Felicity Reidy crosses the ball in Northern United’s circle. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
HOCKEY
CHRIS COGDALE
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MEN
DALEFIELD10
NORTHERN UNITED 1
Farriers Dalefield made no race of their Wellington Premier Championship match, cruising to a bonus point victory at Clareville on Saturday.
The home side were given a boost with the late inclusion of Black Stick and player-co-coach Dane Lett, who was available after the postponement of the international series with Australia because of covid-19.
Dalefield dominated from the outset, scoring inside the first minute and having the bonus point for winning by five goals all but secured with a 6-0 halftime lead.
Although the game was one-sided, Lett was happy with the Dalefield effort.
“There were some patches in there that we want to play a little bit cleaner,” said Lett.
“We were 6-0 up at halftime, and when that happens, you can try and take a few shortcuts and take the easy route to try and get goals. When we did that, we didn’t look as good.”
Lett felt the team had an average third quarter before hitting their stride in the final period with some good team goals.
“The goals we were scoring were not one person doing something special, it was three or four passes in a row, and everyone just doing their job, which is what we’ve practicing and working towards, so that was one of the most pleasing things for us.
Lett led the way with four goals, including three from penalty corners, while Wairarapa College students Alex Clark and Zac Hardie scored two each, and Rowan Yeo and Dylan Price netted once.
Pace catches Dalefield out
WOMEN
DALEFIELD 1
NORTHERN UNITED 4
Northern United were too fast and too sharp for defending champions Farriers Dalefield in their Wellington Premier Women’s match at the Trust House Wairarapa Hockey Complex on Saturday.
In an even encounter, the visitors made the most of opportunities to stamp their claim as one of the championship favourites.
Northern’s first goal came in the first quarter before Abby Crawley equalised in the second period.
A brilliant field goal involving three pinpoint passes from a counterattack restored Northern’s lead.
Two goals from penalty corners, one each in the third and fourth quarters, wrapped up a convincing victory.
Dalefield had their fair share of possession and territory but lacked the sharpness in the attacking third to create clear-cut opportunities.
They were also punished for giving away possession too easily at times, a point not lost on coach Michael O’Connor.
“I felt like a few of the mistakes let them in the game a bit more than they should have been, but they’re a very good team, and I won’t take that away from them,” O’Connor said.
“Our girls tried real hard, and some things came off, some things didn’t, and there are plenty of work-ons, but it’s only early in the season.
“I think we had more possession, but we have to learn how to use it properly and get a result from it. But that’s coming hopefully, and at the end of the year, we’ll be in the mix.”
Dalefield were caught out several times with the pace of Northern’s counterattack, with former Black Stick Amy Robinson, Sophie Macadre, and Georgia Garden-Bachop usually to the fore.
“They’re quick, they’re organised, so we have to make sure when we play against teams like that we’re up for the challenge,” said O’Connor.
“In a few instances, they got the ball away quite quickly to someone that was loose on the outside on the opposite side of the turf, and we didn’t clean that up well enough.
“We were put under pressure today, and we hadn’t had a game where we were right under that.”
Fifteen-year-old Emma McLeod was Dalefield’s player of the day.
Both Dalefield teams have next weekend off with the bye before playing fierce rivals Hutt United on May 21.
