Clifton post big win over Saint Andrew’s School

21 April 2023

Clifton College, fresh off a first ever win over Maritzburg College the previous weekend, welcomed Saint Andrew’s School to the Riverside Sports Club on Friday afternoon. The visitors came into the contest unbeaten in eight matches thus far this season. However, the home side were not in a generous mood.

Saint Andrew’s started the contest confidently, moving the ball nicely around the back, but Clifton quickly shifted into a half-court press and did a good job of keeping the Saints’ pushes and prods at the home side’s defences in front of them.

While Saint Andrew’s enjoyed a good amount of possession, Clifton’s disciplined press gave them a territorial advantage, leading to the visitors playing a lot of hockey from deep in their half.

Goal scoring opportunity

They seemed comfortable enough dealing with Clifton’s pressure, but then presented the home team with a clear goal scoring opportunity after 10 minutes when they failed to drop five metres away from a hit just outside of the circle. The umpire blew for a penalty corner.

Clifton botched the stop, but Saints failed to close them down quickly. That allowed all the time that captain Connor McKenzie needed as he drifted wide to the left of the castle. Receiving the ball, he spun around to his left, got his feet nicely around the ball, and then nailed a flick to the goalkeeper’s right to put his side into a 1-0 lead.

Then, with just over a minute to play in the first chukka, Clifton went two goals clear and, once again, Saint Andrew’s had only themselves to blame. They intercepted a long ball from Kyle Thomas into the circle, but then made a mess of the clearance, lifting the ball into a Clifton forward to concede another shortie.

This time the routine was smooth, and Josh Northend generated some serious power through his low drag flick, which beat Saints’ goalie Mlungisi Lepesa to his left.

Clifton continued to do a good job of maintaining their shape when they pressed, but Saint Andrew’s midfielder, Phenyo Selogilwe, an SA under-17 selection in 2022, did well to withstand the pressure and distribute the ball for the visitors.

Occasional forays

There were occasional forays from the Bloemfontein school into the Clifton half, but they seldom managed to penetrate all the way into the circle as the hosts kept their composure and dealt well with the Saints’ attackers.

Saint Andrew’s came close to giving Clifton another goal on a platter when they, once more, conceded a penalty corner for not retreating five from a hit, which cannot have pleased coach Trevor Raubenheimer. This time, though, a behind the back slip to Kyle Thomas on the left was convincingly rejected by the goalie as he got a big right boot to Thomas’ low shot.

At half-time, Clifton led 2-0. They had created more and better chances than Saint Andrew’s, and they had worked the counter-attack well.

After the match, Clifton captain Connor McKenzie said that was how he and his team had intended to play: “Our gameplan was to hit Saint Andrew’s on the counter. We stayed in the press, stayed composed and trusted the plan. I think it worked,” he said.

Third goal

In the eighth minute of the third chukka, the boys in black added extra insurance to their winning lead.

Robert Hammond did well to turn over possession when Saint Andrew’s failed to properly deal with an exit overhead from Kyle Thomas just inside their half. Hammond then picked out Justin Gatonby, who cut inside two defenders before finding Kyle Kearns on the top of the D. He let the ball run onto his reverse side and then let rip with a venomous shot, which flew by the keeper’s left. The net bulged and Clifton celebrated again.

Less than three minutes remained in the third chukka when skipper McKenzie grabbed his second of the day, once more from a penalty corner, with this one flying high, fast, and handsome towards the goal. Goalkeeper Lepesa managed to get his left glove to the shot, just, but it powered through his defences to make it Clifton 4-0 Saint Andrew’s.

Credit to the Saints’ side, in the fourth chukka they enjoyed the better of the territory and were the most penetrative they had been all game, forcing their way into the Clifton circle on a number of occasions. Clifton’s defence held firm, however. And when the final whistle sounded, Saints’ unbeaten record had well and truly fallen.

“I’m satisfied. It’s always good to score four goals and there were no goals conceded. I can’t ask for anything else,” Clifton’s two-goal captain Connor McKenzie told Pinnacle Schools afterwards.

“We’ve struggled with the PCs so far this season, so it’s good to convert them, because, as we all know in hockey, they’re crucial,” he added, referencing his team’s three successful short corners.

Success on longer balls

McKenzie said he and his team had trained to open some of the channels that had been closed in their last outing against Maritzburg College, which allowed them to hit on some longer balls to the forwards, who did a good job of leading into space to receive passes.

“It was quite tight in midfield, so we adjusted and managed to open it up,” he reckoned.

It was noticeable during the game that Clifton coach Keegan Pearce was relatively quiet. That happens when a plan comes together. Next week, he takes his charges to the Eastern Cape to face some of the country’s top sides in the Hibbert Shield.

With two good wins on the trot in the bag, Clifton tackles the hosts, Grey High School, and Menlo Park on Wednesday, and Paarl Gimnasium on Thursday. They’ll need to be at their best, but confidence shouldn’t be in short supply.