Felixton College lifts SPAR KZN North Coastal title
Felixton College was crowned the SPAR KZN Hockey North Coastal Regional champion when they defeated Grantleigh 2-1 on penalties after the final had finished goalless, at Grantleigh on Saturday.
The victory made Felixton the seventh team to book a berth at the SPAR KZN Tournament Grand Finals, which will be hosted by St Mary’s DSG Kloof, on 26 and 27 July.
They join Ashton Ballito (Durban North Regional), Maris Stella (Durban Central Regional), St Mary’s, DSG Kloof (Highway Regional), Epworth School (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional), St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional), and Kingsway High (Durban South Regional) in the lineup.
The North Coastal region’s hockey has been dominated by two powerhouses, Grantleigh, the seven-time winners, and Felixton, who has twice lifted the title.
They got the competition off to a sparkling start, meeting in the first game of the day. It didn’t disappoint, with the hosts, Grantleigh, snatching a 1-0 victory after a thrilling encounter.
Felixton regrouped and bounced back with a 2-0 win over John Ross College in their second outing. That was the beginning of a five-match winning streak, which included them outclassing Empangeni 7-0, beating Eshowe 3-0, overpowering Richards Bay 6-0, and scoring another 3-0 win, this time over St Catherine’s.
During that run, they scored 21 goals without reply to collect 20 points, which left them in second place after the round-robin stage of the tournament.
Grantleigh, the defending champion, had their eyes set on another title and they began the defence of the title they won last year on the right note with their tight 1-0 win over Felixton. That was just the beginning.
They, too, won their next five games, recording 3-0 defeats of St Catherine’s, John Ross College, and Empangeni, to go with a 6-0 hammering of Richards Bay and a big 5-0 win over Eshowe.
Those results left Grantleigh with the maximum 24 points on offer in the round-robin stage of the tournament. Finishing top of the standings, also, secured them another meeting with Felixton, this time for the silverware.
In their second match of the day, Felixton was better prepared than they were in the morning. They rose to Grantleigh’s level. There was nothing to separate the sides after regulation time had run out in the title game.
A penalty shootout, though, decided the contest 2-1 in favour of Felixton.
The next leg of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Tournament takes place on 17 May when the KZN South Coastal teams meet at Creston College.
