Hockey: Old boys use physics to defeat schoolboys

KEEP IT CLOSE: TCOB's Lee Moir (left) looks to control the ball away from PNBHS captain Jason Peel. Photo/Devyn Staines

The welcome return of a club veteran and a tactful reminder from their coach that it was boys playing men helped lift the Tech College Old Boys to their second Manawatu League win of the season, beating Palmerston North Boys High School 2-0 at Gonville on Saturday.

TCOB regular Bryce McKenzie, who has been trotting out in the local Friday evening competition in 2014, rejoined the Division 1 side and scored the first of their goals in the second half, with player/coach Trent Williamson adding the other.

"I set Bryce up off the penalty corner, and my one was [when] the fullback gave it to me at the top of the circle and I smashed it," Williamson said.

Also having another strong match was Callum Wilbur, who picked up the player of the day award.

Williamson had told his side before the match that they had to win all the 50-50 possessions against the Manawatu teenagers, given they had a natural weight advantage to exploit.

"At the end of the day, it's just physics. It was a physical game. They want to play men's hockey, and we brought the physical side of it."

Having Colleen Baylis in the dugout again had made a "world of difference", because with Williamson focusing on playing, the astute Baylis was able to run the bench and organise substitutions every seven minutes, rather than players waiting until they felt tired before looking towards the sideline.

A decent crowd watched the match, having stayed after the local women's derby, with a late goal by Maggie Symes lifting Collegians to a 1-0 win over the TCOB women.

Both sides had light benches due to players being unavailable, as the match settled into the predictable pattern of Collegians getting a territorial advantage throughout the contest, but being unable to put away their plucky town mates with their top-shelf goalie.

"We missed a lot, Techno defended really well," said Collegians manager Kellie Watkin.

"I can't count how many times we went off the post, or Melissa [Hylton] saved.

"There was three minutes to go when we scored. We pulled it out of the hat."

Techno player Kylie Penn gave credit to their home-town opposition.

"The Collegians passed the ball quite nicely. I thought they did better than us.

"Techno had quite a few shots on goal, got into the circle.

"[But we] didn't have a complete defending game."

Techno will be the only team in action this Saturday as they face the High School Hockey Club Rebels in the Bottom 3 draw, while Collegians and the TCOB men have the bye.

No one is sure how the grade works with three teams, leading into the semifinal weekend on August 16, followed by finals day the following week.

The focus for all three Wanganui teams will be maintaining enough numbers to front, given that end-of-season blues can thin already small rosters, while a number of players need game time ahead of representative tournaments in September.

"Hopefully we keep what we've got going, especially for next year," said Williamson.

Penn, who will be part of an end-of-year Wanganui team, also wants game time and her side to rally against the Rebels.

"They're beatable, and we'll give them a good challenge."