Goals galore as Selborne, Grey, St Andrew’s win big in the Eastern Cape
There was a healthy total of 43 goals scored in seven matches on the weekend as Eastern Cape hockey teams returned to turf action after the mid-year break.
The big winners were Selborne College, the Gqeberha duo of Grey High School and Pearson High, and Makhanda’s St Andrew’s College.
Selborne outplayed Hudson Park 6-1 at home, while coach Andrew Beynon’s high-flying Grey side beat York 7-0.
Meanwhile, Pearson had a double header weekend. On Friday, they began it with a 4-0 win over Victoria Park. The following day, they rattled the back of the net with 11 against Reddam House Waterfall.
The action began on Friday night in East London as Selborne, who have enjoyed an outstanding season, went in search of a first win of the third term. They were up against an unpredictable Hudson side.
The boys in black and white had rolled to 6-2 win last time out against Stirling High in June, while Hudson had shared a 2-2 draw with Queen’s College in their final term two encounter.
The visitors started the brighter of the sides, at least on defence, effectively handling Selborne’s offensive forays early in the first chukka.
However, with five minutes left in the first quarter, skipper Tre’ Gilbert struck to open the scoring for Selborne.
In the second quarter, they added two more goals through Thomas Caswell, while Hudson pulled one back to go into half-time trailing 1-3.
The hosts scored three more in the second half through Jaques van der Merwe to complete the drubbing and kick off their term on a positive note.
“I was extremely happy with our ability to move the throughout the field tonight and make Hudson work for the ball,” Selborne head coach, KJ Friend told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.
“Our rotations through the field were probably at the best they’ve been all season.
“Considering it’s our first game back since last term, I was happy, and I am looking forward to how we can build on the performance.”
In Gqeberha, Grey High defused a motivated York side to also get their third term up and running at a sprint. In their last match before the holidays, Grey had been made to work hard for a 2-1 win over St Andrew’s College in Makhanda.
Loaded with Eastern Province u18A players, Grey, as they have done for the majority of the season, comfortably controlled the game. They started a little slowly but soon kicked into a higher gear in front of a buzzing crowd at the Rectory AstroTurf.
Logan Goddard-Ford opened the scoring after smooth interlinking play, which gave the Gqeberha boys a 1-0 lead at halftime.
After the break, it rained goals, with Kian Cambier (2), Xander Elkington, Ben Ristow, Luke Tait, and Cayden Skinnette all getting onto the scoresheet.
“I thought we moved the ball the nicely as a team and worked hard out of possession,” coach Beynon said after the encounter. “However, we did not convert enough opportunities, so it was 1-0 at halftime.
“We dominated possession and territory once again [in the second half] but were a lot more clinical and scored some wonderful goals. Not our night in terms of penalty corners, but a good start after the mid-season break,” he added.
In Makhanda, coach Dean Ferriera’s St Andrew’s side got off to a flying start, thumping Woodridge College 5-0.
Goal scorers’ Samuel Scheckter, Connor McNamara, Jono Mackenzie, Jean de Villiers, and Laurie Apps ensured it was a good day for the home side.
Cambridge and Stirling were also on the winning side in their weekend outings.
Stirling edged out Dale 3-2 in Qonce, while Cambridge took home a 3-1 win against Merrifield College.
The action continues next weekend, with Selborne traveling to Komani to face Queen’s College, while Grey High prepares to take on Grey College in Bloemfontein, and St Andrew’s welcomes Dale College to Makhanda.
Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
Eastern Cape Results
Stirling High School 3-2 Dale College
Selborne College 6-1 Hudson Park
Grey High School 7-0 York High School
St Andrew’s College 5-0 Woodridge College
Cambridge High School 3-1 Merrifield
Pearson High 4-0 Victoria Park
Pearson High 11-0 Reddam House Waterfall
