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DGC and St Mary’s Kloof to meet in St Anne’s Cup final

By CS Chiwanza , in Hockey | Featured Hockey | News , at 2024-05-18 Tags: , , , ,

Elizabeth Anderson, the top goal scorer for St Mary's DSG, will be a kay player in the St Anne's Cup final.
Elizabeth Anderson, the top goal scorer for St Mary’s DSG, will be a kay player in the St Anne’s Cup final.

Durban Girls’ College and St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) punched their tickets to the final of the St Anne’s Cup on Saturday, with outstanding victories. St Mary’s overcame St Anne’s 4-1 in the first semi-final, while DGC triumphed 3-0 over Eunice. Both contests were humdingers.

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St Mary’s delivered another assured and exceptional performance in their comfortable win. Carla Anne Mackay’s charges launched a blitz on the St Anne’s goal early in the first chukka and were rewarded with three goals from three entries into the St Anne’s D.

St Mary’s top striker Elizabeth Anderson fired them into the lead with a brilliant shot after only three minutes. Two minutes later, Jamie da Silva doubled their advantage with a reverse stick shot that found the backboard. St Anne’s was shellshocked and Georgia Pollock and company took advantage of that to add a third goal three minutes after their second.

“We started really well. It was a fairy tale start being able to score three goals in the first chukka,” Mackay said after the match.

The hosts played with more control and produced better hockey in the second quarter. They launched waves of attacks on the St Mary’s goal, showing that they were a force to be reckoned with, and they were not about to roll over and die.

Going toe-to-toe with St Mary’s, they almost pulled one back as the clock wound down to the end of the half. However, St Mary’s disciplined defence made St Anne’s wait until the third chukka for some reward, which came with a minute to play in that quarter.

Stung by the goal they had conceded, St Marys came out for the fourth chukka set on imposing themselves on the contest again. That paid off when Anderson threaded a ball through to Anna Birt and she made the sharp pass count, turning it into a goal, to reestablish the three-goal margin.

“The big take-home point for me was our game management. We have some very tired bodies, but we managed to shut out the game and manage it, and come away with the win,” commented Mackay.

The second semi-final was a replay of the St Mary’s Waverley Festival final that pitted DGC against Eunice. In that match, Ruby Kraus starred with a brace as Chardinay Penniston’s charges triumphed 3-2 to lift the title.

The victory in the final was the second of two wins DGC recorded over Nika Coertzen’s girls at the festival. They also ran away to a 4-0 victory over Eunice in their last group match, with Kraus also getting in among the goals in that contest.

She’s been prolific for DGC, along Emily Macquet. Against Eunice, though, it was, again, the Ruby Kraus show, as she delivered an outstanding hattrick.

DGC sharpshooter Ruby Kraus shone in their St Anne's Cup semi-final win over Eunice. She's likely to be an influential player in the final against St Mary's DSG.
DGC sharpshooter Ruby Kraus shone in their St Anne’s Cup semi-final win over Eunice. She’s likely to be an influential player in the final against St Mary’s DSG.

Her first goal came from a deflection in the first minute of play after Macquet picked her out with an inviting pass. Eunice immediately tried to find an equaliser. The result was a high-tempo contest featuring end-to-end action.

Seven minutes after DGC’s first goal, Kraus got herself onto the end of a Caprice Bengston pass while in the circle. Showing good composure, the lanky striker picked her spot and drilled one past the Eunice keeper to double the DGC lead.

On day one, DGC’s defence had been uncharacteristically loose against Beaulieu College. Though they scored six goals in that encounter, they also conceded three soft goals. Against Eunice, they found their groove.

Well organised, they soaked up the pressure that Eunice exerted and, for the most part, prevented them from making circle entries. Then, they hit the Bloemfontein girls on the counter.

On the few occasions that Eunice managed to get a shot away, DGC goalkeeper Ella Carstens proved to be one last barrier they couldn’t break through.

Kraus completed her hat trick in the second chukka, scoring from DGC’s first penalty corner. By then, Eunice had won several shorties, but they had failed to convert.

Coertzen’s charges added a few more PCs later in the contest. Still, Carstens kept them at bay.

In the final four minutes, Eunice opted for an extra outfield player by pulling their goalie, but there was no give from the DGC defence, and they kept their clean sheet.

Almost a month ago, DGC beat St Mary’s 3-2 in Kloof in a league match. They also beat them at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival. However, coach Mackay’s girls hadn’t yet rounded into form, and they were missing their captain, SA u18 midfielder Georgia Pollock.

Now, with St Mary’s in a rich vein of form, the final promises to be a superb showdown between two well-balanced and skilful outfits.

Interestingly, although it will count for nothing in the final, St Anne’s, who were well beaten by St Mary’s on Saturday, played DGC to a 3-3 draw earlier in the day.

Results

Saturday

St John’s 0-4 St Mary’s, Menlopark 0-4 Eunice, St Anne’s 3-3 DGC, Waterkloof 0-0 Beaulieu, Beaulieu 0–2 Menlopark, Waterkloof 4–1 St John’s, St Anne’s 1–4 St Mary’s, DGC 3–0 Eunice.

Sunday

08:00 – Waterkloof vs Menlopark
08:00 – St John’s vs Beaulieu
09:15 – St Anne’s vs Eunice
10:30 – Final – St Mary’s vs DGC.

CS Chiwanza
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.