Picture: JAMES MURPHY
DIVISION 1 MEN
LOWER South East hockey provided entertaining games in the Division 1 men’s competition on the weekend.
Strikers broke a five-year-long hoodoo to defeat Tigers 3-0 in a battle of the mid-fields, as both sides moved the ball well but with few opportunities to score in the first quarter.
Some holes began to appear in the Tigers’ defence in the second term, which Strikers took advantage of to claim the opening goal off a penalty corner which was converted by Dean McCarthy.
Tigers had a chance to score in a one-on-one opportunity in goal, but Strikers goal keeper Mason Hill put paid to that effort.
Strikers coach Graeme Millhouse said it was a tough contest with plenty of opportunities for both sides.
“The one thing that helped Strikers was our goal keeper, young Mason Hill, who had an exceptional game,” he said.
“He denied quite a few opportunities from Tigers and down the other end we were lucky enough our forwards could make the most of the opportunities they had.”
The second half continued as a tight contest, with Strikers eventually gaining the upper hand with plenty of possession at the attacking end of the field.
Matthew Boylan added another goal for the victors, while Jordan Millhouse converted a further penalty corner to ice the game in the final term.
Graeme Millhouse said much of the success came down to good team structure.
“Probably the second and third quarter our guys got on top a bit more and had a bit more of the ball,” he said.
“I think we frustrated Tigers due to the fact we could hold the ball for longer periods.
“That usually generates more opportunities, which happened on the weekend, but to be honest we were just trying to get our own structure right.
“I have said for the last few weeks I really do not care what the outcome is … at the end of the day, we just have to work on our structure and put it together at the back end of the season hopefully.
“Structurally it was the best we have played this year.”
Millhouse said even when his side was not playing too well they still controlled the contest, which was reflected in the final score.
“Even when we made some mistakes and did not control it in the second half, we never looked like being overrun, which was a credit to the guys’ ability to run out the second half,” he said.
While Millhouse said it was an important win in the scheme of the season, with Strikers now on two wins after four games, it was a personal milestone for the team which had his players celebrating.
“For our boys the win was important because Tigers have had the wood over us for many years,” he said.
“I do not think we have beaten them since the 2015 grand final.
“The boys were pretty pleased on Saturday night.”
In the remaining match West came off a strong win over Tigers the previous week and continued that pressure game to comfortably account for Redbacks 5-0.
DIVISION 1 WOMEN
WEST and Redbacks fought out a tough contest in the Lower South East Division 1 women’s hockey competition on the weekend.
West claimed a hard-fought 4-1 victory over Redbacks after an early arm wrestle.
“It was a tight contest in the first quarter,” West coach David Vine said.
“If you did not see the scoreline you would think it was a very close match.
“It was one of those games where both teams had ample opportunities, but we got ours in and they did not.
“After that it started to open up a bit more and I think both sides would have had the same amount of opportunities to score.”
Angela Broad claimed the first goal for West in the opening term after a period of back-and-forth play.
Redbacks responded in the second quarter to go to the break with the game tied up at one-all, but from there West started to find its legs.
With the game tied up Tess Kensley applied pressure in the West attacking zone, with the ball then pounced on by Paige Clark for a resulting goal.
West added the final pieces of the puzzle in the last quarter to run out deserved winners.
In such a tight game Vine said he ensured the team focused on structure around the field and the simple enjoyment of the game.
“We had a set structure so I was trying to get them to position themselves to really get Redbacks to do what we wanted to do from the back half,” he said.
“Also to just to relax and have fun … as soon as they stop thinking too much about it and start having fun they play a lot better.”
Vine noted Kensley’s performance, which he said was dominant against one of Redbacks’ best players.
“I think it is her first year out of Under 15s and she has come a long way from when she was younger,” he said.
“She was very shy and did not talk very much, but she has grown a lot in the past year with her skills.
“She really dominated her position.”
Overall Vine said he was pleased with the performance, considering the nature of the contest and the changed roster at the club.
“The girls put a lot of effort into the day,” he said.
“We lost a few girls last year after our grand final win and they were some of the girls who had kept the team together.
“This year is going well so far with such a young side.”
In the remaining Division 1 game Strikers enjoyed a 3-0 win over Tigers.
