TCOB let in soft goals to Manawatu Premier hockey leaders

Calum Wilbur would like to see some personnel changes made to TCOB in 2019.

Tech College Old Boys will be thinking about personnel changes for the 2019 Manawatu Premier season, as they should have been better performers than the 6-0 loss to table topping College A on Saturday.

Up against it at the Twin Turfs, TCOB actually played competitive hockey in the first 10 minutes, having a full squad other than veteran Craig Ritani.

"We started well then made some changes, and conceded two very, very soft goals," said senior player Calum Wilbur, who added his actual language watching from the sideline after his shift change was not printable.

"Second quarter, two goals. Similar again – bad marking."

TCOB had the better of territory in the third quarter of the match, at one point created a 3 vs 1 situation with the College goalie, yet they still couldn't score.

College scored again from a straight strike at the short corner, and then in the fourth quarter they got some luck they didn't even need as a reverse drag flick somehow found the tiny gap between the corner and goal keeper.

Wilbur said the issue is not up the front, where the likes of striker Lee Moir has been doing his best with what is available, but somewhere after the halfway to 25m area the ball stops coming onto the stick from those passes.

"We just need to cut some dead weight. We made subs because we had subs [and then College scored.

"The link up play from the young guys was good."

It points to changes in the squad next year which may well focus on promoting youth players, with the option for others to consider committing to the Friday night league games at Gonville Domain

TCOB (2-1-8) will wrap up their season this Saturday down in Levin against MCOB (3-3-5), both teams out of playoff contention, but with TCOB looking for payback from the 3-1 loss at Gonville in early June, where the home side scored first but ran out of legs in the second half.

The team have hired a bus for their annual social outing with a long trip back to town planned.

After their bye week, the table topping Whanganui Women will prepare for their Premier Reserve Women's game against High School Hockey Club Evergreens, who handed them their only defeat for the season with a 1-0 loss in May.

That match is a 12pm at the Twin Turfs, while TCOB's match is 1.30pm in Levin.