St John’s steal the show to claim PMB Central Regional title
St John’s Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) became the third side to book themselves a spot in the Grand final of the Spar Hockey Challenge after defeating Epworth on penalties in the final of the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional on Sunday.
The third round of the festival was hosted by Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Astroturf.
The hosts, who won the title last year, were joined by Carter High, Russell High, Alexandra High, Epworth, St John’s DSG, and Maritzburg Christian School.
It was, however, St John’s DSG who shone throughout the day, claiming victory in all six of their matches, to assert their dominance in the region.
On their way to the final, the side from Scottsville scored 19 times and kept a clean sheet in all of their games.
After dominating the round-robin stages, they met Epworth High School, who had also impressed, losing only 0-1 to their opponents for the title, in the final showdown. Epworth had sealed their spot in the title-decider with a crucial 1-0 win over Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High.
With silverware on the line, the action went back and forth, but there was nothing to separate the sides after 20 minutes, with the contest ending in a goalless stalemate as neither team was able to capitalise on the opportunities they created. That meant the winners would be decided from the penalty spot.
After Epworth missed their first take, Rebecca Macquet and Isobel Cobbald both calmly slotted their opportunities to see their side to a 2-0 win.
Reacting after the match, head coach Philip Smerdon, expressed how delighted he was for his team as they look to go all the way in the Grand Finals later this year.
“I’m really proud of our players,” he told SuperSport Schools.
“They put on a great show from start to finish. We can’t wait to play at the Grand Finals. It’s a really great opportunity for our players to go up against the best.”
Before claiming victory in the Spar Hockey Challenge, DSG was in action at the Balling Hockey Festival, hosted by Bethlehem Voortrekker, in late January.
There, Smerdon’s side was in fine form, playing an attractive brand of hockey that saw them claim a deserved 4-2 win against last year’s number-one-ranked team in the country, Eunice.
The coach said his players certainly drew inspiration from their performances in Bethlehem.
“The Balling Hockey Festival was great for team dynamics and to iron out the creases before the season starts,” he explained.
“Our young players have settled in nicely due to the Balling Hockey Festival, and the confidence we gained as a team will help for the start of the season.”
Claiming gold at the Central Regional tournament was a big boost to the St John’s DSG hockey programme, with much expected from the side in 2024.
Smerdon said there’s no doubt the win will also serve to motivate the younger teams at the school.
“The St John’s DSG Hockey programme is in a really good space.
“We have hungry athletes wanting to achieve in all sports.
“As a 1st team, all the coaching staff want to see is players getting a little better every single day. Win or lose, our 1st team must set an example for the younger player coming through our programme.,” he concluded.
Results
Carter High 0-0 Russell High
Alexandra High 0-5 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
St John’s DSG 1-0 Epworth
Carter High 0-0 Maritzburg Christian School
Russell High 0-0 Alexandra High
Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High 0-2 St John’s DSG
Epworth 3-0 Maritzburg Christian School
Carter High 0-0 Alexandra High
Russell High 0-7 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
Alexandra High 0-5 St John’s DSG
Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High 2-0 Maritzburg Christian School
Carter High 0-4 Epworth
Russell High 0-1 Maritzburg Christian School
Alexandra High 0-4 Epworth
St John’s DSG 1-0 Maritzburg Christian School
Carter High 0-3 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
Russell High 0-5 Epworth
Alexandra High 0-0 Maritzburg Christian School
Carter High 0-5 St John’s DSG
Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High 0-1 Epworth
Russell High 0-5 St John’s DSG
Final
St Johns DSG 0(2)-0(0) Epworth
