Tired SA Earn 3rd Test Draw vs Belgium

The world number 11 Investec South Africa women’s hockey team and world number 12 Belgium drew 2-2 after the scores were locked 1-1 at half-time, in a thrilling third Test of the six-Test series at Hartleyvale Wednesday.

The match was a triumph for double Olympian Kathleen Taylor, in her 200th Test match, who was outstanding in an attacking role, just behind the strikers.

Four minutes from the end (66th) Celia Evans passed inside to the outstanding, fast-running Taylor, who finished off the move when she slammed her shot into the backboard behind goalkeeper Elena Sotgiu for the 2-2 final score of a pulsating Test match.

The earlier goals came when Taylor won the ball and passed inside to Sulette Damons, who made no mistake for a 1-0 advantage to SA in the 18th minute, much against the run of play.

In the 28th, the Belgians equalised through a rocket slap-shot by Stephanie de Groof from a penalty corner. Four minutes after half-time (39th) Manon Simons had made it 2-1 to Belgium with time aplenty to make sure of her shot.

With SA having won the first Test 6-0 after a superb display and Belgium bouncing back via a deserved 2-0 win in the second international, Wednesday’s third Test held many imponderables.

SA were without world record Test match goalscorer Pietie Coetzee for the third time while Marcelle Manson missed her second match, both suffering from illness, and another hugely experienced player and leader, Lenise Marais (ankle) was also indisposed, so the South Africans were up against it.

The injury-  and illness-hit SA side could only field 16 players instead of the allotted 18 (11 on-field and seven rolling subs) and it was always going to be an uphill battle. Their eighth Test in 12 days, alongside a strenuous training schedule, had resulted in casualties, while Belgium were fresh and in just their third Test.

Predictably, Belgium started with a bang, and Quanita Bobbs made two timely interventions to snuff out dangerous balls into the strike zone, before keeper Hanli Hattingh blocked Erica Coppey with precision.

Hattingh brought down the striker soon after, but the resultant penalty corner was blocked. A little later Alix Gerniers had acres of space and plenty of time to pick her spot, yet the golden opportunity was not converted.

SA made several sorties upfield, one especially exciting move saw Taylor pass to Damons from deep and the electric pace of the former South African junior sprint star spelt immediate danger for the Belgians, but the striker’s final pass was not completed.

In the 15th minute, Simons got in a shot that Hattingh saved with ease and three minutes later (18th) Taylor set up Damons for her goal.

In the 28th, Belgian equalised with De Groof’s slashing PC for 1-1 and four minutes later Judith van der Meiren unleashed a powerful backhand shot that Hattingh parried to safety.

Seconds from the half-time whistle SA skipper Marsha Cox freed up Bernie Coston, who made ground before laying inside to Damons, but the Belgians somehow scraped the ball away from their goalline. SA were awarded a PC but Belgium held out for 1-1 at the halfway mark.

Simons then made it 2-1 four minutes after the changeover, which signalled SA to push hard for the equaliser – and it nearly came in the 62nd minute when Evans made ground down the right before passing inside to Damons, but once again the Belgium defence somehow weathered the danger, as they did a minute later when Damons and Dirkie Chamberlain combined, only for the shot to go wide.

But SA were not finished yet, and four minutes from the end (66th) Evans passed inside for the superb Taylor to nail down the equaliser, and the 2-2 final score, of a pulsating encounter.

A men’s match featuring a Western Province Invitation team up against a star-studded Dutch Hoofdklasse side Amsterdam meet at 7pm Thursday night, and the fourth Test between SA and Belgium follows at 7pm Friday night.

Photo Caption: SA’s outstanding attacking midfielder Kathleen Taylor, in her 200th Test, shows Belgium’s Alix Gerniers a clean pair of heels during the third Test at Hartleyvale in Cape Town Wednesday night on her way to scoring the equaliser four minutes from the end. The final score was 2-2. Photo: Gavin Withers / Action Pix

(With editing by gsport)