The nil-all draw between Witwatersrand and the North West on Monday has proven decisive in who meets Peninsula in Saturday afternoon’s SPAR Hockey Inter-Provincial Tournament B-Section final.
Today, needing a dramatic win to top North West on the leaderboard and secure a finals berth against B-Section magicians Peninsula, Witwatersrand knew that their final pool fixture opponents Free State should mean a win on paper, but hoping for the North West to play badly against the EP Settlers on the same day might have been stretching it a tad too far.
The going seemed tough in the first half, with a lone goal from Wits’ captain Heide Tessendorf the sole difference between the two teams, but the highveld travellers picked up momentum in the second half, with two field goals from Bernadette Coston each side of another by Julia Cass, for a convincing 4-0 win.
But that was not enough to disturb North West, who knew that they only had to secure a win against the Eastern Province Settlers to face Peninsula in the final. They took the opportunity for goal-shooting in all seriousness, and after sinking three before the half-time whistle, another six followed in the second period.
Kristen Kriel started proceedings in the eighth minute, and scored another just before the match ended, and she was joined by captain Lesle-Ann George’s two, Loreen Irvin’s double, and one each by Heloise Labuschagne, Ilse Fourie, and Vanessa Buys, all stacked against the lone Tamere Smith goal for the Settlers.
The final match of the pool saw Cape Town’s Peninsula, who have been in demolition mood throughout the week, pitched against upstream cousins Boland, who turned out to be cannon-fodder for their coastal competition.
Conceding the worst defeat in the pool, Boland had nowhere to turn as Peninsula struck six goals in the first half, and eased off for another four in the second for a stinging 10-0 white-wash.
Among the plunderers were Rashida Peterson (3), Pamela Brown (2), Megan Clark, Wendy Kockott, Lánda Pienaar, Leigh Bierman and Jenna Cunliffe.
Saturday’s final will be an uphill battle for North West, but their 3-1 loss earlier in the week was the best effort against the Peninsula squad, the aberration of a 1-0 win against an upbeat Wits excepted.
Section B Results:
Witwatersrand 4 (1) – 0 (0) Free State
North West 9 (3) – 1 (1) EP Settlers
Peninsula 10 (6) – 0 (0) Boland
B Section Log:
PEN 15
NW 10
WIT 10
SET 6
BOL 3
FS 0
Tournament Schedule:
Day 1: Monday 20/08/2007
08:30 BOL 1-2 SET
10:10 PEN 6-0 FS
11:50 NW 0-0 WITS
Day 2: Tuesday 21/08/2007
08:30 NW 6-0 FS
10:10 BOL 0-2 WITS
11:50 PEN 8-0 SET
Day 3: Wednesday 22/08/2007
08:30 WITS 1-0 SET
10:10 FS 0-1 BOL
11:50 PEN 3-1 NW
Day 4: Thursday 23/08/2007
08:30 NW 4-0 BOL
10:10 SET 1-0 FS
11:50 PEN 1-0 WITS
Day 5: Friday 24/08/2007
08:30 WITS 4-0 FS
10:10 NW 9-1 SET
11:50 PEN 10-0 BOL
Day 6: Finals Saturday 25/08/2007
08:00 Boland vs Free State (B Section 5th Place Play Off)
08:00 Witwatersrand vs EP Settlers (B Section 3rd Place Play Off)
13:30 Peninsula vs North West (B Section Final)
Legend:
Boland: BOL
Eastern Prov B: SET
Free State: FS
North West: NW
Peninsula: PEN
Witwatersrand: WIT
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