Province edge Western Province to book a date for final against Boland
Eastern Province A and Boland A made it through to the finals of the u16 SASHOC National Week on Tuesday at the University of Free State.
Both teams enjoyed a good run in the tournament after winning four of their five games in the Pool stages. They finished the Pools – Province in the first place while Boland fell in number two, both with 13 points. Eastern Province had an advantage of the goal difference.
Today, coach Andrew Beynon’s side edged Western Province 4-1 in the semifinal to book a spot in the final against Boland.
They dominated the clash and put their opponents on the back foot from the first chukka as Lucy Holderness fired up a Penalty Corner and Jana Prinsloo, doubled the score in the second chukka.
Western Province raised to fight in the game in the third chukka and denied their opponents the chance to score, as a result, that quarter was completed without a goal.
However, in the final chukka, the Eastern Cape learners broke the Western side’s defence twice, Holderness registered her second goal and Lisa De Villiers converted the Penalty Corner to make it a 4-0 lead.
In the last two minutes before the final whistle, Zaney Gerber netted the only goal for Louise Conradie’s side to make the score 4-1.
On the other hand, Boland earned their spot in the final after they outplayed KwaZulu-Natal Coastal 2-0. Philippa Viljoen scored both goals as Boland made their way to fight for the 2024 title.
The Boland-EP clash will be a repeat of the day four fixture where both sides met in a thrilling encounter, that bettered the goal advantage of the Province.
The match ended on a 1-1 draw – a point to each side, thanks to Nicola van der Merwe’s Penalty Corner scored in three minutes and Lucy Holderness’s PC in the second Chukka.
Meanwhile, the Pool A leaders, KZN Coastal and Western Province have a date to play for positions 3 and 4 on Wednesday. This was the first defeat of the tournament for the Coastal that turned out to be very costly.
In the Pools they played five games, won four, and drew one, only to be handed their first defeat in the semifinals. Eastern Province and Boland are still unbeaten.
In other fixtures, KwaZulu-Natal Inland shrugged off Southern Gauteng B 4-1. On the final day of the tournament Inland will play for positions 5 and 6 against Southern Gauteng A, who thumbed Northern Gauteng 3-0.
Southern Free State A wrapped up the day of the semifinals with a whopping 5 – 0 defeat against Border.
The u 16 girls final will be played at 09:55 on Wednesday at University of Free State field 1, while other games will be played at Eunice and Grey College
TUESDAY RESULTS
KZN Inland A 4 – 1 Southern Gauteng B
Northern Gauteng 0 – 3 Southern Gauteng A
Western Province A 1 – 4 Eastern Province A
KZN Coastal B 3 – 0 Boland B
KZN Coastal A 0 – 2 Boland A
Southern Free State A 5 – 0 Border
