HOCKEY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 106, 12 August 1910, Page 3

HOCKEY.

TARANAKI ASSOCIATION FINAL. WON BY HAWliiiA, There was a disappointingly small attendance at the Recreation spurts Ground yesterday afternoon, when the New Plymouth and Hawera Clubs, winners of the north and south divisions respectively, played the final match for the championship of Taranaki. The Hawera Club, tne holders, arrived in town on Wednesday evening, and took the field in the pink of trained Condition, lighter in build, apparently fvi*** youthful on the whole, and • carrying less spare flesh than the nome team, who were without the services of Nixon and Grant, two of the strongest attackers in the club. Their places were by F. Turnbull, in the forwards, a;n. C. Pearce on the wing. The ground was in good order for a fast game, aad the weather conditions sp*enitt<L , x'he game was as fast and as interesting as had been expected, and was a capital exhibition of the game which is making such a bold bid for the public favor. As in last year's final, Hawera got home toy a very narrow margin of iwo goals to one, the winning goal being scored dn the extra ten minutes played owing to the scores standing at goal each at the call of time. And, repeating last year's programme in one other important particular, the southern men owed their victory to better combination. It was a clean contest, although once or twice vnpping was resorted to by defenders who found themselves in a tight corner. On the whole, Hawera had the best of the play, but, paradoxical as it may ueem, their opponents had the worst oi the luck in the matter of goals. Their luck was "in," however, in having sucn a sound defensive player as Avery, wose overpowering merit stood between hawera and half a score of goals. The winning goal was shot by the two Sar-j geants taking up positions which enabled them to keep the ball from Avery. Had they made this their text from the start—"keep the ball from Avery"— victory would have been theirs much earlier in the proceedings. E. Sargent, in the forwards, like Avery in the backs, stood out on his own.

Sargent and Ambury bullied off. Ambury got the ball, but it was promptly returned by a Hawera forward, and in a twinkling the Reds 'were down in the home team's circle, where hard hitting at close quarters prevented a score. From the bully-off Crawford broke away, but his rush was spoiled when Nicholi was penalised for sticks. Kemp's hit ran clean through arid over the line. Hawera attacked again, but the backs developed their attack too soon, and Nicoll intercepted and lined well up the field.. Sargent Bros, and Sage rattled down with a fine passing rush, but Avery saved, passing to Wood, who centred, and Crawford and Ambury finished up a rush in the corher, where McDonald hit out of play to save. The throw-in gave tne Reds an opportunity to clear. Already the visitors were showing the greater combination, and the Blues were being kept running. Their backs made up for it, however, by greater hitting power, and making greater use of the sidelines. Wood did a< spectacular run down the side, centred to Crawford, who passed to Pearce, and the latter sent in, a hot one, which Bray blocked with his feet. Hawera turned the tide, and initiated some hard attacks, but in every one they found Avery a hard nut to crack. Then Ambury took the ball through on his' own, losing it to E. Sargent, who compelled Turnbull to hit behind the line to save. Sage now became prominent in a series of attacks, working with 'Sargent and Thomson. Sage had a shot, but it went wide, and within a couple of minutes Pearce had the same luck at the other end, where Avery spoiled the attack of the Reds' right and centre, but the visitors kept round about the circle, and eventually a pass from centre to left wing made a fine opening, and a score resulted, Lawrey being caught napping. Hawera 1 'New Plymouth 0

. Resuming, the Blues forced the pace, Nicoll and A. Ambury doing fine work, a long hit by the former on one occasion letting them into a handy. scoring posi. tion. From the corner hit Nicoll passed to Crawford, whose shot went wide of the net. Just afterwards the same player had hard luck in failing to hook a ball into the net when the Hawera goal-keeper had overbalanced in stopping a hot shot. The Reds then cleared easily, and E. Sargent put in one of his clever dribbling runs, but, as he was about to shoot, he fell—as players sometimes do fall from the proximity, intentional or otherwise, of an opponent's stick. From a free hit by ATery, A. Ambury followed through, fooling Kemp, and' just landing/i the ball into the net—a close shave. This made the scores even.

Hawera 1 j New (Plymouth 1 I It was now apparent that if the visitors were to prevail, their backs must improve in their smiting. The Blues pressed hard. Pott had a try at goal, but lifted over the top of the net, and was offside when his next attempt found its billet. B. Sargent, Fryer and G. Sargent shot through the Blues with fine passing., and seemed to have only Lawrey to beat, but Avery got amongst them, secured the ball, and lined: The |Reds attacked again, and'C' Sargent I lifted over the top of the net. Lawrey blocked another from the saine quarter, and the ball went behind. Hawera tried acain, and this time E. Sargent struck the outside of the net. The same player sent in another, but Lawrey, by clever footwork, cleared his goal. His display as keeper, after 'the first goal - against him, made one wonder' how the first, a simple one, had passed him. Clever stick play "by [Hawera kept the Blues busy, but P. Ambury at length relieved the pressure with a drive down the. centre. W Ambury followed quickly, and got in amongst the backs. Pott could have coaled, but was off-side, and left the ball alone. Crawford placed it in the net, ' but no score was awarded; as Pott had not observed the five yalrds rule. The Reds attacked again, but Maunder, whose display was of an indifferent quality, hooked' the ball frway from Sage. Sargent headed a determined, rush, but R. Ambury saved. At half-time no addition had been made to the score. Resuming, . both sides improved, and the locals particularly so. The pace had been fast in the first spell, but it was hotter now. Frequently in the first few minutes of the 'spell the Hawera forwards broke away, but fell short of scoring, because in P. Ambury and Avery they met remarkably sound defenders, clever with the stick and tenacious-of the 'ball. Sargent, was at the head of nearly every rush,, outplaying his club-mate Sage. Inc. Blues then took a turn at attack, and looked certain to score, but. the. .Ked ( backs were putting more force into their, hittin«, and Thompson and McDonald •were defending solidly, A lbng hit down, -field set Sage and Avery racing for the. . balVbut the local .man was top. swift,, ,: und-Lawrcy: w»* uppn. The. visitors were losing a lot of ground by faulty tkrowrog-in. Scrambling play by 'Sther side Plymouth into;the

[circle, and Ambury had an unsuccessful shot at goal. R. Ambury performed one of the finest pieces of stick-play when he took the ball from the two Sargents, who were associated'in a fine run. The Blue forwards were inclined, however, to play a waiting game, and the [back's were not receiving the support they should. Woods seemed to have 'hard luck in losing the ball at the end i of several nice dribbling runs down the side-line. 'Nicoll, whose one-handed play ' was often the means of enabling the Red [forwards to get away, turned his triek to good account when, lying on the [ground, he reached, ou.ty ajjlj stemmed a headlong rush. •Maiters were willing now, and the game was strenuous. It was a treat to see the Red forwards line cv.t and take the ball along, and then to seo t'ho Blue full-backs drive to the line. The home forwards smartened up, and put in some fair pieces of passiilgi Kemp replaced Bray at the Hawera goal, and both seemed to relish the change. Thrre was little to choose, both sides tak;::g their turn at attack. Lawrey beat Sargent's shot,, and Kemp managed to lift a fine hit by'Ambury over the net. This shot was the result of good, combined play. In the final two minutes of the spell either side might have won, so close were the shots at goal. When time was called, it was agreed to play on for ten minutes-, with a view of reaching finality. From this moment onwards the visitors had the best of it,, and after an ineffectual attempt by Sage, B. Sargent scored. Crawford and Ambury then led the way to the Hawera end, but the defending .backs kept hitting beyond the line, and prevented; New Plymouth equalising the score, although the attack was hot when the whistle sounded "no side?"

For the winners,'E. Sargent was the best forward, excelling in every department, whilst iSage and G. Sargent were also very prominent throughout. Thomson, at centre, played a fair game, but it was the forward division which won the match. In the home forwards, A. Ambury stood but-on his own for consistency, but Crawford at times showed some of his old form. Pearce played a fair game throughout, but Nicoll, though 'brilliant at times, was patchy. Avery was the mainstay of the team, giving a display oh the defence that has probably not been excelled in a Taranaki team. P. Amibury, the other full-ba«k, also did excellently, repeatedly converting his defence into attack. Lawrey gave a fine exhibition of goal keeping, and had a busy time.