Paarl Gim wary of a Herschel side hunting revenge on home turf
Herschel Girls School and Paarl Gimnasium lock horns on Friday night in a highly anticipated derby in the Western Cape.
The clash, which will be broadcast live on the SuperSport Schools App, kicks off at 19:00 at Herschel’s main AstroTurf, in Cape Town.
The sides will meet for the second time this season, having tackled each other in the final of the Belgotex Sport Girls Challenge in Paarl last month.
That meeting was closely contested. There was nothing to separate the teams after four chukkas, with the match a goalless draw at the end of regulation time. It, then, went to penalties, and the home side kept their nerve to secure a 3-2 win.
A lot has happened since that triumph, with Gim maintaining their unbeaten run in the province while Herschel has endured a bumpier ride.
Since winning the silverware, coach Danelle van Zyl‘s side has beaten HMS Bloemhof 2-1, Parel Vallei 3-1, and Hoërskool Durbanville 3-0.
While the margins of victory in those matches may seem close, Gim has dominated, playing their style of hockey as they continue to fine-tune their approach.
They’ll come up against a Herschel side that’s taken many by surprise this season. The girls from Claremont have produced some outstanding hockey, but their last four outings have produced mix results.
Since the Girls Challenge, they have played Rhenish Girls’ High, Springfield Convent School, Stellenberg High, and Fairmont High.
They won 2-0 against Springfield in the Herschfield Derby, drew 1-1 with Rhenish and Fairmont, but went down 2-3 against Stellenberg.
Bouncing back in front of their home supporters will be Herschel’s agenda, and they’ll view an opportunity to take down the team that beat them in the final of the Girls Challenge as an enticing opportunity. After that, they’ll have a week off before facing DF Malan in their last fixture of the term on 20 June.
Also on Friday, St Cyprian’s School hosts Rustenburg Girls’ High. Last time out, St Cyprian’s drew 2-2 with Durbanville. Rustenburg, meanwhile, suffered a narrow 2-3 loss to Reddam House Constantia.
On Saturday, Springfield visits Fairmont High for a 10:00 clash.
WESTERN CAPE GIRLS’ FIXTURES
Friday, 6 June
18:35 – Rustenburg Girls’ vs St Cyprian’s School
19:00 – Herschel Girls School vs Paarl Gimnasium
Saturday, 7 June
10:00 – Fairmont High vs Springfield Convent School
