Hilton College holds off St John’s in Clifton Water Polo Tournament final
Hilton College lifted the Clifton Water Polo Tournament title on Sunday afternoon after a hard-fought 10-8 victory over St John’s College.
The victory marked a successful return to the Clifton Aquatic Centre for Hilton coach Paul Martin, who had previously headed up Clifton’s water polo programme for a decade.
In the title game, the Midlands’ school opened the scoring after three minutes when their talisman, Tristan Uys, let rip with a pinpoint missile from long range, into the left-hand corner. He, then, made it 2-0 with a five-metre penalty, confidently converted with a bounce shot into the right corner.
When St John’s faced Clifton College in the semi-finals, their heavy press eventually told after they went two goals down, but, against Hilton, they faced a team with some hugely experienced players, who dealt more convincingly with the pressure.
However, St John’s, as they did in the semi-finals, levelled at 2-2. With less than two minutes to play in the opening chukka, they outflanked Hilton on the left to open their account through Fu-Nam Chen. Then, just before the end of the six minutes, one of their dangermen, Christopher Chapman released a rocket to tie the contest.
Hilton, though, responded almost immediately, winning a penalty, which Uys converted to complete his hat-trick. Their swift replies were a feature of the final.
Then, with only seconds remaining in the quarter, St John’s earned a penalty, too, but goalkeeper Trent Chubb stoned the shot to ensure Hilton led after the first chukka.
Early in the second chukka, St John’s levelled, with Chapman scoring from a similar position to where he fired in their second. Once again, though, it was Tristan Uys who inspired a response from Hilton, winning a penalty and slotting it to put his team in front again.
St John’s was a man up just before the end of the chukka, but Hilton stood firm, with goalkeeper Chubb stopping a shot from the left to end the danger.
Early in the second half, Andrew Schnell, a standout lock for the Hilton 1st XV, extended his side’s advantage to two goals by confidently lobbing the goalkeeper. Soon after that, Hilton’s lead was up to 6-3 when Bradley van Loggerenberg struck from close range.
St John’s needed to score next, and they did, with Nicholas Searle converting a penalty. The Johannesburg school, then, counterattacked with a three-on-two opportunity, but they were stymied by the goalkeeper, who pulled off a superb stop with his left hand.
Hilton quickly moved the ball up the pool and it was the excellent Tristan Uys who made St John’s pay, slotting his fifth goal with a spectacular helicopter shot to make it 7-4.
Uys, though, blotted his copybook when he picked up a red card shortly after that. St John’s, maybe, had been handed an opportunity to get back into the game, and Simon Mussett released an accurate shot into the far corner to get his team to within two.
St John’s could have pulled to within a goal when Nicholas Searle took a penalty, but his shot hit the inside of the right post and stayed out.
Hilton, after regaining possession, quickly got the ball down the pool to Mitchel Garreau. Through on the ‘keeper in a one-on-one, he was fouled. Garreau took on the responsibility of the penalty shot, beating the ‘keeper to the netminder’s right to make it 8-5 after three chukkas.
When Chapman was kicked out early in the fourth chukka, Hilton coach, Paul Martin, immediately called a timeout and summoned his team to plot a decisive goal-scoring move. St John’s, though, turned over possession and moved the ball forward quickly, resulting in them winning a penalty.
Simon Mussett took advantage of the chance and buried the ball in the back of the net to make it 8-6 to Hilton. Almost immediately, though, Hilton won a penalty shot at the other end of the Clifton Aquatic Centre pool and Mitchel Garreau increased the Hilton advantage to three goals once more.
No question about it, St John’s needed to score next. Good ball movement created space for Nicholas Searle, and he finished from close range with just less than two minutes remaining.
Once again, though, Hilton quickly answered, with Garreau beating the ‘keeper at the right-hand post to make it 10-7.
Luke Shipway replied for St John’s in no time at all, firing across the goalie and into the far corner to ensure there would be a tense finish.
The Johannesburg boys attacked and put Hilton under pressure, but Garrick Phillips pulled off a critical turnover to end the danger. Again, St John’s attacked, but Thomas Taylor blocked a shot on goal to keep coach Jon-Marc de Carvalho‘s boys at bay.
The final minute brought a number of turnovers by both defences before time expired, leaving Hilton College the winners by 10 goals to eight.
Their ability to quickly respond to their oppositions’ goals was their superpower throughout the event, and their offence had a sharper edge than they any other side’s attack.
Third place went to Clifton College, who got their noses in front against Kearsney College early and they stayed just out of reach of their KZN rivals, who kept threatening to overhaul them, to claim a 9-7 win.
It was an encouraging showing from a team without a single grade 12 player in the lineup and, with enviable depth in the junior ranks, the Durban school is poised to be a serious contender in the coming seasons in big tournaments everywhere.
For Kearsney, an experienced side, it was, perhaps, a bit of a disappointing tournament, only because a team of their quality would have had their sights set on the title.
SACS, who had been somewhat inconsistent throughout the event, had Selborne‘s number in the fifth-place playoff, cruising to a 9-3 win.
Michaelhouse ended seventh after an 11-7 win over Reddam House Constantia.
Meanwhile, Durban High School (DHS), who had finished fourth in the very tough Pool C, showed that their group stage opponents had got off lightly by ending ninth with an emphatic 9-4 win over Westville Boys’ High, who had finished above them in their group where they edged out DHS 9-8.
Affies, who had ended second in Pool B, ultimately finished 11th after a comfortable 12-5 victory over Paul Roos.
Northwood placed 13th following a 14-6 defeat of Maritzburg College, and King Edward VII (KES) picked up their first win in their last outing, romping to a 17-3 win over Grey College.
RESULTS
15/16: KES 17-3 Grey College
13/14: Northwood 14-6 Maritzburg College
11/12: Affies 12-5 Paul Roos Gimnasium
9/10: Durban High School 9-4 Westville Boys’ High
7/8: Michaelhouse 11-7 Reddam House Constantia
5/6: SACS 9-3 Selborne College
3/4: Clifton College 9-7 Kearsney College
1/2: Hilton College 10-8 St John’s College
