HOCKEY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 215, 4 September 1908, Page 3

HOCKEY.

HOROWHENUA v. WANGANUI. By Telegraph.- Press Association. W'auganui, Last Night. Tlie Horowhcnua representative hoekey team was defeated by tin; local 'team tiiis afternoon. Although the score, eight goals to nil, was large, the. game ivas not altogether one-sided. The visitors attacked Several times,, but lost the ball when in tlie cii-cle. 'lne Wanganui forwards showed great (hush and pace, and made the most of their chances. Their I*ll lwe was weak. Miller, in goal, was brilliant. The visitors' forwards lacked combination and bunched too much, thus spoiling the chances of one another. Smart, the rigilit back, played well. Mr. AYakcley referecd.

WELLINGTON (1) v. TARANAKI (0) A summer afternoon and a dry ground were the conditions lor the Welliugtou-Tarauaki representative hockey fixture on the Recreation Sports Ground. Tiie field was in better oruer than for any other display of any of the 1908 winter pastimes. The attendance numbered a couple of hundred, tlie

best "gate" of the year. The teams took the field as selected, Tanuiaki wearing blue and white jerseys on account of the visitors' colors being black and gold, or practically the same as tlie locals' amber and black. The visitors had considerable advantage in the matter of weight, and it was judged that, being a city team, tiicy s/iould have the better condition and combination. 1£ the local association could guarantee to the public each week a game as exciting and interesting as yesterday's, hockey would soon take a more prominent place in the popular pastimes. The match consisted of a series of rattling rushes from end to end of the field, and the possibilities that turned out failures on either side were so frequent that the hockey enthusiasts who watched the game v?ere occasionally in ecstacies of delight. It was fast enough and exciting enough and even enough for anything.

Taranaki had the advantage of playing with the sun behind them in the first Spell. For some few minutes after the bullyoff "tapping'' operations were carried on, as uiough each side was feeling for the other's strength. Then the visiting forwards livened up matters, and hard smiting gave Smyth a chance to pass to Willis on the right wing, but Avery saved well. Sargent and Jas. Harris immediately transferred to the southern end. Nieoll tried a shot ineffectually, but Sanders (goal) drove to the back of the goal tine. Again Wellington attacked hard, and again Avery changed his defence into attack, Sargent leading another rush into Wellington's circle, but his pass to Harris went out. A bully-off in lront of the goal gave Taranaki another chance at goal, but Brewer saved by hitting behind the line. "Jim" Harris was penalised for "sticks," and the "free hit" gave Wellington a respite, but they were soon driven back to their line, Hickson relieving and passing to Smyhh, whose pass to Willis was intercepted. Nieoll *nu aargent took charge, and Wellington had a lucky letoff, the ball going behind. Upon resuming, the ball was sent up to Smyth, and he put in one of the linest dribbling runs of the match, passing several men and transferred sharply across the field to Willis on the right wing, who Anderson at goal touched the ball upwards witu ins hand and sent it over the cage, similar tactics were pursued shortly afterwards, the ball going behind owing to Avery's defence. Eliot was the next to try at goal, Anderson stopping at close quarters. A nice passing rush, and Eliot tried again, but once more Anderson saved. The Blues now had their turn at smart attack, and their turn of hard luck, Thomson's goal being disallowed for off-side play. Jas. Harris ; and "Ponty" Anderson, by a skilful i piece of work, got within striking dia- I tance, but Hickson interposed himself betwixt them and the netting, and he drove the ball up past Curtis to the Taranaki end, where play hung for some time. Christie, Dixon, and Hicksou were prominent in work that gave the home backs all they could do to prevent a score, but a corner hit brought relief. Sargent carried on the ball to the other end of the field, where it went out. Just before halftime Nieoll put in a mighty smite from about ten yards iii front of the goal, but a "wide" was his score. 13. Harris was responsible for another attack on the visitors' goal, the ball going behind again. In the second spell Wellington soon set up an attack, showing greater combination than in the first half. Danger was averted by Sargent and Jas. Harris', the latter being given off-side when he had got close in to goal. Down came Wellington in a body, and play was close and exciting. Tit seemed that the visitors must score, but T. P. Anderson came through and saved splendidly. Nieoll and E. Harris start ed off upficld again, and there was hot work in the visitors' end-, Thomson relieving for a time, but eventually the ball was driven over the line. 'Then in Taranaki's twenty-five was lought out the greatest tussle of the match, the Blacks being foiled again and again by the individaul astuteness of the defence. Combination of the same high order amongst tlie forwards would have won the match for Taranaki. "Mick" Harris eventually relieved, and Sargent cut through, snooting a nice goal that was disallowed by the referee, it appearing to him that the ■ball struck the outer post of the goal. As a matter of fact, the ball entered the goal near the side and struck the upright inside. Now the visitors were having the best of it, and Anderson u» several occasions had to turn the ball aside in front of the goal, the visitors shooting very correctly. The awwic did not last long enough to make the game one-sided. Sargent was responsible for a change of scene, and tne local men had three shots, all going wide. Smyth got away and beat Curtis, and Taranaki supporters begaa to tear that the game could not end in a draw. Five minutes to go. Christie sent a hot pass to Willis, and the 'sticks clattered in front of the home goal. The nimble Sargent stole the ball from one of tiie big rankers on the other side,', and before the spectators could sar "Jack Robinson," he was up in fjont j of the other goal, with Jas. Harris foi . lowing. A pass to the latter, but lie I : lost the ball when tackled, and a par- . tio-ularly rosy chance was lost. An- ■ other smite sent the ball past Weli lington's goal. Then a combined rush . put the Taranaki men on their mettle. ■ There was a hot shot at goal. Ander-

son stopped it in the last few inches, and hit out to Nixon, who srnart'y struck back into the net, and made the winning hit, one minute from the call of time. Mr. i\ Robertson was referee.

Tiie difference in the scores may be taken as a fair criterion ol the cem-.paj-ativc merits of the two teams, though by actual Strokes the Wellington men admitted the game was a drawn one, they being perfectly satisued that Sargent's score was a genuine one. The visitors' snooting was more accurate that that of the home .team, and a poor goalkeeper on the Taranaki side would have left no doubt of Wellington's victory. It is a dubious

point, 'however, whether the visiting team played more in Taranaki's territory than the locals in the Wellington ] end. Hicksoa and brayth were the mainstay of the winning side, the defensive tactics of the former and Hie careful dribbling of the latter being feat urea of the game. Eliot, Christie 1 , Dixon, ami Willis were also prominent. Sargent was far and away the most conspicuous amongst the' Taranaki players. Jle j s a man of great resource and apparently unlimited "go," and. what is more, lie knows the giun'e. Xicoll was also very sound, ;uid°i;ii)k part in many of Sargent's attacks. .Ander-on, at goal, played his best game ■in that po-iii.m. Avery's form was muck belter wan in the Hawkv's Bay match, mill he was responsible for some

line defensive work. E. Harris, at centre-half, was rather light, but lie made up for that in cleverness and dash. Curtis was not clever enough for Smyth, and John and .Jas. Ifarrisf have boiii ben;i sl . t . u ;„ mllc )i better form. From I lie last two rep. matches played here the inference may fairly lie drawn that, given tire eity chances of practice together,' the Taranaki lie. key learn would mil up a good light against any of New Zealand's provincial teams.