PRG edges out Paarl Gim to hold onto Boland bragging rights
It was far from the prettiest hockey on display by the Hibbert Shield champions, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), but it proved good enough to secure a 1-0 win over their rivals, Paarl Gimnasium, in Paarl, on Friday evening.
The Stellenbosch school scored the contest’s only goal in the third chukka through Christo Swanepoel.
Rewatch the match on SuperSport Schools
PRG headed into the rivalry game licking their wounds after suffering a hefty 2-6 defeat at the hands of South African College High School (SACS) last week.
Gim, on the other hand, was in search of a first win since the Hibbert Shield after they had played to a 2-2 draw with Rondebosch Boys’ High a week ago.
In the most recent clashes between the schools, PRG had claimed the honours in 2023, winning 2-0, while they also scored a resounding 5-2 win in the Hibbert Shield quarterfinals earlier this month.
Just like they did in that quarterfinal in Gqeberha, they started the match brightly and could’ve opened the scoring within the first two minutes.
Joshua Smit, who earned his 50th cap for the team last week, played a through ball that found Callum van Oudsthoorn in space and, with a one-on-one against Gim’s shot-stopper Joe van Coller, he pulled his shot wide.
Soon after, Barend Geldenhuys created a golden opportunity for himself after captain Reuben Sendzul found him in space, but he, too, failed to hit the target.
Gim struggled to gain a foothold in the match and were forced to play most of the first chukka in their own half.
The second quarter was a replica of the first with coach Michael Baker’s PRG troops creating opportunities and coming close to scoring, but they failed to capitalise on the opportunities they created.
They were awarded four penalty corners, and skipper, Sendzul, the Paul Roos drag flicker, who appeared to have found his groove in recent weeks, struggled under the lights.
However, in the third chukka, the Maroon Machine finally broke through with a variation from a penalty corner.
Instead of Sendzul attempting another shot on goal, he calmly picked out Swanepoel, who was in space and had time to get off a shot into the back of the net.
Baker’s side continued to create chances, but Van Coller had an answer for each and every shot, pulling off some superb saves, to keep coach Jacques Grobler’s charges in the match heading into the final chukka.
Unlike last week against SACS, where PRG’s defence was found wanting in the final quarter, Louan van Zyl, Hanno Basson, Swanepoel, Ruben Gouws and Keith Siebrits did massive work in the fourth chukka to keep their side’s slender lead intact.
Gim, who had been forced to defend the entire match, had an opportunity to draw level from a PC, but the injection wasn’t cleanly stopped, and the chance was squandered.
With about three minutes left, PRG’s goalkeeper Beor van Reenen saw his first action of the night. LD Nel let fly with a powerful shot, but Van Reenen reacted superbly to deny the Paarl Gim man.
That proved to be the last meaningful attack of the match and PRG returned to winning ways away from home.
Next week, Gim hosts Parel Vallei, while PRG welcomes Wynberg Boys’ High to the Maties Astroturf.
Scores
Paul Roos Gimnasium 1 (0): Christo Swanepoel. Paarl Gimnasium 0 (0).
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