2 June 2023
On their Reunion Weekend, Westville’s leading age group hockey teams pulled off a series of stunning results against their DHS counterparts, who have bullied most of their KwaZulu-Natal opposition this season.
Playing on the Westville Astro, on Friday, it began with the under-14 A team holding the Horseflies to a 1-1 draw. They almost won it, too, but were denied by a point-blank save from the DHS goalkeeper midway through the fourth chukka. Then, Westville upset the vaunted DHS under-16 A side, claiming a 1-0 win.
The cherry on the top was, then, delivered by the 1st XI, which had struggled with injuries and, as result, form throughout the season. They exploded out of the gates and led 3-0 at half-time, before going on to a 3-1 victory.
Reasons for success
There were two main reasons for their success: fine finishing on the counter-attack, and an outstanding defensive effort, well marshalled by captain Daniel Lambert and Owen Slack in central defence.
“Daniel Lambert and Owen Slack were excellent. Not having Owen for a month really hurt us. He’s an exceptional player,” said coach Cam Mackay about the Coastals’ under-18 A defender, who has an injury that will require surgery after the completion of the season.
In the opening chukka, the Westville counter-attacks were crisp and razor-edged. DHS played most of the hockey, but Kade Burns gave the Griffins an early lead, striking with a powerful drag flick from a penalty corner. Then, just before the end of the chukka, Josh Beck made it 2-0 with a fine finish.
The large home support was in cheery voice. Their numbers included the entire Westville 1st XV who, on Saturday, take on a DHS team that beat them 24-20 in Durban earlier in the season. The day before that result, the DHS 1st XI beat Westville 2-0 at The Coliseum, which means the aggregate result for the season was 3-3.
DHS unbeaten at The Coliseum in 2023 | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
Lead extended
Up 2-0, a quarter of the way through the match, Westville were not done yet, and Warwick Field put them three goals clear in the second chukka when he reacted quickly to a ball that looped up in the air inside the DHS circle. Stick high above his head, he directed it over the line before DHS goalie Keelan Henry could properly locate it to make the score a scarcely believable 3-0.
Commenting on that half-time score, coach Mackay said: “I definitely would have taken that 3-0 lead and run with it any day of the week. The guys really excelled, and I think those goals gave us the defensive platform that we needed. The guys were hungry to defend.”
DHS are a classy outfit, however, and they were not about to go down without a fight. They put Westville under severe pressure in the third chukka and were rewarded when Lethabo Mathobela pulled one back.
Resilience and plenty of fight
They continued to press the home team deep inside their half, but Lambert and his merry men did not crack. They showed resilience and plenty of fight.
“We knew we were playing against a team we would have to defend against for long periods of time,” Mackay said.
“It was a nervy second half, because the guys were in territory that they didn’t expect to be in. It becomes tricky to understand what might be next. But we held on.”
By the fourth chukka, Westville had withstood the Blue Typhoon’s best shot, although goalkeeper Keaton Burns needed a fine goal line save from his post man at a penalty corner to prevent DHS adding a second goal.
“Keaton Burns was outstanding”
Mackay was full of praise for his net-minder: “I think Keaton Burns was outstanding, especially on the PCs. I spoke to him long and hard about keeping his cool and his calm. Tonight, he was the most focused I have seen in three years [in the 1st XI].”
DHS kept pressing, but time, inexorably, wound down. When the final whistle blew, the happy, vocal home supporters loudly cheered an unexpected win, which had been brought about by their 1st XI’s best performance of the year.
Reunion Weekend successes
To win on Westville’s Reunion Weekend, and to give the Old Boys something to be proud about, was special, Mackay said. “The week is amazing, but it is tiring. There is so much that goes into it.
“When something like this happens, the weight that’s been on your shoulders is lifted, especially with the under-14 A and under-16 A results, as well.”
Then, in a candid moment, he concluded: “We needed this. I needed this. The results [in 2023] have been tough, and you keep looking at what you can do.
“It has been a tough year, but this gives us confidence that we are on the right path.”
Leave a Reply