Hockey: Olympians spearhead Harbour revival

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Returning Olympians Lizzy Igasan, Jaimee Provan and Leisen Jobe helped the North Harbour women get their national league season back on track with a 4-1 home win over defending champions Wellington at Rosedale Park yesterday.

Shrugging off their first-up loss to Central, North Harbour came from behind in the feature match of the second round of the Lion Foundation National League to beat Wellington with a solid all-round effort led by Olympic star Igasan.

Stung when Nichola Hunter gave the visitors their 12th-minute lead, the home side poured on the pressure, with Igasan and sister Connie providing the impetus.

Captain Paula Enoka equalised with a direct hit from a penalty corner four minutes later before two goals in as many minutes - both from penalty corners - had Harbour 3-1 ahead after 22 minutes.

With Karlie Maloney converting the second of three penalty corners they won in the second half - they led that count 8-3 - North Harbour were in control.

It was much closer elsewhere.

Auckland edged to the top of the table with their hard-fought 1-0 win over Central in Napier.

After a scoreless first half, Auckland picked up the points with a 48th-minute goal when Jan Rowsell scored from a messy penalty corner. The home side missed a late chance to equalise from a penalty corner.

Canterbury made it two-from-two, but again it was closer than many expected as they edged to a 2-1 win over Northland - their second such result in as many outings.

A Stacey Carr penalty stroke and a goal from a rebound to Honor Dillon gave Canterbury their halftime lead.

The home side closed the gap in the second spell with a Jane Clarke goal from a penalty corner, but Northland were denied a second with returning Olympian Di Weavers solid in the Canterbury defence.

Southern were rewarded for a sound game against Midlands with a 3-1 win in Tauranga. Locked 1-1 at halftime, the visitors got home after dominating the second half.

The goals continue to flow in the men's competition. In two rounds, 58 goals have been scored.

Already there is a worrying split in the competition, with Canterbury, Auckland and Wellington taking maximum points while three teams have yet to register.

Defending champions Wellington won the match of the day with a hard-fought 2-1 win over North Harbour at Rosedale Park.

In an often scrappy affair, Wellington got home with a Lincoln Churchill penalty corner and a late stroke from Jamie Schaefer and Harbour, denied until the dying minute, got one back through a David Kosoof penalty corner.

Wellington had the better of the first half but claimed just the one goal. Harbour were dominant in the second 35 minutes but a combination of poor finishing and some excellent play from man-of-the-match goalkeeper Greg Paynter denied them.

"It was pretty intense out there," said Wellington coach Peter Miskimmin. "It certainly was a 30 per cent step up from last week but we expected that.

"I'm sure there are things Darren [Harbour coach Darren Smith] will want to look at. We put some pressure on their back three but could not score anything from the field."

Smith was disappointed in the failure of his players to convert the chances they created.

"We did not get a clear hit on their goal which was disappointing," said Smith. "I had the feeling we weren't going to score.

"Still, there is something to work on. There was not a lot of urgency in the second half despite the advantage we had in territory and possession.

"The key [senior] players did not do it."

Mark Laurence continued his goalscoring form in grabbing two for Auckland in their 7-0 win over Central. Young Hamish Baron scored a hat-trick.

Laurence and Canterbury's Gareth Brooks, who scored two in their 10-2 romp against Northland in Whangarei, head the goalscoring list with five each.

Canterbury, who led 4-0 at halftime, outclassed the plucky northerners, who might have a better chance against North Harbour on Saturday.

Three Richard Petherick drag flicks from penalty corners helped steer Midlands to a good 4-3 win over Southern in Tauranga.

It was 3-3 with eight minutes to play when Petherick broke the deadlock for a rare victory by the Midlands side, who bounced back from a first-round 5-1 loss to Wellington.