Clifton and DHS share hockey spoils
Clifton College and Durban High School (DHS) played to a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Sports Club on Wednesday evening, with the contest finishing a couple of minutes early after a power cut dimmed the lights just as both sides were pushing hard for a winner.
DHS enjoyed the better of the opening chukka, but Clifton gradually worked their way into the contest.
“The first chukka was really good,” DHS coach Keegan Hezlett told SuperSport Schools News. “We moved the ball exceptionally well. The intensity was there, which was something that we lacked in our previous outing against Maritzburg College. That was really cool to see.
“We probably didn’t take the opportunities as we would have liked. We created two short corners. Good save from Georg [Wolhuter], a really good save.”
Clifton came more into the contest in the second chukka and forced a succession of penalty corners. One of those very nearly paid off, but DHS goalkeeper Bonga Dlomo pulled off a spectacular save, and the Horseflies instantly turned defence into attack, charging back up the field where Jesse van Wyk finished off a sizzling counterattack to give his side the lead.
“That’s their game. They’re so dangerous going forward,” Clifton coach Calvin Price said wryly. “We tried to manage that as best as we could. Credit to the boys; we ran hard. And we’re tired. We’ve played 27 games of hockey.”
The teams turned with DHS leading 1-0. Clifton had created some opportunities but failed to take them. That was, for both coaches, the area in which their teams could have been better.
Hezlett’s charges came close to scoring again in the third chukka when they caught Clifton with a swift counterattack. Goalkeeper Georg Wolhuter was drawn out of his goal, and the ball then slipped across the circle for a clean shot on goal. Kyle Human, also a top water polo player in the Clifton 1st team, pulled off a stunning stick save to deny DHS, however.
DHS coach Keegan Hezlett said Clifton’s hard-working defence led to his charge’s making some changes, which didn’t pay off: “We started playing the ball a little bit longer. We started forcing it a little bit, maybe because we hadn’t created as many outcomes as we would have liked to get.
“We started throwing more overheads, and I think that levelled out the game. With the overhead, it can become a contest once you get the ball on the ground. When we kept the ball on the ground, I think we were really good.”
Clifton’s tenacious resistance was finally rewarded when they turned a penalty corner into a goal, with captain Ryde Brisset providing the finish.
Brisset, playing his 50th match for the Clifton 1st XI, despite missing the entire 2025 season after shoulder surgery, delivered a wholehearted effort in the midfield, while his opposite number, Christoper Abrahams, was a force to be reckoned with, too, regularly challenging the Clifton backline.
Reflecting on the contest, Clifton’s coach, Calvin Price, commented: “I don’t think we’re playing our best hockey, but to draw against a side like that, I’ll take it.
“It was good. We fought well. We got stuck in, and we frustrated them, which was the plan. They’re a well-drilled unit under Keegan Hezlett. They’re a good side, with good individual players.
“The idea was to frustrate them and get the counter going again. We let ourselves down in the final third with a few opportunities. We had more short corners than they had. I wanted a bit more from the boys. But I’ll take the 1-1 draw against a quality side like that.”
“We had our chances,” DHS’s Hezlett said. “They had two saves on the line when we had gone around the goalkeeper, so credit to Clifton. They were up for it. Today, even their u16s were up for it. They drew 2-2.
“They fought hard, which was a credit to them. Then, they scored a short corner to level things at 1-1.”
Summing the contest up, he concluded: “There are small margins. If you take your chances, you can win games.
“We’ve got to be better at taking our chances. Everything else we did, I was really happy with how the guys played. We just would have liked to convert a little better, as I am sure everyone would like to.”
Result
Clifton College 1-1 DHS
- Clifton and DHS share hockey spoils - 2026-05-14
- Player Profile – Luc Boyall (Northwood) - 2026-05-13
- Maritzburg College downs DHS, Hilton comes from behind to beat Glenwood - 2026-05-10
