Brigette Mossman starred with four goals against Toa. PHOTOS/FILE
HOCKEY
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
MEN
Tawa Titans 0
Dalefield 5
Farriers Dalefield got the bonus-point victory they were after, but it wasn’t always pretty, according to player-co-coach Dane Lett.
Dalefield were expected to run away with the game against a Tawa side who are in only their second year in the Wellington Hockey Premier Championship, and Lett felt there were some good patches, but it wasn’t a consistent performance.
“We were really dominant, and they only got into our circle three or four times in the whole match,” Lett said.
“We did a good job making sure they had no opportunities, and we had about 80 per cent possession, but in the back of your mind you know you should be walking out of those games with maximum points.”
Star of the show was Marcus Ambrose who scored his first hat-trick for the team, with a goal in the second quarter and two in the third quarter.
“Marcus probably had the best game I’ve seen him play for a long time, and the goals were a nice addition, but he did some really good stuff off the ball and setting up others,” said Lett.
Wairarapa College student Alex Clark also impressed, while Graeme Murrell, in the first quarter, and Dylan Price in the final period were the other goal-scorers.
All goals were field goals, with Dalefield failing to capitalise on seven or eight penalty corners, although Lett said that was mainly because the team hadn’t practised many, and he expected that set piece to become a valuable tool as the season progressed.
WOMEN
Toa 1
Dalefield 8
Brigette Mossman starred for Farriers Dalefield with four goals in their convincing win over Toa in the Wellington Hockey Women’s Premier Championship at the National Hockey Stadium.
The striker made her presence felt in the opening five minutes, scoring a brace. Abby Crawley, with two, Maddie Taylor, and Rosie Rooderkirk also got on the scoresheet against one of the competition’s lesser teams.
Despite dominating possession and territory, Dalefield led by only 4-1 at halftime and again at the end of the third quarter.
“The first two quarters we drifted away a little bit on what we were trying to do. We talked before the game about how we wanted to play with a good passing game, but we drifted into a bit of individual dribbling,” said coach Michael O’Connor.
“At the end of the third quarter we talked about how we were controlling the game and we wanted to push to get that bonus point and not let them score.
“The girls really ramped up their effort in the fourth quarter and it was really good, and we got those four goals.”
O’Connor was thrilled with the contribution of Mossman, one of the team’s unsung heroes.
“She doesn’t always get the rewards that she deserves.”
