HONOURS TO AOTEA

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20513, 1 June 1938, Page 15

HONOURS TO AOTEA

HOCKEY IN HAMILTON OO'IPETITION LEADERB MEET COLTS STILL IN SECOND PLACE (By “Left-half”) By registering a draw with Colts on Saturday Aotea maintained their leading position in the Hamilton hockey competitions for the Killip Memorial Shield. The match was even throughout as the score, four all, indicated and the encounter was responsible for some really first-class hockey. Colts held the advantage for the first half when they established a lead by two goals but Aotea staged a recovery in the second spell to bring the honours even. In the other senior game, Old Boys prevailed over Kalpaki although the latter team provided a very solid defence which affected the margin of the victory considerably.* Table of points

Poop Attacking Team When they met Old Boys on Saturday tiie Kalpaki eleven proved themselves a good combination when on defence but were poor on the attack. Old Boys were indeed lucky to take the decision so easily but there is no reason to doubt that if their opponents had not displayed such a fine defence the margin would have been greater. The winning team benefited from their hard-hitting tactics and when they did get inside the circle they displayed them to full advantage. On the othei* hand Kaipaki indulged in some strong stickwork but when they could have made the most of it for scoring purposes, they were content to rely on some half-hearted hitting which proved their downfall. If the Kaipaki team could apply its vigorous attacking play when inside the circle they would no doubt be a hard team with which to contend. Among the Forwards j It was difficult lo differentiate among I the forwards in the Aotea-Colts match. They all did their work with a will and at no stage of the match were j they able to let up. Powdrill. Hoff and i Hunter were indefatigable workers and were conspicuous in several irresistible forward rushes that were capped with success. McKibben and Perrett did yeoman service for Colts and they were always well backed up by their fellow forwards. The half back lines also did solid work and ••fed" their forwards regularly and successfully. | The Best to Date I Colts kept nothing in reserve when J they commenced their match against j Aotea and there were fireworks right | from the opening bully, the Colts' for-

ward* »w*eping to the attack with a will and giving the Aotea defence a torrid time. Powdrlll, Aotea’s merourial forward, drew first blood, hut from then till the' interval Colts were right on top, establishing a lead of 2 goals by half-time. 'But after the Interval, it was a different story for Aotea beoame possessed of tigerish aotivi-ty and for a long period hemmed Colts in the cirole. They attacked in wave after wave until Colts’ defence wilted and Aotea were able to go away to a goal lead. Colts momentarily asserted themselves and a lightning raid on Aotea’s circle resulted in their drawing level. Aotea then strove hard for victory, but the final whistle came with both teams holding 4 goals apiece.

Players on the Improve Two Old Boys players, who up to last Saturday had not displayed their top form. Ewan and D. Pountney were responsible for some really good hockey, when the team met Kaipaki. Although he was closely watched by his opponents, Ewan was successful In registering two really good goals. The first was soon after the commencement of the match, when he came in unexpectedly to beat Smillie with a lightning shot while on the second occasion he secured the ball during a tussle in front of the goal and, with a hard hit, sent it into the net. Pountney was very sure with his hitting and even when he was severely bustled, he mai.aged to get the ball away successfully. His relieving shots were at times outstanding. Outstanding Full Back The outstanding back on the field In the Colts-Aotea clash was Beale, playing In the full back line for Aotea. The ex-Auckland player knows all the tricks of the game and it was his fine defensive play more than anything else that kept Colts back during the first half. He tackled determinedly and j successfully and time and time again j his heady piny thwarted promising at- j tacks. He should find a place in the j Waikato representative team. Cocmbes in goal was not as impressive as he has been on other occasions, but still lie got through his work well. O’Hara, who was between the sticks for Colts, is a new custodian who should develop into a very safe 'keeper, lie blocked , particularly well on occasions, but he 1 does not make as much use of his boot j as he could. Wingers Were Good All the outside forwards did good work in the Aotea-Colts match. All of them, Curteis and Wycherley for Colts, and r o raster and Matusc.'ika for \otea, have a good turn of speed which they use to advantage. Wycherley was seen ; :i frequent excursions down the line, while Curteis on I lie other side was just as conspicuous, showing good control and centring judiciously. Forster, for Aotea. was always reliable. ! while his experience stood Aotea in good stead. He opened up many at- ! tacking movements and his centres j were invariably well-timed and accurate. one of his centring shots being ’■responsible for the best goal of the match. Matuschko. Aotea’s other winger, played his best game to date this season and demonstrated that he u one of th' 5 coming outside forwards |in the competition. He has plenty of i speed, but he was sometimes inclined I to over-run the ball and consequents ibis centring shots were not all they ishould have been.

P. W. L. D. PtS. Aotea 4 3 0 t 7 Colts 3 2 0 i 5 Old Boys 3 2 1 0 4 Kalpaki 3 0 3 0 0 Tokomnru 3 0 3 0 0