20 March 2023
Kearsney College welcomed Clifton to Botha’s Hill on a mild day that was ideal for the many hockey matches that awaited the two schools on Saturday, 18 March. Support for both was outstanding. The Clifton community are excellent travellers.
The grounds painted an inviting picture, the stunning green canopy of the many trees that line the campus framing it beautifully. Winter derby days were here!
2022 result
In 2022, Clifton had notched a decisive hockey victory at the Riverside Sports Club, going 3-0 up before Kearsney found a response late in the third chukka to make the final result 3-1 in favour of the Durban boys.
They would be happy with a similar result away from home.
Defences dominate
On the Astro on Saturday, the match was dominated by the defensive efforts of the two schools. Kearsney, especially defended deeply, with the entire 11-man line-up functioning as a unit and dropping into their 23 to repel anything that Clifton threw at them.
Even when Clifton, 0-1 down, pulled their goalkeeper with three minutes to play, Kearsney continued with their 11-man defence, when they might have used the opportunity to run a man high up front to pull a player or two off of the all-out offensive push of Clifton.
The visitors from Durban were not quite as compact as the home side, but they, too, made it difficult for the opposing forwards to penetrate their defences.
Penalty corners
And while the defences that dominated, it was Kearsney who were a touch more successful up front, resulting in a number of penalty corners in favour of the boys in maroon. Clifton didn’t manage one. And it was a PC that decided the contest in Kearsney’s favour.
From the injection by Zipho Cele, after a smooth stop by James Gillespie, the ball was shifted behind the back of Fritz Rheeder, who dummied a shot, to Matthew Mendes de Oliveira on the left. He met it with a clean slap, just to the left of the goalkeeper Adrian Dippenaar.
The shot wasn’t quite flat to the ground, which worked out well for Kearsney. Jayden Roux, to the left of the goalie and just in front of him, attempted a stop with an upright stick, but the ball caught the top of the hook of his stick and flew into the back of the net. That proved to be the decisive moment of the match.
Kyle Thomas was a pillar of strength for Clifton in defence, and he was also the outlet to release pressure with his ability to throw the overhead. He plays with an enviable calm and is remarkably effective in one-on-one defensive tackles.
Josh Northend showed off some fine skills in the midfield for the visitors and caused Kearsney one or two flutters, but the home team’s defensive depth was a tough nut to crack.
Meanwhile, Fritz Rheeder was excellent for the hosts. His ability to evade pressure in the midfield and then pick out a pass, even when pressured by multiple players, stood out.
A solid bulwark
Then, in a defensive battle, the two men at the back for Kearsney, Zipho Cele and captain Dylan Wiggett, provided their team with a solid bulwark, as well as an effective foundation from which to build from the back.
They provided quiet efficiency, the kind of thing one notices in retrospect, but it was what the hosts needed against a team like Clifton that likes to run at defenders from the midfield, with their forwards usually eager to force one-on-ones. On Saturday, that seldom happened, and it had a lot to do with the two men at the back.
Much to improve on, much to work with
The truth be told, it wasn’t a great game. It lacked extended rhythm and flow.
It looked like an early season outing, which it obviously was, but there was enough on show to suggest that both teams will be tough outs for any opposition. It will be interesting to follow their progress into the meat of the season. They look like they have the goods to produce some excellent hockey.
Leave a Reply