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
High-flying Hilton College is primed and ready for a mouthwatering derby contest against Michaelhouse on Saturday morning. It’s the latest chapter in a storied rivalry.
