28 May 2022
Kearsney made the short drive down from Botha’s Hill to the Riverside Sports Club to take on Clifton in 12 hockey and nine rugby matches on Saturday, 28 May. The previous Saturday had brought with it heavy rains, which led to further flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, but on this day the weather was warm and inviting.
On the Astro, in the lead-up to the 1st XI clash, it was a good day for the hosts, with Clifton claiming eight wins against two defeats and a solitary draw before the showpiece event.
The 1st XI game saw both sides start cautiously as they both focused on ensuring their defensive alignments were solid. Slowly, though, Clifton began to enjoy the better of the battle for territory, while Kearsney looked for quick counters to the pressure from the home team.
After much probing, Clifton was rewarded for a more direct approach when they took on the Kearsney defence down the left flank, managed to beat a defender in a one-on-one on the edge of the D and draw the goalkeeper at his near post before sending a square ball to the far post, where it was bundled across the line for an early lead.
Captain strikes
Captain Ross Montgomery, a steady and calm influence in the Durban side at times, and at others a driving force in taking the game to Kearsney, made it 2-0 from a penalty corner, putting his drag flick beyond Enzo Cocciante in the visitors’ goal.
A sharp counterattack saw Clifton move into a convincing 3-0 lead, but convincing is not unassailable and Kearsney showed fine fighting spirit to pull one back from a penalty corner just before the end of the third chukka.
After a goalless fourth chukka, Clifton came away the deserving 3-1 winners. They had controlled the game better, utilising the depth and width of the park more effectively than their opponents and, crucially, they had been the better of the two sides at navigating the transfer from the back through the midfield and on to the forwards.
RESULTS
1st XI Clifton 3-1 Kearsney
2nd XI Clifton 2-2 Kearsney
3rd XI Clifton 1-3 Kearsney
4th XI Clifton 9-0 Kearsney
u16A Clifton 4-1 Kearsney
u16B Clifton 2-1 Kearsney
u16C Clifton 5-2 Kearsney
u16D Clifton 3-1 Kearsney
U16F Clifton 4-0 Kearsney u14D
u14A Clifton 2-0 Kearsney
u14B Clifton 0-7 Kearsney
u14C Clifton 4-0 Kearsney
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