FINE HOCKEY GAME

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 993, 9 June 1930, Page 7

FINE HOCKEY GAME

VARSITY AND ST. LUKE’S PLAY HARD DRAW SHORE COLLECTS GOALS As a result of Saturday’s senior hockey, University stands level with bt. Luke’s in the club competition. The students have the prospect of finishing up the first round two points ahead of St. Luke’s because Varsity has yet one game to play to complete the round, whereas St. Luke's has finished it. Tlib teams mentioned played a magnificent match at Eemuera on Saturday, the issue being a two-all scoie. Wesley collapsed before the attack of North Shore, a stronger team in ail departments. The score was s—o Varsity Whippets were outclassed throughout by Mount Eden in a game at Point Chevalier, and were lucky to escape with the final score standing at 6—o. The following table shows the present positions of the senior teams: Pt*. r.h

FINEST GAME TO DATE “Out and away the finest game of the season. This was the opinion of those who have followed senior hockey through the first round, on the meeting of University and St. Luke’s on Saturday. From the first bully to the final whistle the clash was packed with incident and the second half, when St. Luke’s set out to wipe off a -deficit of two goals, was tense, and supporters of the teams were on their toes. The final issue, a two-all dra\Y, was a fitting climax to a great encounter. The students had the better of the first part, in the opinion of this column, and were probably rather the. stronger in the second session. If missed chances mean anything, the Llues appear to have had more opportunities, but: the stress of the battle caused some over anxiety. Had the game continued another ten minutes, it is likely that St. Luke’s would have taken another point, for the team was forcing during the last quarter. That was a game of hockey the critics dream about and rarely see take substance. When, in past seasons the quality of senior hockey has been criticised, it was just the sort of game that University and St. Luke’s staged that the writers had in mind as a basis of comparison. As has been several times contended herein, the quality of hockey this year shows a marked improvement over that of last winter. Saturday’s game onlv goes to strengthen that opinion. The students are immeasurably superior in form to the Blue team of a year ago. and St. Luke’s has not deteriorated. The most pleasing feature of the current Blue eleven is the improvement m the half division. rt was a delight to watch the three on Saturday. Dr. Noakes, left, and Storry, right, played sterling games. Wilmott, centre, who temporarily takes the place of Radcliffe, who is out for a couple of weeks more through injury, was a worth v substitute with an alert stick used for a variety of shots. The forward line, a young one, has improved out of sight. No weak links presented themselves, the combination being fine. Bestic and Trevor Hay. the wing men, impressed geatly and rather showed up St. Luke’s weakness in those places. Grace, left for the Reds, should conquer the habit of wanting to take the ball into the circle himself. For every centre he swings across (and they are good ones) he wants to have three or four shots himself. This tactic is sometimes called by a harsh name. After half-time, Harding retired hurt from outside right, and Angus Bon came on, there then being the unusual circumstance of brothers playing in opposing camps. “Buster” Don "was centre-forward for the students. Angus was immediately dangerous. A Grammar footballer by custom the youngster is versatile and had the satisfaction of coming within an ace of giving his side victory when he drove over the net in the last minute. A feature of play was the penalty bully between “Buster” Bon and Hanna, St. Luke’s goalie, for a breach by the latter. Don need not feel chagrined at missing what to the backseat drivers (some of the gallery), was a sure goal, because Hanna has not come down in the last shower with a hockey stick in his hand. The wellknown goalie’s genera] display shows that he retains much of his former reliability. On the other side Crawley effected his quota of saves and has proved he is not a flash in the pan. St. Luke's rearguard. H. Williams and : Clark, did not seem as confident as j they usually are. Theirs was a re- i sponsible job and a stern trial. T. Clark, by his coolness, shone in the halves. Robertson was the bustier.

halves. Robertson wa* the bustier, j

and W. Williams dependable and heady. Of the forwards not mentioned, Jack Giles was conspicuous after being below par for three Saturdays. Torbet nearly succeeded in the goal business. Burnett spoiled himself through over-eagerness. Taken as a whole, the Red forwards did not impress as a combination to the degree that the students did, due doubtless to the frequent alterations in that department of late. The fullback play of Brown and Ullison left little to be desired. Their hitting, like Jhat of all the fullbacks and halves on the field, was refreshingly crisp and powerful. Altogether i an excellent exposition of hockey. j MOUNT EDEN’S EASY TASK Mount Eden proved its overwhelming superiority over Varsity’s second string in no uncertain manner on Saturday in the only senior grade game played at Walker Park. Point Chevalier. The ground was certainly not perfect, being short by many yards of the regulation size, but the surface was quite good, although very slippery from recent rains. This made a brilliant showing impossible for either team. The game turned out to be very much of a family affair. M and H. Jones taking it in turns throughout play to shoot the ball in for Mount Eden, netting five of the six points. The remaining one went to Weilbone. The half-time score of 3-0 to Mount Eden gives a fair indication of the consistent manner in which the game went against the students, but it was actually in the second half that the blues were hardest put to protect their net. Time and again, especially in the few minutes before the final whistle blast. Lea, in goal, backed up by Gurney and Leonard, were working their hardest in clearing from the circle. Lea was not at the top of his form and let through many a ball which did not deserve to score. Mount Eden has many excellent players and could easily have piled up a cricket score against such opposition had not combination been of the

poorest. The individual effort which won the game smacked at times of “cleverness” and foolhardiness which should have been penalised as dangerous play. Ash put in some bright runs up the field and Chaplin, too, was prominent. Mainland showed a sound defence. Vail, in goal, was not overworked, having to repel only two serious efforts. but he showed himself able to rise to the occasion admirably. For the students. Lamb and Adams were prominent and Brown was always well to the fore. NORTH SHORE TAKES POINTS Displaying more finesse in all departments, North Shore had no difficulty in accounting for Wesley, the final score being s—o. Four-fifths of this bag went to the credit of L. Monteith, playing inside right. “Monty” was right on his game, some of his shots resulting from opportunism which only a clever stick man can exploit. The odd goal came from “Perdo” Anthony, who deserved more than the solitary piece. Except for the half line, which in the opinion of many competent judges is not bettered in Auckland hockey, the team was a side of individualists, on Saturday at any rate. This was certainly true of the forwards, each of whom sailed off according to his own sweet fancy for half the game. Dave Reid was all over the place, and not lending much support to the inside divisions. When Dave was away, the rest were missing, and so on. This was perhaps all right in view of the weakness of the opposition, but against tougher mettle—? Returning to the halves, Haggett and his confreres, Thornton and Frater. claimed interest all through the piece. Back on the defensive, or feeding the van, they were good, and at times machine-like in precision. Parker exhibited staunch driving behind them. His partner. Allen, was less in the picture and more apparent in breaking up a move than sending his own forwards away. Ran-

kin, in goal, saved when required, but for a large portion of the match was freezing. Of Wesley it can only be said that the material is there for development. Criticising constructively, one might point out that the team as a whole is too slow on the ball. The slogan. ’’Get rid of it,” might be assimilated with advantage in all divisions, except the fullbacks, who were very fair.^ Losing control was the outstanding i fault of the forward section. A man j would secure at the half line, dribble for a few yards, and. if tackled, lose i it: or, equally unsatisfactory, bang the leather miles ahead for the grateful acceptance of the opposing fullbacks. Roberts, outside left, has the idea, and frequently centred beautifully. at the same time keeping well out in case of returns. His associate. Williamson, a new arrival, seems likely, as are White and A. B. Chappell. Burton was sometimes attractive, but a solo attraction. If the eleven could muster the services of a good coach, it would in time emerge a formidable contingent. This team has not improved much. while the others higher up the grade have bettered themselves hundreds per cent. Wesley has the tricks of stickwork to pick up. and general finish to master. There are several men worth emulating. either of the Williams. T. Clark. St. Luke’s Gardner. Clive Watts, of Somerville, Radcliffe, Wilmott. Brown, of University, to name a few.

P. Pts. Ch. University W. L D. F. 3 — 6 2 — Somerville S North Shore 5 2 1 Mount Eden 5 2 1 Wesley 5 1 A U. Whippets b — 5 — 4 21