Buoyed by a strong season, Northwood aims even higher
Northwood ended the 2024 season in style, pulling off a three-peat when they won the Gushkie Top Schools tournament by defeating the hosts, Grey College, on their home turf, in the final. It was a perfect way to close out a season that had gone from strength to strength.
Justin Collins’ charges, who went unbeaten at the Gushkie tournament, enjoyed a sneakily good season. Not many have recognised just how well Northwood did. They won 17 of their 25 matches, drew six, and lost only two. Their last loss was in April when they went 0-1 down to Clifton College in a closely contested tie.
The James Read-captained side followed that loss with a draw away to Kearsney College at Botha’s Hill on a mist-enveloped night. However, the Knights did not completely find their mojo until they locked horns with Jeppe.
“We had drawn a lot of games up until then, but when we scored some clinical goals it gave us more momentum to play better hockey for longer phases. We managed to get over the line a lot easier and put bigger shifts in,” Collins explained.
He rated his side’s 3-1 win over Jeppe as one of the best games they executed during the 2024 season. He watched them playing the brand of hockey he envisioned, and they scored some terrific goals. That victory deepened Jessop and his teammates’ connection. Jeppe had come into the match with a healthy record against the Durban school.
“It’s always nice to play against a top side like Jeppe, especially with the [strong] record they have against us,” Collins said back in April.
That performance was in the same league as their performance against Maritzburg College on Northwood’s Old Boys’ Day. In that encounter, Northwood rallied to come back from 0-1 down to clinch a 2-1 victory, thanks to two late goals. The victory over College was on brand; the Knights are in the business of pleasing their old boys.
“Another memorable one was our Gushkie final match against Grey College,” Collins said. “The boys put on a polished performance. All the players stepped up and made it count when needed. We just clicked into gear and got the result we needed.
“It was a special way to end the season because we went with a younger team but still managed to send the matrics off on a good note. The younger players stepped up and made it count. That helps us with momentum for next year,” he added.
Northwood’s younger players raising their game at the Gushkie tournament was a good sign for the future and it showed Collins that there was continuity in the ranks. His focus for the 2025 season will be on developing consistency.
Reflecting on the Knights’ performances in 2024, he said: “We showed a lot of promise this year. Losing only two games shows what we are capable of.
“We need to be fitter earlier and have more match practice to ensure we don’t have as many draws. I also need to work a lot with my strikers and penalty corner specialists for next year because if get that right we can be more effective in the new season.”
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