Waikato Premier Hockey Report – Week 4

28/04/2013

Vaughan Hilton reporting for Waikato Hockey:

In the match of Round Four of the Waikato Premier Hockey competition Fraser Tech Men retained the annual Rae-Martin Memorial Shield with a comprehensive first half display against Hamilton Old Boys. Alec Wilson gave Tech the early lead and then the shield holders stamped their authority on the game when Nick Woods converted a low drag flicked PC and then Heath Sinclair converted from the field in quick succession. Jimmy Linehan showed his class when wrong footing Old Boys keeper Andrew Lock in a one on one scoring with a deft reverse from an acute angle to extend the lead to 4-0 at the break. Old Boys created several chances but a combination of poor option taking and good goal tending by Tech’s Craig Armstrong left them without reward. That trend continued throughout a scoreless second stanza and after another near miss from a goal mouth scramble Tech launched a fast break with Luke Coxhead to the fore drawing the defense to find an unmarked Matt Taylor in front of goal who duly converted to complete the scoring for a well deserved 5-0 victory. Tech Coach Doug Sommerville although pleased with the final score, still wanted more clinical finishing from his talented strikers as they head towards the semi’s in a fortnight. Old Boys Coach Lloyd Stephenson conceded his team was played out of the contest after the first half and that Tech was the better side on the day.

CBD University were made to work hard for goals early on in their match against Ecolab Te Awamutu and a fortuitous opening goal from a raised cross finished off by Matt Rees-Gibbs opened the floodgates. Gaurav Correa extended the lead as Te Awamutu’s youngsters dropped their intensity and Abir Mukherjee added a third almost from the restart. Ben Coxhead replied to give his Te Awamutu side a semblance of hope but a couple of crucial injuries left the youngsters again vulnerable. Correa took full toll to restore the three goal lead going into the break. The students came out firing on all cylinders in the second half with Rees-Gibbs completing a hat trick, Connor Herewini, Nick Trebelcock and an own goal adding to the students tally for a 9-1 victory.

Three own goals were a feature in CKL Suburbs first win for the season over bottom placed Admore Promotions University. They led 3 nil at the break with Matt Luxford scoring twice. Jury Herewini and Joshua Shepherd completed the scoring in the 7-0 win elevating Suburbs into 4th ahead of Te Awamutu on the table. The two sides will meet next week with the latter now needing to beat Suburbs to earn a semi final spot.

Tempers flared in the Storage King University match against Hamilton Old Girls as frustrations over the negative and deeply defensive tactics employed by Old Girls throughout boiled over. The tactics paid initial dividends as the students failed to penetrate the compacted screens and only a lone Kim Tanner goal just before half time broke the deadlock. A fired up University side rattle in six second half goals, the first three taking less than five minutes to convert. Cat Pollock, Emma Andrews, and Olivia Scotland bagged two goals apiece maintaining the students’ top spot on the points table. Old Girls will need to employ a more positive attitude next week to make the semi finals as they now must beat McWhannell Roofing Suburbs after they drew with the more fancied Fraser Tech Blue side 1 all. Suburbs were rocked early after Alex Lukin converted a penalty stroke awarded in the opening minutes to give Tech the early advantage. Suburbs were again without key playmaker Kate Mahon but showed character as they thwarted any further Tech scoring. They earned a share of the points when Luisa Balsom converted from a controversially awarded PC. The women’s match of the day was easily that between Fraser Tech White and Ecolab Te Awamutu. Although winless to date, Te Awamutu showed glimpses of old when they took the game to Tech and were immediately rewarded when Maddie McLean gave them the lead. Tech’s Kate Kernaghan leveled the scores with a low driven PC conversion and Bronte Angell bagged a first half brace to wrest the advantage away from a gutsy Te Awamutu side. Imogen Neil extended Tech’s advantage before the break. Te Awamutu started the second spell like the first and Mihi Waaka converted from a PC to reduce the deficit. Lizzie Travis restored the three goal cushion for Tech and youngster Acacia Kelson rewarded her coach Robyn Polley’s faith in her with a well taken field goal to complete the scoring. Tech White can top the table with a win in the yet to be completed match against Old Girls on Monday night and their next week’s top of the table clash against University looks set to be the match of the final round.

 

See the Waikato Times report here: Fraser Tech Continue Domination.