Eastern Cape glory on the line in Spar Hockey Challenge final
Makhanda’s Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), Clarendon, Pearson High, York High, and Queenstown Girls’ High will be eyeing the silverware when they contest the final of the Eastern Cape Spar Hockey Challenge in Gqeberha this weekend.
The tournament’s final round kicks off on Saturday and culminates in the title-decider being played the following day at Victoria Park High School‘s Astroturf.
You can catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
The five teams qualified for the final after winning their respective regional tournaments during the season.
DSG Makhanda booked their ticket to the final with a 3-1 win over Kingswood College back in May.
In that tournament, which was hosted by Kingswood, DSG also made light work of Volkskool Graaff-Reinet, winning 7-0, before thumping Die Brandwag 8-0. They were made to work hard by Union High, whom they beat 2-1 in the semi-finals.
They’ll enter the final week of the Spar Hockey Challenge high in confidence after finishing term two on a high with a 2-1 K-Day win over Kingswood last month.
Coach Geowynne Gamiet’s side welcomes back their Eastern Province players who participated in the SASHOC National Weeks over the holidays.
The Holderness sisters, Lucy and Abigail, who have been immense for the Makhanda side this season, shone at the provincial weeks.
Lucy inspired her u16 side to win gold and was named the Player of the Tournament, while Abigail’s performances in the u18A section secured her selection for the SA u17 squad. They’ll have a big role to play in their side’s title challenge.
For Clarendon, making the final was far from easy, and it took a sudden death penalty shootout win over Hudson Park to secure them their spot.
Aside from that tension-filled win, their 2024 season has been topsy-turvy, and coach Luaan Sedras will be looking for more consistency from his team as they aim to close the year on a high.
Their final match before the mid-year break brought them a 5-0 win over Stirling High School. Clarendon takes on Hudson Park on Friday afternoon, and a win there could be the confidence boost the team needs ahead of a demanding weekend.
Meanwhile, Pearson High School won’t be lacking in confidence when they take to the turf on the weekend.
The Gqeberha-based side is enjoying a season to remember and, despite not winning as many matches as they would’ve liked, they are playing an entertaining brand of hockey.
Before the mid-year break, they defeated Woodridge College 3-0 with SA u16 star Lisa de Villiers scoring twice, before Nyssa Slabbert added a further goal to her team’s tally.
To reach the final, coach Ignatius Malgraff‘s troops had to get past a strong Collegiate team, but they pulled off a 1-0 victory in a tightly contested affair.
They have already faced fellow finalists DSG and York this year, playing to a 3-3 draw against the Makhanda outfit, while they defeated the latter 4-1 away from home.
York High and Queenstown Girls’ High will enter the last round of competition as the underdogs.
York, led by head coach MJ Meyer, participated in the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival in Cape Town and punched above their weight to finish in 21st place out of 40 teams.
Queenstown Girls’ High are also not to be taken lightly and they will aim to spring a few surprises against teams who might not be familiar with their style of play.
Day 1 | Fixtures
13:30 – DSG Makhanda vs Pearson High
14:00 – York High vs Clarendon
14:30 – DSG Makhanda vs Queenstown Girls’ High
15:00 – York High vs Pearson High
15:30 – Clarendon vs Queenstown Girls’ High
16:00 – York High vs DSG Makhanda
16:30 – Pearson High vs Clarendon
Day 2 | Fixtures
08:00 – Pearson High vs Queenstown Girls’ High
09:00 – Clarendon vs DSG Makhanda
09:30 – Queenstown Girls’ High vs York High
10:15 – Semi-final 1
10:45 – Semi-final 2
11:30 – Bronze medal match
12:00 – Final
