Hockey, 1948

The weather at the beginning of term allowed us to make an early start with our hockey programme, although the ground was rather too soft for really fast play. Progress was such that after less than a fortnight we were able to play an opening friendly game with York, who very kindly suggested the fixture on one of their free afternoons. The score in this game was r 1-2 to York, but as our team had absolutely no experience and as York had a far stronger team than any we were likely to encounter, the score was unimportant. Most unfortunately our match with York later in the term, when we were hoping to give a better account of ourselves, was cancelled because of a snow storm.

The results of the season's matches are good on the whole, especially as this was our first season of hockey. There was no really spectacular play but, thanks mainly to the valuable coaching of Mr. Chilman, all members of the side were capable in their positions on the field and also all played as a team.

The game was very well received when reintroduced as a major sport, and considerable promise was shown by many younger players, who should form a good nucleus for teams in future years.

1st XI HOCKEY CHARACTERS

M. Speight (Captain). Inside left. A promising forward who got the ball moving well amongst his forwards—with improved stick control and more knowledge of the short passing game should be really good. W. Graham. Centre half. A very energetic player with plenty of stamina.

Uses one hand too much and doesn't always find his forwards with passes. R. Parker. Goal. Times his rushes well and clears cleanly with either foot. P. T. Baker. Centre forward. Has plenty of dash and with more thrust in the circle will make a very useful forward. Must improve his stick-work, distribute the ball better, and use both hands. J. E. Stuart. Right back. A solid, useful back who must abandon his rush tactics. A strong hitter. Must learn to clear more quickly and improve his stick-work. C. Dryden. Inside right. A hard worker, particularly in defence. Lacks stick-work and experience in the game as yet. Played a useful game in the

Yorkshire County Schoolboy Trial. J. C. Griffiths. Right half. Improved a lot. He stops the ball well, but is liable to leave his outside man unmarked and not to support his own wing adequately in attack. P. J. Dennis. Left half. Filled a difficult position with credit. He needs more pace and must make up for the lack of it by greater speed with his stick-work. J. F. W. Addey. Left back. Filled this position rather late in the season and at times showed distinct promise. His positional play was generally good and he can hit cleanly. Must find his forwards better with his clearances. I. U. Warrington. Outside left. Fast, and occasionally got in a good centre.

Must practise his ball con trol. C. Frank. Outside right. Very fast but at present rather clumsy and uncontrolled. F. C. Slegg came into the side when Frank was injured and was a trier. Needs to improve his stick- and foot-work and must use both hands. R. B. Pringle played several good games in goal in Parker's absence.

Result F. A. Sat., 14th Feb. Scarborough H.C. Drawn 2 2 Wed., 18th Feb. Northern Command H.Q. Won 6 3 Wed., 23th Feb. Bootham School Won 6 2 Sat., 28th Feb. Worksop College Lost o 6 Wed., 3rd Mar. H.M.S. "Ceres" Won 2 I Sat., 6th Mar. Rowntree's H.C. Lost I • 2 Wed., loth Mar. R.A.F., Linton Won 3 2 Sat., 13th Mar. University College, Hull Won 3 2

SCHOOL v. SCARBOROUGH H.C.

Played on Saturday, 14th February. Result : Draw, 2-2.

From the first bully it was apparent that the School side were generally fitter and certainly as fast as their opponents. By crafty play during the first minutes, however, the Scarborough team were unlucky not to be one up when a fine ;hot chipped the post. Not to be shaken by this raid on their goal, the School soon switched play to their opponents' half, and only occasionally was there any real danger to School's goal. Any danger which did arise was almost certainly due to the particularly individualistic methods adopted by the backs, who were too inclined to dribble past an opponent before parting with the ball, a technique which proved almost fatal on more than one occasion. The forwards, on the other hand, were taking full use of all chances offered to them, and before half-time goals were scored by Baker and Dryden.

Baker's goal came after Warrington sent in a glorious centre. Speight gained control of the ball and pushed it past an opposing full back, to give Baker a wonderful opportunity, of which he made full use.

Dryden's goal was a more individualistic effort; taking a pass just inside his own half, he raced away down the wing, finally cutting into the circle and crashing in a shot which was unstoppable.

After the interval Scarborough pressed hard and only the solid defensive play of the backs, and Parker in goal, held their attack, limiting their score to only one goal, which came from a penalty corner. School forwards came into the picture again, but after many unsuccessful efforts, the halves were caught rather too far up, giving the Scarborough forwards a clear run in and an easy goal. Thus the game finished in a draw, a result which we may regard as most satisfactory, considering the calibre of the opposition.

SCHOOL v. NORTHERN COMMAND HEADQUARTERS XI

Played on Wednesday, 18th February. Result : Won, 6-3.

The game opened with a very quick goal by Baker which gave a very false impression of the opposition, who individually were in many ways superior to the School side and only lacking in team-work. The opposition was drawn open by long passes giving the School wings 48

opportunities to show their speed. Dryden on two occasions sent passes into the centre which Baker brilliantly converted into goals by reverse stick shots. The Army team gave the School a lesson in ball control, especially their centre half, who made many openings for his forwards by short, well directed passes. Only the slowness of the opposition's forwards in the circle and the well-timed tackling of the backs saved goals on numerous occasions. In the School's defence Graham worked hard and gave many long ground passes to his forwards. The Army forwards were rewarded, however, when they scored two quick goals, reducing the School's lead. Speight soon after this gathered a ball in midfield and dribbled his way through the opposing backs. Once in the circle he lost no time in sending in a shot which left the goalkeeper immobile—an excellent goal !

After half-time the opposition reshuffled to give their attack more penetration. With this change they became very formidable, their team-work being greatly improved. They soon added another goal and looked for a time as though they would draw level, but, unfortunately for them, an injury to their centre forward caused them to resume their former arrangement. From this point the School's attack took over once more, Baker and Speight netting two more goals, putting them in an unassailable position. This was a welldeserved victory for the School and a game in which speed and resolution told their tale against older and more experienced players.

SCHOOL v. BOOTHAM SCHOOL

Played on Wednesday, 25th February. Result : Won, 6-2.

Showing much improved form the School team began to work like a goal-scoring machine which just refused to have a brake put on it. Playing on their own ground and showing great determination, the School were soon rewarded by a goal from Speight. Play continued fast, and it was only School's defence which prevented more than one goal being scored against us during the first half. Baker was prominent during this game and his particularly fine finishing gave the School's attack that punch which •their opponents lacked. His performances in the circle when he had the ball were true text book examples of how the ball should be hit immediately and hard. This resulted in him gaining four goals altogther, two before and two after the interval.

Frank and Dryden, forming the right wing for this game, played well together. Dryden scored once from a fine centre by Frank, whose speed caused the opposition considerable trouble, but by an unfortunate fall at the beginning of the second half he was partly incapacitated. Stuart and Griffiths formed a very powerful defensive combination on the right, and it was only their sound play which kept the lively Bootham left wing in check. It was, however, from this quarter that the Bootham goals came They were the result of the defence becoming

over-confident and in consequence backing up their forwards too closely. If they failed to intercept one pass, the Bootham forwards were well away, with the defence wide open, and it was only hard running back to tackle which saved the situation on a number of occasions.

SCHOOL v WORKSOP COLLEGE

Played on Saturday, 28th February. Result : Lost, 6—o.

Playing under ideal conditions School did well in the first half to escape with only one goal scored against them. The Worksop forward line worked well together, their wings sending in excellent centres which were only cleared with difficulty. Stuart's anticipation saved many unpleasant situations. The Worksop halves gave their forwards many opportunities, but the backs' tackling, and Parker in goal, brought all their efforts to naught. Towards the end of the first half the School forwards began to get themselves unplaced and unable to take passes, as happened just after the interval, when the Worksop goal was attacked.

At this point the School suffered severe setbacks. Speight was injured and changed with Addey at full back; Baker was also injured and rendered ineffective. During this next five minutes and before our recovery, Worksop netted four goals, giving them a score which was out of relation to the general run of play. The game finished with Speight back in his own position and the attack directed on the Worksop goal, but try as we would there was no way of scoring.

This resumption of a fixture with old rivals is most pleasing to us. We benefited and learned much about play on a fast pitch as well as the value of hard, well-directed ground passes.

SCHOOL v. H.M.S. "CERES"

Played on Wednesday, 3rd March. Result : Won, 2-1.

After previous matches on good surfaces this pitch provided many new difficulties to overcome, the exact location of the ball at any particular moment being almost unpredictable. This factor was an advantage to the Naval personnel who were perfectly at home on the rolling surface. From the bully it was apparent that the School had the upper hand, and it was obvious that it would be only a question of time before they scored. Many fine efforts by Speight were stopped by rather dubious methods, for which a number of corners were awarded but could not be forced through the human blockade the Navy put in front of their goal.

Just before the interval Speight intercepted a pass from their wing half to inside forward on the half-way line. With great dexterity

he dribbled through the defence and into their circle, finally sending in a shot which the goalkeeper failed to reach. Speight scored again after the interval from a short corner. This put the Navy into a fighting mood and they retaliated vigorously, making every effort to score. Their only goal came at this point. Pringle cleared a shot at goal, one of the opposition in his excitement breasted the ball down and whilst the School team stood looking appealingly at the umpire, who emulated one of his distinguished predecessors and "turned the blind eye", put the ball into the net.

SCHOOL v. ROWNTREE'S H.C.

Played on Saturday, 6th March. Result : Lost, 2-1.

This was a game throughout which the School's defence was tried to the uttermost, but did not crumble under continual pressure. In fact, it showed how well-balanced the side is, with capable players in all positions. Rowntree's opened strongly and peppered our goal with shots; some going wide, the others being cleared by the goalkeeper and backs together, all working as a team. Only team-work prevented a score, and at half time it was a goalless draw, slightly in favour of Rowntree's, but with very little in it.

After the resumption School were first to score, taking the lead. Graham took a free hit which he sent into an unmarked space in the circle, Speight anticipated this move and was soon on the ball, cracking it into the net before anyone had a chance to tackle him. School's defence held for a long time under the more vigorous efforts of Rowntree's, Who just refused to be beaten. In the meantime, however, Frank had the bad luck to be accidently tripped and, falling heavily on his leg which had previously received a hard knock, was put completely out of action. It was all he could do to walk off the field at the end of the game.

Rowntree's wings, however, did prove too fast for our wing halves in the end and in quick succession sent in two passes, one of which the right inside diverted into the net, and the other, the centre forward. This was a most enjoyable and thrilling game with both sides playing as hard as they knew how.

SCHOOL v. R.A.F., LINTON

Played on Wednesday, loth March. Result : Won, 3-2.

Unable to play on our own ground because of its use for athletics, we were greatly indebted to the R.A.F. Authorities for inviting us to play on their ground, and on entertaining us at very short notice. The ground, however, had not the best surface, and well controlled play

with the ball on the ground was most difficult. The ideal game for these conditions should have been with short pushed or flicked passes. But as the R.A.F.'s marking was so good and gave our forwards little scope, this method, which was tried, failed. Instead, long passes down the wings gave the wingmen an opportunity of outdistancing their older opponents with comparative ease. Warrington on one occasion raced away down the wing after a ball which he centred, and Speight put it into the net from a very difficult angle.

The Air Force retaliated but Parker in goal, with some quite robust play and excellent foot clearances, saved all but one shot which they managed to scramble into the net from a poor clearance. Before the interval Baker scored another goal for the School, which put them in the lead once more. The lead was short-lived and after only a few minutes of the second half the same wing as scored the R.A.F.'s first goal took advantage of a defensive blunder by the full backs, pushing the ball into the goal well out of Parker's reach. Before the end, however, Speight scored again, giving School the lead which they held until the final whistle.

SCHOOL v. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, HULL

Played on Saturday, z 3th March. Result : Won, 3-2.

After the two previous games on foreign grounds it was most difficult for the School to regain their form on a fast, flat surface.

The position at half time looked very black for the School since they were two goals down and really looking as though they would never score. Fortunately, by the individualism of Slegg, a good goal was scored which gave School new spirit and from this goal it was obvious that they were playing together again and back to their old form. '14 Another goal soon followed, which was due to clever interchanging of position by Slegg and Dryden, resulting in the latter scoring from a difficult angle.

With the score level Hull did everything in their power to draw ahead again, but against the School's determination the reshuffling of their forward line was of no avail. Graham was prominent here in breaking up many dangerous movements, and his close marking of their centre forward made it impossible for him to get within shooting distance. When the result looked settled as a draw, Speight was able to turn to good use a long clearance by Graham which rolled towards the circle. Suddenly he dashed in and picked up the loose ball. In an instant he was in the circle and much to the dismay of the opposing goalkeeper, the ball was in the net. Thus ended a particularly good game, which was well contested and held excitement for players and onlookers alike, since, until the last moment, the issue was doubtful.