Boland frustrates KZN Inland to escape elimination
Boland A earned a much-needed victory in Bloemfontein on Tuesday to escape elimination from semifinal contention at the SASHOC National Week.
They frustrated KwaZulu-Natal Inland, who are also in the running for a final four spot, and claimed a crucial 2-1 win. Had Inland won, they would have been assured of a top-four finish.
Before the game, the Western Cape side occupied third place in Pool B, with two points, while the KZN side was in second, with five points to their credit.
Boland started strongly, with Amy Leibrandt giving them the lead with a brilliant field goal in the sixth minute. Five minutes later, Tanya Pieterse doubled their advantage. Coach Morne Odendaal‘s KZN Inland girls were undaunted, and their efforts were rewarded when Emily Wilson pulled one back only a minute after Pieterse’s goal.
Despite the fast start and three goals in double-quick time, there were no more to come.
Afterwards, Odendaal praised both sides: “It was a good game. Both teams came out guns blazing,” he reckoned.
Boland’s coach Jarred Pitout said he knew it was going to be a tough outing. “It was always going to be a tough battle and it was a fight for that position in our pool,” he said. “We trusted the process and, at last, our girls stuck to the game plan and made sure that we nullified all the exit strategies and just shut them down, which frustrated them.
“We played our game, which is to counterattack, and we got our penalty corners, which we were looking for,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.
After two goalless draws, the win was a first for Boland in the tournament. Their first 0-0 result came against Northern Free State on the opening day of the tournament. Their second was against a resilient Southern Gauteng B side on Monday. They also suffered a 0-1 defeat to KwaZulu-Natal Coastal on Monday.
Though Southern Gauteng B was unable to score, they frustrated the Bolanders. Their frustrations were reflected in the three green cards and one yellow card they were shown.
On Tuesday, though, Pitout’s charges delivered a much-needed turnaround, with the win over Inland pulling them level with the KZN side on points.
That makes Wednesday’s matches must-win outings for both teams. Should they stumble, Eastern Province (EP) is just one point behind them, and EP is, in fact, Boland’s opposition in their final Pool B game.
They met in 2023, with the Western Cape side scoring a 4-2 win. In 2022, they drew 2-2.
KZN Inland faces a daunting challenge. They take on their neighbours, KZN Coastal, who have won all four of their matches and are well clear at the top of the pool. Coastal’s semi-final place is assured.
Pitout, with a calm attitude, said his team will carry the same strategy into their vital clash with Eastern Province.
“We will do exactly what we have done. We have a good structure. We will reflect on what we did well, and we will have a look at what they did well and go back and trust our process
“I think we have got better with each game… So, we look forward to tomorrow. It’s also going to be a tough opposition, but I have faith in my side.”
Odendaal said there was no new trick to be pulled for KZN Inland. “As coaches, our job is to put the girls in positions to put the game away. Then, it is up to them. Tomorrow, we hope the girls will pitch and use the opportunities.”
Casting an eye towards the KZN Coastal side, he said candidly: “They are in a good position. They have already won the pool. I hope they will rest some of their players and it will allow us to win the game.”
