St Mary’s DSG pushes Durban Girls’ College all the way in a classic clash

The cream of South African schoolgirls’ hockey was on show at St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) on Saturday, with the home side hosting St Mary’s Festival champions, Durban Girls’ College (DGC), on Founders Field.
Both coaches, Chardinay Penniston (DGC) and Carla Ann Mackay (St Mary’s DSG), can be justly proud of their respective team’s performances. It was a truly great game between two excellent hockey sides, with superb skill, a terrific tempo, beautiful ball speed, smart tactics, and flair on show.
On a hot autumn Saturday, DGC won the first chukka 2-0. Their first goal came down the right-hand side after an unfortunate misunderstanding between two St Mary’s players, with the hardworking Ruby Kraus receiving a neat pass from Cara Baker to score the first of her two goals off her front stick.
Offensive overheads and 40 m passes worked for DGC, resulting in them creating opportunities in the final third of St Mary’s DSG.
The first penalty corner, awarded by top umpire Richard Pentecost, went to St Mary’s. They went to a variation the first time up, with the injection not to either of the two castles but to the captain of the day, Cassandra Forbes, standing to the left of them.
The first chukka closed off with an Asanele Zuma tip-in goal from a DGC short corner, which left them looking comfortable at 2-0 in front heading into the second chukka.
Despite trailing, St Mary’s were not out of the game, and they showed character and good structure, well marshalled by their captain at the back, Cassandra Forbes.
Key player, Georgia Pollock (SA u18 last year), who is still recovering from a finger injury she picked up on St Mary’s tour of The Netherlands, would definitely have given her team more midfield control, balance, and experience.
Chelsea Woolf showed her class with a few penetrative runs and excellent vision, and through her DGC gained a number of dangerous circle entries.
Player of the match, DGC’s composed captain, Emily Macquet, controlled her side’s rhythm throughout the contest. She was also solid in defence, and in her role as the perfect pivot player on offence.
With Macquet controlling the middle of the field, St Mary’s DSG changed their tactics to play wide down the flanks of the visitors. This paid dividends, with the skilful Elizabeth Anderson scoring a well-deserved reverse stick goal for her team.
Chelsea Woolf earned a further short corner for DGC, from which Ruby Kraus sweetly struck the ball from castle one into the left-hand corner of the St Mary’s goal.
Later in the game, DGC was perhaps unfortunate to not be awarded a penalty stroke after a strong counterattack.
With Cassandra Forbes taking on a greater attacking role, St Mary’s were more dangerous, having found the space they wanted out wide, and they forced their way back into the game with a deflection goal by Nicola Forbes off a short corner.
Another industrious run by the creative Chelsea Woolf ended with her shot going just wide of the left post, but DGC took the honours 3-2 after a remarkable game of hockey.
The KwaZulu-Natal Coastal girls’ u18A team will, no doubt, include a good number of players from both DGC and St Mary’s DSG in what will certainly be a gold medal challenging team at the Inter-Provincial Tournament in Bloemfontein. It takes place from 15 to 21 June and is followed by a Tri-Series against Malaysia u18A and Namibia u18A a week later, from 28 June to 3 July.