St Benedict’s downs St David’s in a thriller
For most teams, the weekend presented them with their last matches of the second term. St Benedict’s College ensured it was one they would remember with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over St David’s Marist Inanda, away from home.
Keenly contested, the momentum swung back and forth as the sides took shots at one another.
Early on, Bennies enjoyed control and that earned them a reward when, from a penalty corner, Alex Johnston delivered a brilliant drag flick to put them 1-0 up.
“The game was good. It was a tough game. We created quite a lot of chances earlier on,” St Benedict’s coach, Owen Mvimbi, told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game. “Then, St David’s got their momentum back.”
The Bennies’ coach also identified a couple of top performers, saying: “Connor Odgers played well. We started dominating the right-hand side. Matteo Stepcevich (St David’s) also dominated in the midfield. He played really well.”
St Benedict’s extended their lead from another penalty corner. This time, though, it was Josh Grobler who handled the drag flick.
St David’s was not about to go quietly, though, and a swift counterattack saw Jared Beilings providing the finish to make it 2-1.
“The game was hot. The crowd went crazy,” Mvimbi said, recalling the intensity of the second half, especially after Beilings’ strike.
Bennies thought they had scored a third, but Grobler’s effort was disallowed.
In a frenzied finish, both teams had opportunities to add to their tallies from penalty corners, but the goalkeepers and defenders stood tall.
“Johnstone saved one on the line, and their keeper made some good saves, too,” Mvimbi said. “Players started to panic a bit, getting a few more cards, but the game ended at 2-1.”
On the Weinberg Astro, at King Edward VII (KES), the Red Sticks were held to a 1-1 draw by Helpmekaar Kollege in their last outing of the term.
Meanwhile, in Pretoria, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) took on Die Hoërskool Menlopark.
After suffering a sobering 0-6 defeat to high-flying Jeppe last time out, Affies, with typical character, put that loss behind them and delivered a strong performance to down Menlo 4-1.
Nearby, Pretoria Boys High faced the daunting task of facing unbeaten Jeppe on the occasion of Boys High’s 124th birthday. Credit to the home team, they gave it their all. However, in the end Jeppe’s clean record remained intact, albeit by a slim 1-0 margin.
St Alban’s College enjoyed home ground advantage against St John’s College, but the visitors rose to the challenge against a team that has enjoyed a strong season.
It rained goals, but at the end of the four chukkas there was nothing to separate the sides, and it ended 3-3 after an enthralling clash.
