Author: cschiwanza

Maritzburg College and Clifton treated their old boys to a wonderful morning with victories over Michaelhouse and St Charles respectively on Saturday. College won 2-0, while Clifton defeated St Charles 5-2 in a very entertaining clash.

It was a fitting manner to mark College’s Reunion Day and Clifton’s Old Boys’ Day.

St Charles arrived at the Riverside Sports Club bearing the underdog tag, having lost 1-3 to the same opposition when they hosted them for their Old Boys’ celebration day on 20 April.

Calvin Price‘s boys put Saints under the pump from the start. Within two minutes, the home team was 1-0 to the good, thanks to a length-of-the-field counterattack. However, Matthew Coombes’ charges were not about to allow the hosts to roll them, and they responded with a goal from a short corner, scored by Marcell Wellman, not too long afterwards.

The hosts reestablished their lead when they scored a ripper through Zach Williamson from a penalty corner but, again, their lead was short-lived as they were made to pay for an error in defence, with Cian Fortmann turning over possession and then slotting the opportunity.

“I am not happy with the goals against us. We definitely let ourselves down in the first two chukkas,” Price said after the match.

The third chukka saw the arrival of a different Clifton team. They played with good speed, and they let the ball do the work. This allowed them to create space around a well-structured unit.

From level-pegging at 2-2, Clifton broke open the contest with three goals in quick succession, with two of them, from short corners, going to the impressive Ryde Brisset.

Jason Adams and Daniel Rea were also on the score sheet for the home side, who delivered a performance to warm the hearts of their old boys.

With a comfortable lead heading into the final chukka, Clifton kept the ball moving and pushed and probed, but Saints closed them down.

“You always want to show your old boys a good game and we managed that with a 5-2 win,” Price said.

In the KZN capital, Maritzburg College did as they have done so often this season. They controlled possession and the tempo of their game against Michaelhouse, and they also managed to manipulate their visitors’ shifting press.

They created a number of opportunities and two of those were buried. “We scored two brilliant team goals from counterattacks,” College’s happy coach Kyle Emerson reckoned.

The first one came off Siwa Sithembu’s stick. It was a cool finish, over the goalkeeper, on the back post.

College’s second was netted by Banele Dlamini, who was unmarked and picked out on the back post by Tai Fulton after a searing counter, which began with Michaelhouse injecting the ball for a penalty corner.

The Kearsney College versus Westville Boys’ High matchup promised fireworks and it lived up to the expectations, even without goals, as the teams played out a thrilling 0-0 draw under lights on Friday night.

Unlike last week, there was no Botha’s Hill mist limiting the visibility as the neighbours went head-to-head. Kearsney and Westville are roughly 25km apart, a distance many consider to be down the road, and the schools’ proximity makes for a rivalry that has been in existence for as long as the institutions have competed against each other.

Cam Mackay’s charges, after a stiff examination at the Hibbert Shield, came into the tie intent on handing Kearsney a defeat on their hallowed Mason Astro.

They seized the initiative and sought to impose themselves on the contest from the initial pass-back. However, Kearsney has always been a very tough out on their home turf.

Westville had a clear plan. Their outside backs pushed up quite high, which opened up spaces for attacking passes. Those worked until the final third, but the killer blow was missing, thanks, in part, to Kearsney’s energetic defensive work.

Westville just couldn’t find a finish against their rivals. And even when they won a penalty stroke, with six minutes of the first half remaining, the opportunity was sent rocketing into the crossbar and Kearsney survived the danger.

“I think we didn’t do enough to make good clearcut chances,” Cam Mackay said afterwards. “When we did have our chances, we just threw them away a little bit. We almost looked nervy in the final third. We didn’t test the ‘keeper enough.

“We had PCs and we were flicking them in the air. I think if we flicked low and hard, you get a score more often than not. I think we probably say that every week,” Mackay ruefully told Supersport Schools Plus after the match.

Kearsney took a while to settle down as they adjusted to the challenges set by Westville. Some tweaks at half-time made a noticeable difference. and the home side enjoyed a strong third chukka.

“At the start of the second half, we changed one or two positions, where people were standing to give the ball when we were going forward, and we enjoyed a couple of shots at their ‘keeper, and a couple of short corners. I think defensively we weren’t as tight as we could be,” Kemp explained.

The fourth chukka resembled a role reversal of the first quarter. Spurred on by loud support from a sizeable home crowd, which lent the contest a thrilling vibe, Kearsney finished strongly, stretching the visitors, who were made to scramble to keep Matt De Oliveira and company at bay.

However, true to the script from the first part of the game, the attacking side couldn’t find a way to pry open the defence.

“I think it was probably a good spectacle for a nil-nil draw. It was better quality of game than I’ve seen from our guys for a little while,” Mackay said.

Result

Kearsney 0-0 Westville

Northwood defeated Jeppe High School for Boys 3-1 in Durban and Grey College overcame Paarl Boys’ High School 3-0 in Bloemfontein in two edge-of-your-seat contests played on Friday night.

Northwood was a hospitable host to their visitors from Johannesburg, but not gracious enough to let the out-of-towners grab a win in their backyard.

Justin Collins’ team followed up on the work done by the u16A and u14A teams earlier in the day. The junior sides recorded victories over their contemporaries from the highveld, and the u19s wrapped up an outstanding day of hockey for the school when they defeated Jeppe under lights.

Collins’ side did not disappoint the home crowd from the first pass-back. They came out attacking and earned an early goal through Luke Allen from a short corner. The visitors, who have a favourable history against Northwood, responded by putting pressure on the home side and their attacking intent was rewarded when they grabbed an equaliser.

The Knights were not about to let the visitors run them over on their home turf, however, especially after the winning afternoon their junior teams had enjoyed. They regained control of the contest and made it 2-1 through Mbuso Qwabe. His backhand strike was one of two outstanding goals on the night. The other was Andre Strydom’s winner, off a deflection, which hammered the final nail into Jeppe’s coffin.

“My boys played nicely tonight. It’s always nice to play against a top opposition like Jeppe, especially with the record that they have had against us. Today was also a good day for us because none of our A teams lost on the home pitch. So, that’s also a big thing for us,” Collins shared after the contest.

In the Free State, coach Wayne Coetzee and his Grey College side hosted Paarl Boys’ High. Of late, Grey has been prolific in front of goal. In their previous two encounters, they had shrugged off Jim Fouché and Fichardtpark, defeating them 7-0 and 4-0 respectively.

When you combine the momentum and confidence from their recent matches with the history, they won 2-1 against Paarl Boys last year, plus the support of the home crowd, Grey College was the solid favourite to win. And they did not disappoint.

“We were good all over, held the ball, and took our opportunity when needed,” Coetzee told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game.

Matthias Visser put on a drag flick show, firing two past the Paarl Boys’ last line of defence from penalty corners. After Visser’s brace, the hosts were in full control, dictating the pace of the contest.

Dayne Kitching put the game beyond the visitors’ reach by capitalising on a penalty corner deflection.

RESULTS

Northwood 3-1 Jeppe
Grey College 3-0 Paarl Boys’ High

Durban Girls College, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), St Anne’s, and St John’s DSG are among the teams that will take to the astro on an action-filled Saturday that promises high-quality hockey action.

While the matches will add valuable points to their league standings, most teams will use the encounters to assess their readiness for the upcoming St Anne’s Cup, which most of them marked down as a tournament they intend to win. The first of those is DGC.

Chardinay Penniston’s team is enjoying a good run. They are still unbeaten since their defeat to St Mary’s Waverley at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, which they went on to win. Lifting the St Anne’s trophy will hand them their second title of the season.

This week, DGC showed why they have been on such a winning streak by scoring seven goals against Thomas More and Maris Stella. Neither team was able to breach the well-oiled DGC defence. One of Penniston’s team’s ambitions for the season is to lift the title at the St Anne’s Cup, and a win against Epworth will embolden them as they prepare for the tournament.

St Mary’s celebrated the return of their captain, Georgia Pollock, with a 4 – 1 against Our Lady Fatima. Pollock has been on the sidelines for an extended period after she suffered an injury during their preseason tour trip to the Netherlands. Against Our Lady Fatima, Elizabeth Anderson led the scoring with a brace, then Alex Bowyer and Georgia Short scored a goal each.

Carla Ann Mackay’s charges will be looking to make it two wins in four days when they take on Danville. A win against Danville will give them a boost as they look forward to the St Anne’s Cup. Like DGC, St Mary’s has their scope fixed on winning the tournament.

However, before St Anne’s can train their attention to the upcoming tournament they will be hosting, they have to contend with a familiar foe. They go up against St John’s in a great traditional Inlands derby. The two sides are so competitive that it is impossible to separate them going by their last three results. St Anne’s and St John’s have won one match each and drew the third. The winners of tomorrow’s encounter will not only carry victory with them but also bragging rights.

“They have a great hockey program, and we are expecting a good contest,” St Anne’s Morne Odendaal shared.

Fixtures:

St Mary’s vs Danville, DGC vs Epworth, St John’s vs St Anne’s, Witteberg vs Goudveld

Maritzburg College will host Michaelhouse in a blockbuster hockey encounter to celebrate their Reunion Day, while Clifton hosts St Charles for their Centenary Old Boys’ Day celebrations on Saturday.

Michaelhouse coach Nick Bérichon, a College old boy, returns to his alma mater wearing the colours of the opposition, and is chasing a cherished victory on College’s hallowed Pape’s Astro.

It is not an improbable outcome. Michaelhouse is coming off an inspiring 3-2 win over Hilton College at Hilton last weekend. In that encounter, West Mitchell-Innes opened and closed the scoring in a match where the home team refused to let go and kept fighting back.

“We have taken confidence from our actions in both the attacking and defensive circles versus Hilton last week, so we are looking to be even better in both those departments,” Bérichon shared with Supersport Schools Plus ahead of Friday’s showdown.

College, on the other hand, will not only have home advantage but they’re also coming off a 2-1 win over St Charles. As they have done for most of the season, they dominated possession in that match. It is an approach that they are not about to relinquish. The only thing coach Kyle Emerson has bemoaned recently was his charges’ wayward finishing.

“We should have put the game to bed with many chances,” he commented after their win. That has been a recurring theme for his side.

Bérichon is expecting College to bring the fight to his charges, but he is certain his team will be up for it. “Reunion Day is a big day for College, so we know they won’t be taking one step backward. That is motivating us to bring our absolute best in our preparation and on Saturday,” he said.

College’s opponents from last week, St Charles College, travel down to the Riverside Sports Club in Durban to face Clifton College.

Matt Coombes’ charges will be pursuing a reversal of their fortunes since the teams last met on Saints’ Old Boys’ Day on 20 April, when Clifton scored a 3-1 win.

Clifton’s coach Calvin Price is expecting a serious examination from the Pietermaritzburg school: “Traditionally, yes, they are a strong unit and always challenge us. We beat them on their Old Boys Day and definitely know they will come out firing this weekend on our Old Boys’ Day,” Price said.

With loyal home support, the Clifton 1st XI will be spurred on by their Old Boys, who will be celebrating 100 years of their school’s existence.

FIXTURES

Saturday

Maritzburg College vs Michaelhouse
Clifton College vs St Charles College

Kearsney and Westville will set Friday night alight with a local derby on the Mason Astro in Botha’s Hill. Meanwhile, in Bloemfontein, Grey College will aim to provide their home supporters with high-quality entertainment when they go up against Paarl Boys’ High.

Kearsney and Westville are close neighbours and with that comes a local rivalry. For years, the institutions have fought for bragging rights. Westville owns a better recent head-to-head record, having won 2-1 in 2022 and 2-0 in 2023.

It is a run that Matthew Mendes de Oliviera and his teammates are determined to halt. The Kearsney captain, who is enjoying a good run of form, has scored for his side in their past two games, and will hope to find the gaps Westville’s opposition capitalised on last week at the Hibbert Shield.

Westville produced mixed results in Gqeberha. They finished the competition with a 2-3 loss to Bishops, which left the Griffin in joint seventh place with Paarl Gim.

Before the Hibbert Shield, they had produced two good results, thumping Glenwood 5-0 and finessing a 3-3 draw against Maritzburg College after chasing the game for most of the contest.

Ashley Kemp’s charges, on the other hand, fought their way back against Northwood to walk away with a 1-1 draw in a mist-enveloped contest last week. In an exciting finish, De Oliveira scored with three minutes remaining to give the home supporters reason to cheer.

Kemp, who is familiar with Westville coach Cam Mackay’s work, is expecting a tough encounter. The Westville gaffer wears three other hats. In addition to his work at Westville, he also trains the SA u16 boys’ team and also coaches the KZN outdoor and SA men’s indoor teams.

“They have a coach that is pretty good at what he does. He produces well-drilled teams,” Kemp said of Mackay. “We expect his team to be nitty gritty, scratching and biting for every 50/50 ball.

“Westville always seems to find an extra gear when they play against Kearsney. It will be an exciting encounter,” Kemp told Supersport Schools Plus.

In the Free State, Grey College hosts Paarl Boys’ High. Wayne Coetzee’s side is playing confident hockey and is fresh off of two high scoring victories.

FIXTURES

Friday

Kearsney vs Westville Boys’ High
Grey College vs Paarl Boys’ High

Oranje laid claim to bragging rights as the top team in the Free State after they breezed to a 5-1 win over their perennial rivals, Eunice, in an entertaining encounter on Tuesday night.

While the visitors needed time to settle down and find their feet, Oranje was on the button from the first minute.

Gyster van Schalkwyk’s charges took advantage of Eunice’s nerves and imposed themselves on their opposition, forcing coach Nika Coertzen‘s side onto the defensive.

Oranje’s dominance was such that seven minutes into the match, they had made several circle entries and attempts on goal, while Eunice had not yet entered the Oranje D.

The unrelenting pressure from Oranje resulted in a goal for the home side 14 minutes into the contest when Xylia Choene capitalised on a mistake in defence close to the goal, which left her simply needing to tap the ball past the goalkeeper for the opener.

In the lead-up to the match, coach Van Schalkwyk had told SuperSport Schools Plus: “We play well on and off the ball, and that makes us dangerous approaching and entering the circle.” That was apparent as they took a firm grip on the match after that first goal.

Eunice was pushed onto the backfoot, with Oranje owning the penalty corner count and also controlling possession and territory. That led to the visitors sitting deep in defence.

As a result, more space opened up in front of the Oranje midfielders and Marlene du Plessis benefitted when she was able to tee up a shot from the edge of the circle. The ball was headed for a post, but Carli Oosthuizen got a stick on it and redirected it between the goalkeeper’s pads.

Oranje made it 3-0 four minutes later through Chanette Jansen van Vuuren, who made a circle entry after exhibiting some fine skills, before firing off a shot that was deflected by a defender past the goalie and into the box.

After a fifth-place finish at the All Girls Festival, where their form was a little patchy, Eunice sought a bounce-back performance. Oranje, meanwhile, finished third at the same event, which was played in Potchefstroom.

Eunice didn’t get the bounce-back they were after, and neither were they able to celebrate coach Nika Coertzen‘s 150th match in charge of the 1st XI, and captain Trusten Barnard‘s remarkable 150th game for the side in fitting fashion. They trailed 0-3 at half-time.

After the break, Eunice was revitalised. They played with greater urgency and made a strong effort to gain a foothold in the contest. Anriette Otto and her fellow defenders, however, dealt with the Eunice attacking forays comfortably. Otto has been a wall in defence all season long, and it was no different against Eunice.

Any hopes of a Eunice comeback were dashed when Oranje struck twice with the space of two minutes, to lead 5-0 with less than eight minutes to go.

Eunice mustered a late strike, but only four minutes remained by then. It was too little, too late.

St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) will face off against Our Lady of Fatima, while Eunice will cross swords with Oranje in what promises to be edge-of-your-seat midweek action on Tuesday evening.

Carla Ann Mackay’s St Mary’s team had their feet up over the past weekend, taking a break after several back-to-back matches. The break was also necessitated by the u21 IPT that was held in KZN, with a number of St Mary’s players in the provincial side. On Monday afternoon, her charges were back on the astro, preparing for their tie against Our Lady of Fatima.

Georgia Pollock, the daughter of South African cricketing legend Shaun Pollock, joined her teammates on the turf after a long period on the sidelines. The St Mary’s captain has not taken part in any fixture this season after picking up an injury on the team’s preseason tour to the Netherlands.

Pollock, who was selected for the South African Schools team in 2023, was an integral part of St Mary’s campaign last year, and her return will be a boon to the side, which will benefit further from the experience that Elizabeth Anderson, Cassandra Forbes, and Sibabalwe Mfaweza gained playing for the KZN u21 IPT team.

“We have been focusing on being a bit more clinical and deliberate in the outcomes we want in our attacking 23 and circle. The other thing we have worked on is regaining the team cohesion we had against Voortrekker and St Anne’s,” Mackay shared.

Our Lady of Fatima, who also enjoyed a break, heads into the contest keen to not only prevent St Mary’s from doing the double against them, but also with their sights set on scoring an upset win.

The last time they met was at St Mary’s Waverley last month, and in that encounter, the Katrina De Carvalho-captained side lost 0-1. The school from the north of Durban has done relatively well since that contest and are fresh off a 3-1 win over Maris Stella. In that match, Gabi Howarth, Georgi Brown, and Angelina Hall found the back of the net.

“We’ve done a lot of defensive work, because they are a strong attacking team but, at the same time, we’ve focused on finishing in the circle, to make sure we take our opportunities,” Matthew Smith, the Our Lady of Fatima School Sports Co-ordinator, said.

The St Mary’s versus Our Lady of Fatima tie kicks off at 17.00.

In Bloemfontein, Eunice and Oranje will be involved in a duel of the heavyweights. Both sides are fresh off decent campaigns at the All Girls Festival over the weekend.

Gyster van Schalkwyk‘s Oranje breezed through the group stages, winning three and drawing one match, on their way to a third-place finish. “We play well on and off the ball, and that makes us dangerous approaching and entering the circle,” he said.

Eunice, on the other hand, had a bumpier ride. They won three and lost one match in the group stages, and then finished sixth, after they lost to Bloemhof. ““We did not have the best All Girls. It happens, but we take it on the chin and will come back stronger,” their coach Nika Coertzen told Supersport Schools Plus.

You can catch the Bloemfontein showdown live on SuperSport Schools

Fixtures

Tuesday

17:00: St Mary’ DSG (Kloof) vs Our Lady of Fatima, 18:00 Eunice vs Oranje.

West Mitchell-Innes scored a brace to spearhead Michaelhouse to a 3-2 upset over Hilton College on the Mansergh Astro, while Glenwood concluded a successful trip to Johannesburg by following up a 1-1 draw against Parktown on Friday with a 6-0 win over Linden on Saturday.

On paper, Damian Kimfley’s charges were expected to have the upper hand in their showdown with their old rivals, Michaelhouse.

Hilton came into the match on the back of a 5-0 win over Glenwood last week and they also held the upper hand in recent head-to-head encounters against Michaelhouse. They defeated ‘House in their 2022 encounters, when they were ranked number one in the country, and then won both 2023 matches, with a top-five ranked team. Backed by their home crowd, Hilton was confident of building on their run of success against the Balgowan boys.

However, Michaelhouse had other ideas. The 2024 team is not the same side that lost to Hilton previously and they’re now under a new coach, Nick Bérichon, who is steering Michaelhouse in a different direction, moulding the team into a more cohesive and tougher unit. “I want them to play aggressive hockey that is rooted in a structured approach. I also want to equip them to be good at set pieces,” Bérichon shared with Supersport Schools Plus early in the season.

True to their coach’s vision, Michaelhouse came out of the gates attacking and took an early 1-0 lead through West Mitchell-Innes. But Hilton captain Jarred Kitto and his teammates were not about to be run over by Michaelhouse on their home turf. They didn’t take long to level matters.

In their last match, Michaelhouse left it until it was too late before they imposed themselves on the encounter. The result was a 2-3 loss to Kearsney College. They were not about to repeat that error this time around.

They responded to Hilton’s goal by creating another one of their own through Gordon Deutscher. Spurred on by their home crowd, Hilton fought back and equalised again. A pattern seemed to be emerging.

Michaelhouse captain Patrick Lambert and company had not made the trip to Hilton to walk away with a draw. They were in it to win it and continued to launch more forays on the hosts’ goal.

After an outstanding effort in leading Michaelhouse’s attack, Mitchell-Innes was not to be denied and he fired in a third goal for the visitors to seal the win. Kimfley’s charges took the game to Michaelhouse again, but this time the visitors repelled the attacks.

“I am really happy with our short corner defence and how clinical we were in the attacking circle,” Bérichon said after his team’s victory.

Devon van der Merwe, the Hilton College Director of Hockey, congratulated Michaelhouse on a fine win and also had positive things to say about Hilton. Assessing the match, he said: “They took their opportunities. That is something I liked about their game. They were also good at the back, sat deep, and defended well.”

Glenwood, who had made a 570km journey to the highveld for the inaugural Glenwood-Parktown derby, returned to KwaZulu Natal happy with their trip.

Michael Labuschagne‘s charges bounced back from their defeat to Hilton last weekend and played confidently against Parktown on their home turf. They also controlled key phases of the game for longer periods than they had managed in the past few weeks.

By controlling possession, Glenwood was able to create the momentum that led to a goal by Mesuli Msomi, who struck with a well-placed drag flick off a penalty corner.

Msomi carried his good form into Glenwood’s next game against Linden. Early in the first chukka, the striker gave Glenwood the lead, striking with a drag flick again.

As they did against Parktown, the Siya Malatjie-captained team dictated terms, giving Linden little room to breathe, let alone manoeuvre. However, the star of their encounter was Ntando Soni, who bagged a hat-trick. He was well supported by Krian Jugoo and Kaden Henderson, who scored a goal each.

Results

Hilton 2-3 Michaelhouse
Parktown 1-1 Glenwood
Linden 0-6 Glenwood

Maritzburg College denied St Charles a first win on Pape’s Astro, defeating the visitors 2-1, while Kearsney and Northwood shared the spoils in Friday night’s KZN hockey derbies.

Matthew Coombes’ team arrived at Maritzburg College determined to improve upon their 0-0 draw from last year and bag their first victory on the Red, Black and White’s home ground. However, Kyle Emerson’s charges were equal to the task, and not only denied St Charles their mission, but defeated the visitors.

Emerson’s team was buoyed by their 3-3 draw against Westville last time out. Although they didn’t win, they imposed themselves on the Griffin in the first half of that clash, dominating possession and pressing well. Emboldened by their recent successes in front of goal, College exhibited impressive energy and speed on the offensive against Saints.

Julian Konigkramer capitalised on one of those excursions into St Charles’ final third with an early first goal. Siwa Sithembu doubled the home team’s lead in the second chukka. With a two-goal cushion, College dictated terms until the half-time break.

When the teams emerged for the third chukka, Emerson’s side was no longer as on their game as they had been before. Their ball retention was not as secure it had been previously, and they failed to create many goal scoring opportunities.

“We should have put the game to bed with many chances, and penalty corners were well run down by first wave in the first half. In the second, we did not create enough meaningful chances, except for a stroke, which their keeper saved,” Emerson said.

For their part, St Charles did their best to breach College’s wall of defence, which proved impregnable for the most part. However, their patience and effort paid off when they pulled a goal back with eight minutes to go.

Closer to the coast, a typical Botha’s Hill mist enveloped Kearsney College while the Kearsney and Northwood first teams were warming up. It eventually cleared, but only partially, which meant the tie had to be played with limited visibility. “The furthest one could see was about 30 or so metres,” Ashley Kemp, the Kearsney coach, shared.

That meant that the coaches were able to provide little input from the sidelines. The contest rested on the players’ shoulders, and they played the game by reacting to what was in front of them.

In those testing conditions, Northwood took the lead in the second chukka, capitalising on a short corner. The visitors did the best they could to maintain pressure on the hosts but, with the backing of their home crowd, Kearsney was always going to find their feet and their groove.

“What was nice to see was that the Kearsney boarding houses, all four of them, were out in their numbers to support the team,” Kemp said. The home supporters’ voices pierced through the mist and spurred Kearsney on, even with their team trailing by a goal.

Matthew Mendes de Oliveira, who has been in great form this season, has performed heroics, grabbing winners and spearheading comebacks, and he was no different in the match against Northwood. The Kearsney captain tirelessly hunted for an equaliser and was rewarded with four minutes left on the clock, giving the home crowd more to cheer about.

The two teams frenetically played out the final three minutes, each trying to find a winning goal, but it eluded them.

Results
Maritzburg College 2-1 St Charles.
Kearsney 1-1 Northwood