Pietermaritzburg derby and Kearsney-Northwood to kickstart KZN’s hockey weekend

Maritzburg College and St Charles College will duke it out on Pape’s Astro, and Kearsney will welcome Northwood to Mason’s Astro, in blockbuster matches that are set to light up Friday night.
Kyle Emerson’s Maritzburg College enters the contest on the back of a 3-3 thriller against Westville – a match the coach felt his charges should have won.
His team dominated possession but were not sufficiently adept at converting that possession into goals in the final third.
Emerson pointed out that his side won seven penalty corners but managed to convert only two. However, the College gaffer was not too worried. That’s a part of the game that can be rectified.
He was happy that his strikers were growing in confidence in the D. They will need that when they cross swords with St Charles. The schools have a history of delivering edge-of-the-seat encounters.
“The Maritzburg derby is one of those fiercely fought matches. Last year, we played them at home, under lights, dominated possession, but couldn’t find the winning goal,” Emerson shared. “But having said that, St Charles also had a strong team that had two SA Schools players [one u18A and one u16B], and they brought the fight to us. They could have won the game. Fortunately, for us, they hit the post.”
Matthew Coombes’ charges will walk onto the field determined to go one better than last year’s deadlock and record a victory. Should they pull it off, the Connor Riley-captained side would become the first St Charles team to overcome College on Pape’s Astro. But given what Emerson and his charges have prepared for them, it will be an uphill battle.
“This year, we hope to be assertive and establish our dominance early. The way the team has been playing, I think we will be able to control most of the game. It will come down to whether or not we can put on the finishing touches,” Emerson explained.
College will also be buoyed by the presence of some of last year’s u16 players in their lineup. That group has good memories against St Charles on Pape’s. They won 1-0 in 2023.
In Botha’s Hill, Kearsney will host Northwood. Justin Collins’ team is looking to bounce back after a 0-1 loss to Clifton last week.
Despite that defeat, Northwood, in typical fashion, took the fight to Clifton. It is the same style of play that Collins employs when he coaches the SA u17 and KZN men’s hockey teams. It is also an approach that Ashley Kemp has prepared his Kearsney side for this season.
Kemp takes pride in his side’s defensive abilities and sees good defence as an opportunity to lay a foundation for an effective offence.
There’s been little to separate Kearsney and Northwood in the recent past. In 2022, they drew 0-0, and last year they shared an intense 1-1 draw at Northwood.
Kemp’s charges have been prolific in front of goal this season and have scored 11 goals in their past three matches. Two of those ended in draws and the other was a win. That track record will give them confidence as they look to register a victory at home, where they own an outstanding record.
“It is our first home match under lights, and we should have at least 90 percent of the learners there,” Kemp said.
“Justin Collins is an outstanding coach, I think it’s going to be an epic battle.”
Glenwood will have their Friday night encounter about 570 kms away when Braydon Naidoo’s team squares up to Parktown Boys’ High in Johannesburg in a derby for the first time.
Besides their u16 sides meeting at the Founders Festival last year, the schools have not run into each other in recent years.
“We attend different festivals and tournaments. However, there is mutual respect. I hear that they are doing wonderful things with their hockey programme.
“Hopefully we can make it a yearly exchange and grow it from there. We are going to host Parktown next year down here,” Naidoo said.
Fixtures
Maritzburg College vs St Charles College
Kearsney College vs Northwood School
Parktown Boys’ High School vs Glenwood High School
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