the Waipa girls could not alter the posidesperate last minute efforts of the 1 tion. Goals for the winners were scored by Misses Lane (2), Dawson . and Waters, and for Waipa by Miss i Mackay (3). The work of the Auckland back division was not inspiring at times, and the goalkeeper would have made a better custodian had she remained on her feet where possible when hard pressed. An overwhelming win by 8 goals to 1 was secured by the Auckland Collegiate side in its match with the Auckland B representatives. The match was fast, and during the first half much more spectacular than the Auckland A-Waipa game. The B , side, however, was much lighter all round than its opponents, and although it fought gamely from whistle to whistle, the penetrating Collegiate forwards could not be kept out. For the winners. Miss Sisam secured five goals, and Misses Dodds, Hayes, L i and Sinclair one each. Miss O’Hara . registered Auckland B's one goal. The match between Northern Wairoa [ and Rodney A was remarkably even.

no score having been made by half- * time. Northern Wairoa attacked for ; a great part of the game. and. until they grew tired, the Rodney backs managed to keep them out successfully. The girls displayed some accurate and pretty stick-work in the earlier part of the game and the Wairoa forwards passed well, both wings playing a fine game. The Piako A-Whangarei game was spoiled by poor work in the circle by both sides. On the whole the play was fast and several g*ood forward movements were seen. Piako has one or two lusty hitters who stood their side in good stead, but Whangarei. by clever passing, managed to beat them by 4 to 2. The results of the games are as follow: WHITE HORSE CUP Rodney 4, v. Wliakatane 0: Waipa 8, v. Piako 1; Whangarei 6, v, Maniapoto 1; Franklin 3, v. Thames-Mauraki 0. AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL CUP A Section.—Auckland Collegiate 8, v. Auckland B 1; Franklin B 3, v. Piako B 0. B Section.—Auckland A 4, v. Waipa 3: Hauraki Plains 9, v. Rodney B 1. C Section.—Northern Wairoa 2, v. Rodney A 0; Whangarei 4, v. Piako A 2. TODAY’S GAMES i WAfPA’S BIG WIN The true country week spirit prevailed at the Remuera Hockey Grounds this m%rning when the White Horse Clip tourney was advanced a further stage. By virtue of their wins this morning Waipa and Franklin are now leading, level, for the cup. Following are the results: Waipa, S: Maniapoto, 0. Rodney, 2; Piako, 2. Franklin, 3; Whangarei, l. : Wliakatane, 4; Thames-Hauraki, 1. MANIAPOTO SWAMPED By the decisive margin of eight goals to nil, Waipa had a runaway victory over the Maniapoto representatives. Right from the first whiA the red and whites took charge, and after several unsuccessful attempts, opened their account within 10 minutes of the start of the game. The Maniapoto men included several good individualists, but the superior stickwork- and combination of tlieir opponents carried the day. Cohen and B. Spiers were the outstanding red and white players, with Jack in goal putting up his usual rocklike defence. For Waipa. B. Spiers scored five goals, Woods two and Civil one. Referee: Mr. B. Cooper. DRAW FOR PIAKO A hard fought battle, which ended in a draw, two goals all, was witnessed in the Rodney-Piako match. The former opened its account shortly after the commencement of the game, but the black and reds equalised before the spell. After half-time Piako goaled again and thus took the lead. Rodney put up a desperate effort and succeeded in placing itself level again before the final whistle went. Grimmer and Jones scored for Rodney, and P. Harvey and Fitt for Piako. Referee: Mr. G. Pearce. * FRANKLIN TOO GOOD Whangarei and Franklin appeared to be fairly evenly matched, and although the men from the South led by one goal to nil at half-time, it was not until after the spell that they displayed the marked superiority which enabled them to run out victors by three goals to one. McAllister secured Whangarei S’ only goal, and Witham put on all of Franklin’s three points. Referee: Mr. K. K. Mullins. THAMES-HAURAK! BEATEN Thames-Hauraki had if anything the better of its early skirmishes with the Wliakatane men. The game was willing, but partly on account of the heavy grounds could not be classed as a spectacular exhibition. The spell saw Wliakatane leading by two goals to one. In the second half the allgold side added two more to its tally, I but tli© Thames-Hauraki men could not reply. Whakatane thus secured a decisive victory by four goals to one. For Wliakatane goals were scored by Murray (2) and Dawson and Ellison. - Menzies put on the combined side’s sole point. Referee: Mr. A. Rivers.