Du Plessis leads Boland to SASHOC National Week glory
Leah du Plessis scored a brace in a clinical performance from Boland A, who beat KZN Coastal A 3-0 to lift the Sandra Jordaan Trophy at the SASHOC National Week, in Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday morning.
The victory ended Boland’s long nine-year wait for the inter-provincial trophy.
“It feels amazing to captain a team that came together and did everything to play for each other. I am extremely proud of every member of the team,” Du Plessis, the Boland captain, told SuperSport Schools Plus afterwards.
Apart from her winners’ medal, Du Plessis also picked up two more awards, being named the Player of the Tournament and the Most Valuable Striker. Of the 20 goals scored by Boland during the tournament, she scored eight.
“She marshalled the team well throughout the tournament. She is a good leader on and off the field. I am really proud of her and the rest of the team,” Boland coach, Chris Gerber, said.
Boland’s campaign was almost flawless. They won four of their five group matches to finish second in Pool A.
They opened their challenge with a statement of intent by drubbing a stacked Southern Free State A team 5-0.
That victory pumped up their tyres, but they were deflated by Eastern Province A in their next outing, with coach Geowynne Gamiet guiding his side to a 2-1 win in a clash of title contenders.
Boland recovered strongly, bouncing back with consecutive 3-0 wins over Southern Gauteng B and Northern Gauteng B. Then, in a key clash, they completed their group matches with a 3-1 win over Southern Gauteng A.
They made a meal of their semi-final, squandering a 2-0 lead late in the contest to finish level at 2-2 with their neighbours, Western Province A. However, they had the talented Andrea Fortuin in goal to see them through to the final.
“I knew my job wasn’t done yet and I still had to give it my all for the team because we had worked so hard for this moment and we weren’t going to let them take it away from us,” Fortuin said.
“I just kept reminding myself that I have the Lord with me, and that I back myself and that my team backs me as well, and that not staying calm will make things go not so great.”
In the final, Fortuin was called upon to make a couple of crucial saves. However, most of the time, the defenders in front of her had the game under control. They closed down the spaces and prevented KZN Coastal from playing with freedom in their half.
“The girls did really well. They controlled the game. They knew what they needed to do and managed the game properly,” Gerber said in his assessment of his charges’ performance.
Despite not scoring in the first chukka, Boland spent most of their time in Coastal’s half, threatening the opposition’s goal. Instead of becoming frustrated that they couldn’t find a way through in the first 15 minutes, Boland maintained their focus and their intensity in the second chukka.
Just two minutes before halftime, their efforts were rewarded. Leah du Plessis drew first blood with a short corner conversion.
Then, with just under four minutes remaining in the third chukka, Elré Oosthuizen made it 2-0, finishing off a sharp counterattack after Boland had stifled a KZN Coastal penalty corner.
Du Plessis and her teammates had learnt their lessons from their tightly contested semi-final win over Western Province and, as time wound down, they didn’t allow Coastal back into the game.
A third goal, three minutes into the final chukka, sealed the deal.
“We kept getting better and better as the tournament progressed. The girls showed up when it really mattered,” Gerber said.
Results
Final – Boland A: 3 – Leah du Plessis (2), Elré Oosthuizen. KZN Coastal A: 0.
3 and 4 – Western Province A: 2 – Chelsey McGregor (2). Eastern Province A: 0.
5 and 6 –Northern Gauteng A: 3 – Zoë Badenhorst, Andrea Groenewald, Mia Pretorius. Southern Gauteng A: 1 – Zoë Opaleye.
7 and 8 – KZN Inland A: 1 – Jade Kelly. Southern Free State A: 1 – Atleganag Kgantsi.
9 and 10 –Western Province B: 2 – Tatum Malherbe, Kiara Kommer. Border A: 0.
11 and 12 –Northern Gauteng B: 2 – Lize Wiltz, Phawu Motlohi. Southern Gauteng B: 0.
