Northwood puts on an incredible show to beat Westville under lights
Northwood fired three unanswered goals past Westville Boys’ High in their Hyundai Friday Night Lights encounter at Northwood, in Durban.
Coach Justin Collins’ side was clinical in their execution, on their way to a 3-0 victory over the visitors.
“Westville is one of our big games this season. It’s a big rivalry, so it was good to come away from it with a win,” Collins told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.
It was the Knights‘ first match since their Founders Festival campaign last month, where they recorded three wins and two draws from their five games.
Collins’ side kicked off their Founders’ fixtures with a 0-0 draw in their opener against Rondebosch, beat Dale College 2-0, overcame Queen’s College 3-1, then were held to a 1-1 draw by Paarl Gim, before triumphing 3-1 over Affies.
The two-week break between Founders and their meeting with Westville did not seem to negatively affect their form. There was no rustiness from Northwood. However, it was Westville who created the first chance to go ahead but the Northwood goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant save to thwart the effort.
When the home side mounted an unrelenting offensive in the last five minutes of the first chukka, their pressure won them a short corner, which they converted two and a half minutes before the break. Luc Boyall created space for himself on the right-hand side before he drilled the ball past the Westville net-minder.
The goal gave the hosts’ game impetus and they enjoyed the lion’s share of attacking play. Three minutes into the second chukka, Luke Allen doubled Northwood’s lead. After receiving a pass close to the halfway line, he made a brilliant run into the Westville circle before firing the ball into the back of the net.
The action oscillated from one end to the other. Westville was on the hunt for a goal to half Northwood’s lead, while the hosts were in search of a three-goal cushion. Fortune smiled upon Northwood. They were rewarded for their efforts with a penalty corner, which Kyle White smashed against the backboard at the end of the chukka.
Coach Cameron Mackay‘s charges kept working hard, despite facing a monumental mountain heading into the final chukka. They continued to ask questions of Northwood, but Collins’ men found answers to all the challenges posed to them.
To their credit, Northwood did not sit back to defend their three-goal lead. They also pushed hard in search of a fourth and the end-to-end action provided good entertainment.
“There were moments when we put ourselves under pressure, but in totality, we had a great game,” Collins reflected.
The victory was a good morale boost for the Knights ahead of a clash with Kearsney College next weekend.
RESULTS
Northwood 3-0 Westville
