Hockey: Shaw proves worth with 5 goals

In smacking home five goals for Canterbury in Dunedin yesterday, Hayden Shaw again showed just how big a loss he has been to the New Zealand men's hockey team.

Black Sticks coach Kevin Towns accepts he will again be without the services of one of the code's superstars this summer, but he cannot wait for the day when Shaw again puts his cricket boots, bat and ball away and drags his hockey stick back on to the international stage.

Acknowledged as one of the world's best drag flick exponents, Shaw is playing for Canterbury in the NHL on borrowed time as he is again contracted to Canterbury Cricket.

That decision will rule him out of March's Commonwealth Games. Beyond that, Towns hopes the towering defender will return to the international hockey stage.

Shaw spearheaded Canterbury's 7-0 win over Southern - a result which kept them in third place with a game in hand over front-runners Auckland and North Harbour.

Auckland's 3-1 win over Midlands in Tauranga made it four-from-four, with their with young Hamish Baron again impressing. His two goals took his season's tally to five. He opened the scoring with a stunning reverse stick drive.

North Harbour were given the battle they expected in Whangarei. They got home 2-1 over the dogged Northland side in a game in which all goals were scored in the first 13 minutes.

Lloyd Stephenson, later named man of the match, opened the scoring with a penalty corner deflection. Mark Thorne equalised shortly after before Ben Collier, from another corner, grabbed what proved the winner.

The visitors, who had three players yellow-carded in the second half, were down to nine players at one stage.

Led by a hat-trick from Australian import Michael McCann, Wellington over-ran Central 7-0 in Levin. Wellington led by just two goals at the break - that would have been closer if the home team had not missed a stroke.

In a minor upset in the women's league, defending champions Central were beaten 5-2 by Wellington.

Led by Anita Punt's hat-trick, Wellington were too strong for a Central side who turned in one of their poorer efforts.

Wellington hold a one point lead over Canterbury who had to battle for their 3-0 win over Southern in Dunedin.

Capitalising on costly Southern turnovers, Canterbury scored their fifth win with Amanda Christie scoring twice.

Northland pulled off the upset of the round with their 2-1 win over North Harbour. After a scoreless first half, scores were locked 1-1 when the fulltime hooter sounded.

Having to play it out to complete a penalty corner, Northland, after a couple of failed attempts, finally got home when Stacey Michelsen scored.

Auckland kept their top four hopes alive with a 5-0 away win over Midlands.