Hockey: Wellington rein Aucklanders in

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Wellington won their first national league title in three years with a convincing 5-1 win over defending champions Auckland at Rosedale Park, Albany, yesterday.

But their women's team went down 4-2 to a slick Canterbury side in the first of the Lion Foundation League finals.

The Wellington men began denying Auckland possession for long periods in the first spell.

From a well-worked penalty corner, Umesh Parag deflected home for Wellington to take a 10th-minute lead.

Two minutes later they had a goal disallowed, but eventually took a 2-0 advantage when Phil Burrows dived to push home a Parag cross.

Auckland finally broke their drought in injury time when Phil Lowe got the final touch in a goalmouth melee.

They had three clear-cut scoring chances in the first 11 minutes of the second spell, but squandered them all. Wellington went further ahead in the 51st minute when Burrows swept home from a penalty corner.

For Auckland, down to nine players, there was further agony when Nico Borren scored for 4-1 and Roshan Parag completed the rout in the last minute.

Canterbury began the women's final strongly, forcing two early penalty corners, which defender Di Weavers thumped home.

Wellington fought back and forced a couple of penalty corners, which they did not convert.

Niniwa Roberts spearheaded the Wellington attack with good midfield support from player-of-the-year Suzie Pearce, but the Weavers-led Canterbury defence held firm.

The second half began in the same fashion, with player-of-the-match Weavers scoring from a penalty corner. In the 55th minute the league's top goalscorer, Carol Ward, scored the first field goal for 4-0.

A minute later Wellington got it right at a penalty corner with Rachel Sutherland providing the final touch.

The last say was with Wellington, substitute Gerry Blair scoring a minute from time.

The win signalled a return to the winner's circle for the southerners after losing the previous two finals to Auckland.

After forcing Auckland to extra time in a closely fought semifinal on Saturday, the North Harbour men could not find the same intensity yesterday, going down 6-2 to Canterbury in the playoff for third.

The game featured the two best drag flick experts in the league.

Hayden Shaw scored twice for the winners and Belgian Xavier Reckinger did the same from two North Harbour penalty corners.

In the women's playoff for third, Auckland turned in one of their better performances of the season to beat Manawatu 3-2.

Kayla Sharland gave Manawatu the lead midway through the first spell, but the teams went to the break 1-1 following Karen Syddall's 31st-minute field goal.

Auckland had the final say when Krystal Forgesson scored three minutes from time.

In the key fifth-sixth playoffs, the North Harbour women raced to 3-0 in the first half and held on to beat Waikato by that margin.

The men's playoff was just as clearcut, with Midland Express beating Northland 5-1.