A sweet 50th for Jennings as Grey High beats Paul Roos at home
The script for the big Edgars Friday Nite Lights clash between Grey High and Paul Roos Gimnasium in Gqeberha appeared to have been run previously.
Last weekend, in Johannesburg, King Edward VII edged out their great rivals, Jeppe High School for Boys, 1-0 in a dogfight – a contest decided by several key moments.
KES was on the back foot for the majority of that encounter, but they scored the winning goal late in the third chukka and then kept Jeppe at bay to seal the win.
The KES versus Jeppe clash was almost a carbon copy of the Grey High versus Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) showdown.
Paul Roos dominated the Edgars Friday Nite Lights clash from start to finish, but it was the hosts who produced the goods when it mattered on their way to a 2-1 victory.
A hailstorm and heavy rain delayed the start of the match, but when the Rectory AstroTurf was cleared, the teams cracked on, with Dale Jennings being recognised for his 50th appearance for the Azzurri before the first whistle blew.
The opening chukka was stale, with little to separate the teams, although both sides were awarded short corners, but they didn’t capitalise.
PRG upped the ante in the second chukka, and coach Michael Baker‘s boys started dictating matters in the midfield.
Captain Seth Paterson played like a man on a mission, and his penetrating runs into Grey’s circle caused consternation for coach Andrew Beynon.
The visitors’ persistence finally paid off when Caleb Cilliers showed off some neat skills to open the scoring after receiving a sharp ball inside the circle from vice-captain Ruben Gouws.
Grey continued to make unforced errors, and they gave the ball away too easily in midfield. PRG, though, was unable to turn its dominance into goals.
The longer the game went, the more Grey played their way into it. They sensed an opportunity.
Just before the end of the third chukka, when the hosts were awarded a penalty corner, there was no deliberation beforehand. Everyone knew the drill.
James Chree duly delivered, stepping up from the second castle and firing a rocket-like drag flick past Jeandre Cilliers for the equaliser.
Paul Roos had a chance to edge ahead in the fourth chukka from a short corner, but their variation went awry, and Grey survived that scare.
With the clock winding down, the Azzurri struck. Launching a counterattack, Chree threw an overhead pass to Dante Elkington on the left. The Eastern Province representative then dribbled past two players before laying the ball on a silver platter for David Stevenson, who provided the finish.
The win was Grey High’s first against Paul Roos in three meetings. In 2025, they shared a 4-4 draw in Stellenbosch, and they lost 2-3 at home in 2024.
The sides could face off again next week at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield.
Grey High is in Pool A, where they will face St Alban’s College, Parel Vallei High, and Durban High School (DHS), while PRG is in Pool B and up against Clifton College, Selborne College, and St Stithians College.
Easter Cape Results
Grey High 2-1 Paul Roos
Pearson High 2-1 Outeniqua
Queen’s College 3-1 Dale College
Stirling High 4-0 Merrifield College
