Hockey: Defeat hurts Wanganui girls

Emma Rainey (right) scored against Waikato on Tuesday at the New Zealand Under-18 girls' tournament in Nelson, but it was not enough to keep Wanganui in the hunt for a top-eight spot. Photo/Bevan Conley

The Wanganui Under-18 girls are out of contention for a top-eight spot at the New Zealand hockey tournament in Nelson after a 1-0 defeat to Hawke's Bay yesterday.

Day one on Monday was a real confidence booster for the Wanganui girls when they blitzed Bay of Plenty 7-0, but the rot began to set in on Tuesday when they were found wanting in a 3-2 loss to Waikato after the team were expecting a victory.

Team manager Kellie Watkin conceded it was a disappointing result for the girls and wasn't helped by two yellow cards within a few minutes.

"We were expecting to play well against Waikato, who didn't even make the plate [competition] last year, but we found ourselves 2-1 down early and then we received two yellow cards within minutes of each other when Aleisha Rainey and Tegan Edwards were sin-binned," Watkin said yesterday.

"All of a sudden we were two players down for eight minutes and Waikato scored their third goal. We did claw a goal back, but we just didn't seem to fire all game really."

Wanganui goal scorers against Waikato were Jessica Brougham and Emma Rainey.

"That loss against Waikato meant we were in a must-win or draw situation against Hawkes Bay," Watkin said.

Unfortunately, the Wanganui girls went down 1-0 to the Bay.

Coach Haley Mallinder said it was a tight game and while the Wanganui girls had chances they simply could not convert them into points.

"We just couldn't hold on to the ball and that was the difference really," Mallinder said.

"The girls are very disappointed they could not make the top eight to give them the opportunity to better our fourth place in this competition last season. We still have a full roster of matches coming up, but we will be playing off for ninth to 16th now."