24 March 2024
The hosts, Kearsney College, were held to a 1-1 draw by Rondebosch Boys’ High at midday on Sunday at the Founders Hockey Festival. In the evening, though, they scored some cracking goals to run out 4-0 winners over Parktown Boys’ High.
Captain Matt De Oliveira and company have three wins and one draw after two days of competition, but they face their stiffest challenge of the event on Monday, in the last match of the festival, when they tackle Paul Roos.
The Stellenbosch side has yet to concede a goal, adding a 2-0 win over a strong St Stithians‘ side and a 4-0 victory over Affies to their day one results, which included a 5-0 win over Parktown and a 6-0 success against Queen’s College, when they truly hit their stride.
Kearsney is a well organised side, and they’ll need to keep it tidy against Paul Roos, who have one of the deadliest drag flickers in the game in Reuben Sendzel, who represented the SA u21 team in 2023. He also scored a hattrick for the SA u17 team in the final of the Dato Mirnawan Cup against India in November.
Sendzel struck once in PRG’s win over St Stithians, who were crowned Johannesburg’s best after winning the Aitken Trophy last year.
Saints gave Paul Roos a good go, and even had the ball in the PRG goal from a penalty corner. The shot struck the backboard, but it had been high and dangerous on its way there, and the goal was disallowed.
Almost immediately, Paul Roos took the lead with a fine counterattacking field goal. In the second half, Sendzel scored his side’s second.
Saints later outplayed the Northwood 2nd XI 6-0. The Knights are currently on tour in Argentina and in their stead the Brown Socks have done the school proud, with their day one results including draws against Rondebosch and Dale College.
On Sunday, there were well beaten by St Stithians and SACS, who trounced them 8-0, but both schools ranked in the top five in the country in 2023, and they look like they might belong there again.
SACS have been every bit as dominant as their big rivals, Paul Roos, and added a 5-0 win over Queen’s College. The team from Komani had gone down 1-2 to Parktown in the day’s first match after falling 0-2 behind within four minutes of the start.
Affies, beaten by Paul Roos in their second outing, tasted victory earlier in the day when they beat Dale 3-1.
RESULTS
Parktown 2-1 Queen’s
SACS 8-0 Northwood
Paul Roos 2-0 St Stithians
Affies 3-1 Dale
Kearsney 1-1 Rondebosch
SACS 5-0 Queen’s
St Stithians 6-0 Northwood
Rondebosch 3-1 Dale
Paul Roos 4-0 Affies
Kearsney 4-0 Parktown
FIXTURES
Monday, 25 March
07:30 – Affies vs Rondebosch; 08:35 – Dale vs Parktown; 09:40 – Northwood vs Queen’s; 10:45 – SACS vs St Stithians; 11:50 – Kearsney vs Paul Roos
Leave a Reply