WA Over 65's - 2010 Match Reports

WA vs NSW - Tuesday, September 28, 2010

This, our first game of the carnival, was two a two-sided contest: The first half (of the 4 quarter game) was totally dominated by NSWs and the second half – largely the reverse, with WA on top as we found the way to play together effectively.. 

At the start of the first quarter NSW clipped the ball straight into our defensive zone and had a short corner within a minute. Fortunately, for us (WA), the speed of that attack probably surprised them as it did us and their corner was muffed. NSWs continued to dominate mostly through their right side capitalizing on our mistakes in both ball control and in our own poor tactics. Within the 1st eleven minutes NSW had 4 short and 3 long corners but no goals, and all before WA was able to get the ball into our attacking zone. The 1st quarter saw WA with only one penetration into the NSW circle. The 2nd quarter was similar as NSW continued their attack which included 3 clear shots at goal, the first smothered effectively by goalie Barry Rutter while their other next shot sailed close over the top bar and the 3rd missed the far post by millimeters. By good fortune for WA the score at half time was nil all. 

The 3rd quarter commenced with an initial flurry from NSWs which resulted in a fine-deflection goal for them in the 2nd minute. From then on the game totally switched to being WA controlled. It’s as if someone with great powers waved the wand over the WA players. We got into gear, we understood what each of us should be doing, and we took control. There was an initial attack down our right which saw Ian Hill take the ball into the circle and Peter Willett scoring from the rebound off the NSWs goalie. 

In the 4th quarter, WA again showed ascendancy, and we had 3 short corners within a matter of minutes – but no goals and NSWs was fully confined to their defensive zone. Unfortunately, we couldn’t convert our efforts into goals, and the game ran out as a 1 all draw. The upshot of our second-half play is promising for the rest of the carnival. 

Result: WA 1 – NSW 1

WA vs ACT - Thursday, September 30, 2010

The good form established by WA in the 2nd half of the first game against NSWs persisted into the 1st quarter of this match against ACT. WA attacked from the start and within short time we (WA) had 2 short corners with a goal resulting from the second. In this case, a crisp hit out worked well with a lay-off from Peter Gason at the top of the circle to Paul Robertson on the right who had plenty of time and space to deftly flick the ball into the goal to the left of their goalie. Then on, the game was more even with attacks both from WA and ACT into the respective circles. The goal against had prompted ACT to lift their game. The WA defence of Peter Hearne and Ric Denny, along with Roger playing left-half showed strength, as did a desperate kick and later dive from goalie Barry Rutter ensuring that ACT remained goal-less. In our attack, Phil Metcalf had a number of opportunities but the ball didn’t behave as Phil wanted, although the movement of the ball between players was encouraging. 

The 2nd quarter commenced again with WA in control. An early burst resulted in another WA goal, this time from Phil Metcalf who by now was in command of the ball- it was doing as he wanted - as he strongly rounded the ACT backs to hit hard into the net just off the post. This was the kind of goal every teams wishes to get. However, shortly after a lapse in concentration, and motivation, on our part allowed a soft ball from ACT to be passed across the face of our defensive goal and pushed in to give ACT their 1st goal of the carnival. There was more back and forth play for the rest of the quarter but few initiatives and no more goals. 

The 3rd quarter was more of the same, but a sudden WA defensive lapse saw ACT’s 2nd goal, along with a couple of special saves out in the circle by Barry Rutter. From then-on, WA turned the table with continued attacks both from our right and left initiated through the centre controlled by Phil Thunder. Wally Dally as centre forward was also getting the ball and moving it effectively – so the situation looked promising from our perspective. Moreover, Ronnie Venables made life for the ACT defenders very difficult with classy runs through the middle of the field. He was well supported by the other forwards and Roger Jewell at right half. And, WA was rewarded with a number of corners but no goals. The game was then equally poised at 3 quarter time. This situation demanded WA to proverbially ‘pull our finger out’ and get cracking which is what we did. In a short space of time we got 2 goals through moves on the right by Brian Soares and then Peter Willett. WA now had ACTs measure and we continued to control the match until the end although unfortunately no more goals for us, but better still no further forward play or goals from ACT. By the end all the WA players were performing well and our statistics showed we had had 8 short corners resulting in 1 goal. So in that regard we need to improve. 

ACT acknowledged at the after-game drinks that WA was the better team and that when Ronnie Venables ‘got on his bike’ he was largely unstoppable. He was regarded by them as WAs best player. Well done WA, and now for Victoria on Saturday 2nd October. 

Result: WA 3 – ACT 2 
Best player as nominated by ACT: Ronnie Venables

WA vs VIC - Saturday, October 2, 2010

Victoria had started the carnival in only modest form with a 2 zip loss to WA Country and a 1 nil loss to top side Queensland in the last 45 seconds of that game, so we (WA) thought that the successful edge should be ours. The reality was less adventurous. The game started with a rush from Victoria which was repelled by the WA defence and then the game changed in our favour. At just over 7 minutes a slick move from the WA left saw the ball move clear to center-forward Phil Metcalf who didn’t miss the goal with a deft clip. But, 2 minutes later our concentration lapsed terribly allowing a half-hearted Victorian controlled ball to bounce around our defensive circle and end up in our goal. So,one all at quarter time. 

The second quarter, was just plain bad, or as described by the WA bench – “bloody terrible”. Boring, and lacking in initiative on both sides and not worth recording. 

After a mid-game dressing down from coach Peter Hammond the WA players responded positively in the 3rd quarter taking control of the game, and playing with determination. Within 6 minutes a swift counter attack on Victoria initiated by Ric Denny at full-back saw him loft the ball (accidentally) from the 25m defence line to our attacking circle where Wally Dally was waiting. The result was classic. Wally trapped the ball in the air left handedly on the circle and under pressure from a Victorian player passed the ball smoothly to Phil Metcalf who again easily controlled the ball into the goal. Great move by all 3 players. From thence-on the game was largely ours. We gained a short-corner, which although not ‘put away’ lead to another surge forward. In this case the ball again bounced around, but in our attacking circle with the Victorian goalie ( WAs Graeme Sansom) caught out in the middle. The ball was slipped again by Wally Dally through a tangle of players onto the right where Ian Hill was lurking. With, as viewed from the bench, a very-slow but determined stroke with an extraordinarily high back swing seemingly to go on and on, Ian clipped the ball (finally) into the open net. Three-1 at 3 quarter time. 

The 4th quarter was all WA with short-corners at the 5th, 7th and 9th minute marks with the latter 2 corners being played 2 or 3 times but without success. WA really needs to improve upon corner conversions – or lack thereof!! After 13 minutes WA commenced another surge initiated by a strong hit from right full-back Peter Hearn to Wally Dally on the left above the half-way line. Wally trapped the ball under pressure and it fell toward Col Sanders (your scribe) who ran the ball to the Victorian 23m line, swung around and pushed it inward toward the goal where Ian Hill waving his stick like a magic wand deflected the ball behind himself into the net. It was a great way to finish the game. WA 4-1 up. 

Result: WA 4 – VIC 1 
Goal scorers: See above 
Best player as nominated by VIC: Ian Hill

WA vs QLD - Monday, October 4, 2010

A long time ago before jet planes, kids doing wrong at school were caned! That analogy applies to the WA-Qld game played at Busselton: we (WA) were rotten in class and got smacked and bruised for our lack of effort. It’s difficult to say what went wrong for WA but it is easy to recognize that Queensland was much better than us on the day in all the departments of the game of hockey. 

Qld players after the game commented on how badly they had played last Thursday against Victoria which Queensland won in the last 45 seconds. Well this game was WA's day off – we hope! 

In the first quarter Queensland was on the ascendancy throughout mainly down their right side, although on occasions Ronnie Venables was able to break-away following good passes from centre-half Peter Gason and right full-back Peter Hearn, but to no avail. Every endeavour by us was turned around by the Queensland defence. Fortunately, there was no score at the end of the quarter. 

The 2nd session started with another Qld surge which saw them gain 3 short corners and a goal from their first strike by captan Barry Mott. Soon after, Queensland scored again, then again. By half-time it looked like a rout beginning, and we were down by 3 goals with no obvious capacity to counter-attack. The WA players were more controlled in the 3rd quarter and we did have opportunities to penetrate the Qld circle and we could have changed the tenor of the game at that point if we had preserved more intently, but we didn’t. On the other hand, we did hold Qld to a goaless quarter so that was promising. 

However, the last phase of the game was one in which we showed occasional strength followed by episodes of acute lapses in concentration. Two of those periods of poor play resulted in Qld gaining another 2 goals. And, while WA was able to attack the Queensland circle in the latter part of the game and gain a short-corner we couldn’t finish off. And, so ended a bad day at the office. WA went down 0-5. 

Queensland awarded Ronnie Venables – who in this carnival is getting a classy reputation for determined play – as WAs best. 

Result: WA 0 – QLD 5

WA vs WAC - Wednesday, October 6, 2010

WA took on WA Country on a beautiful SW morning Wednesday 6 October at Bunbury. What WA lacked in both skill and strategy on the previous Monday against Queensland, WA found today. 

Other than a slight lapse right at the start which could have resulted in a Country goal, WA took the dominant position and in effect held that dominance throughout the game. Country rarely had an opportunity to enter our defensive circle. We worked quickly for a short corner which Peter Gason easily put away with a very crisp hit to the goalies left. 

The 2nd quarter was a little more balanced in respect to ball possession and country were trying hard against a dogged WA defence but they were getting nowhere. On the other hand we (WA) were not converting our opportunities and we had a number of opportunistic flings into the Country circle. The score remained 1 nil at half time. 

The Third and 4th quarters put paid to any thought that WA 65s didn’t have power upfront. Phil Metcalf put away a beauty, and then there was a rush of another 3 goals from all positions across the forward line with total domination by WA. All the WA players contributed to a wonderful, albeit at WA Country’s expense, outing. And, they did acknowledge our power and control at the after game drinks. 

Country voted Phil Metcalf as WA’s best – and he certainly was a great contributor to the game – but with reasonable equanimity all the WA players contributed to the 5-0 success. We now look forward to taking on NSWs again – who we drew with in the first game of the carnival – in the first semifinal on Friday. Go WA!! 

Result: WA 5 – WAC 0 
Goal scorers: See above. 
Best player as nominated by WAC: Phil Metcalf