2 April 2023
On day two of the Coastals Cup, both Westville Boys’ High and Durban High School (DHS) were held to draws, with Westville sharing six goals against Pearson High School, while DHS settled for a share of the spoils against the same opposition, with the match ending 1-1.
Director of Hockey at Westville, Cameron Mackay commented: “Yesterday, we had some horrid moments against Pearson. We probably should have won that game, but we gave them seven circle entries and they scored three goals. That’s not good enough from us.”
Meanwhile, DHS Director of Hockey Michael Baker felt his charges had been unlucky against the school from the Eastern Cape. The Blue Typhoon dominated the contest, but their finishing was not up to scratch.
Both Directors will be pleased, however, by the manner in which their teams responded to draws in those games they felt they should have won.
Westville played well against Saint Alban’s in their second outing of the day. Then, on Sunday morning, they delivered their best performance of the event, outplaying Paarl Boys’ High 4-0.
DHS, on the back of their 1-1 draw, played with an intensity and at a speed that Saint Alban’s simply couldn’t match, and they, too, were rewarded with a 4-0 victory.
The two KZN schools certainly look as if they are among the best in the province and, quite likely, based on the eye test thus far, DHS could be among the best in the country. They’ll have to prove it, however.
Clifton has been somewhat inconsistent during the Coastals Cup, and were convincingly beaten by Garsfontein on Saturday, with the team from Pretoria recording a 3-0 victory. DHS, though, pulled one back for KZN against the same opposition, handing them a 2-1 loss.
On Sunday, Clifton faced Ashton International from Ballito. Again, Clifton were not at their best. They managed to put Ashton under very heavy pressure with a high press but, all too often, after they turned over ball, they soon lost possession back to their north coast opponents.
It looked as if they weren’t going to find the back of the net, and the score stood at 0-0 after three chukkas. Clifton’s Director of Hockey Keegan Pearce did not appear to be too happy with the product he saw on the field, judging by his animated talk with his team before the final chukka.
He ended up getting what he was after, however, with Ashton conceding a penalty stroke, a little needlessly, from a bad tackle in the circle, which was converted by Kyle Thomas.
Playing at left back, Thomas had a solid game, with much of his side’s play passing through him. He is regularly among the best players on the field.
So, it ended 1-0 for the Durban school, but it was certainly not the level of performance they were seeking. However, the parts appear to be in place, and they have played better hockey this season, so, with more game time, better is likely to come (which was proved in a 1-1 draw with Westville in the evening game).
Westville Boys’ High vs Paarl Boys’ High
Westville’s win over Paarl Boys’ High, in contrast, was, according to Cameron Mackay: “The game in which we have had the most control. We never felt too threatened.”
His side impressed with their patient approach from the back. Seldom losing patience and throwing 50/50 forward passes, the Westville boys manipulated the Boys’ High defence with precision before hitting the open man and driving towards goal.
Owen Slack, who made his 1st team debut as a grade 10 boy in 2022, but then missed almost six months due to an injury, stood out for his excellent reading of the game and his considered distribution from the centre back position. He is one to watch for the future.
Just as importantly as their attacking success, on the defensive, Westville took charge from the start of the contest.
“I think the first chukka especially, [the pressure from the forwards] was particularly good. Once you put teams under pressure at any level, either they get on top of you and beat the press, and then you’re in trouble, or you get what happened in this game. I think that first chukka and that pressure dictated the rest of the game,” Mackay said.
Westville netted through Caleb van Loenen, Cade Burns, Tristan Burns, and Josh Beck, and were fully deserving of their decisive victory.
Pleasingly, Mackay said, the progress his team has made during the festival has been obvious. Against Garsfontein, on the opening night, he said the Griffin “weren’t controlled enough”, then followed the previously mentioned “horrid moments” against Pearson, a better performance against Saint Alban’s, and then the top showing against Paarl Boys’ High.
Assessing the match against the Western Cape side, he explained: “We have always played that kind of patient game. I think most of KZN does that. It’s our style of hockey. We have made mistakes from being patient, and I think in that game we were much better than usual.”
Now, he said, the focus will be on being consistent.
DHS vs Saint Alban’s College
As a team, DHS is blessed with a group of hard-working players who are comfortable on the ball. When they start stringing passes together, it is extremely challenging for the opposition to turn over possession in a tackle. They simply aren’t getting close enough to the man in possession. If the pass is accurate and the basics are working, it’s a tough day for DHS opponents, and Saint Alban’s certainly experienced that.
They’re also relentless when not in possession, working hard to take back the ball, and they’re successful, too, because they work as a unit in that endeavour. To beat DHS, a team is going to have to be on top of its game from the first whistle to the last because, when DHS exerts pressure, it comes in waves.
They’re a fun team to watch, and teams that are fun to watch are usually playing winning hockey.
The first DHS goal, scored by captain Lerou Dithlakanyane, showed why he was a member of the South African under-21 team that won the Africa Junior Cup in Egypt recently. After DHS created space down the left flank, he, seemingly effortlessly, floated around the defence, down the baseline, and then pulled the ball back onto his strong stick side to create a wide angle before beating the keeper. A classy goal.
The boys in blue and gold are very much a team, however, and there appear to be few, if any, weaknesses. Any opponent that chooses to focus on DHS’s star player at a cost of keeping the rest under wraps will pay a heavy price. Also, Dithlakanyane has been used all over the park, showing off excellent versatility to take on any position he is assigned with ease. There is no defending that.
Something else that stood out was the DHS penalty corner, with Lethabo Bogacwe getting some real zip on his drag flicks. The chances are, with the PC routine firing too, that DHS will experience few games like the one against Pearson in which the goals just didn’t go in.
Considering the fact that the second term of 2023 has not yet begun, the hockey has been of an outstanding standard. It has been about a month since the cricket season finished and the hockey shinpads were pulled on. Surely, then, the best is yet to come!
RESULTS
Sunday, 2 April, AM
Westville 4-0 Paarl Boys’ High
Garsfontein 1-1 Pearson High School
Clifton 1-0 Ashton International
DHS 4-0 Saint Alban’s College
Sunday, 2 April, PM
DHS 3-0 Ashton International
Westville 1-1 Clifton
Pearson High School 2-1 Saint Alban’s College
Garsfontein 1-1 Paarl Boys’ High
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