MEN – INDIANS 3
DALEFIELD 4
Farriers Dalefield turned on a strong final quarter performance to come away from the National Hockey Stadium [NHS] with a hard-fought 4-3 win over the defending Wellington Premier Men’s champions Indians on Saturday,
Indians had the better of the start to the game, forcing Dalefield goalkeeper Xander Redgrave into making some good early saves.
Despite the home team pressure, it was Dalefield who took the lead with a counterattacking goal to Rowan Yeo, followed two minutes later by a second to Kyle Craven.
Indians fought back with two goals in the second quarter before Yeo squeezed a shot into the top corner to make it 3-2 at halftime.
Indians had the better of the third period, forcing several penalty corners and creating shots on goal, and eventually scoring the equaliser.
The fourth quarter was all Dalefield after assistant coach Benedict van Woerkom put the hard word on the team to get their structures right.
“We started to string some passes together and controlled the last quarter, and the winning goal came with about six minutes to play through Hamish Finlayson, who got a deflection on a long ball from Daniel van Woerkom,” Benedict van Woerkom said.
“The fourth quarter is one that we will put in the back pocket as one to remember for future games, for how we controlled the game.”
Benedict van Woerkom said Jayan Pabhu had an outstanding game at the back, and Yeo took the game by the scruff of the neck in the final quarter, and his leadership shone through.
Dalefield are third in the championship on six points, behind Harbour City [10] and Hutt United [9].
WOMEN – KARORI 0 DALEFIELD 4
Try and try, and try again, but Farriers Dalefield could not find a way past a stubborn Karori defence to score a fifth goal and claim a valuable bonus point in the Wellington Premier Women’s Championship.
Dalefield dominated from the start at the NHS, opening the scoring through Brigette Mossman in the first two minutes, with Emma McLeod adding the second in the first period.
After a scoreless second quarter, Charlize Baron made it 3-0 in the third quarter, and McLeod scored her second in the final quarter to set up a frantic final few minutes.
Co-coach Michael O’Connor said it was a case of Dalefield being all over Karori, who dug in on defence, with Wairarapa representative goalkeeper Michaela Chan outstanding.
“We were camped in their 22 for all of that quarter just about,” O’Connor said.
“It’s good to have the win, and we threw everything at it, and it was a little bit frustrating not to get that goal, but we’re certainly not going to be negative about winning like that; it was good.”
O’Connor was impressed with the intent and determination of his players and was thrilled to keep the opposition scoreless for a second consecutive game.
Dalefield are on 11 points, second equal with Harbour City. They face a tricky doubleheader this weekend – at home to Hutt United on Saturday and away to Northern United on Sunday. WOMEN – WAIRARAPA WAHINE TOA
COLLEGE OLD BOYS
Wairarapa Wahine Toa picked up their first win of the Manawatu Premier Women’s Championship, thrashing a weak College Old Boys side 52-0.
The game marked a special occasion for the Wairarapa side, with the opening of the refurbished clubrooms in the historic Solway Showgrounds grandstand and the first performance of their new haka.
Disappointingly College Old Boys only turned up with 10 players and only fielded 15 because of Wahine Toa loaned them some players for the day.
LANE PENN TROPHY PROVISIONAL POINTS
North:
Pioneer 14; Marist 10; Eketahuna 7; East Coast 3
South:
Martinborough 14; Carterton 11; Greytown 5; Gladstone 0
