Coach believes in the power of one

HIT AND HOPE: Collegians' Rebecca Baker hopes to find someone while PN College's Monica Hudson tries to intercept at Gonville Domain on Saturday. PHOTOS/ STUART MUNRO 060615WCSMHOCKEY9

COLLEGIANS coach Jan Dixon is calling for Wanganui's two Division I women's teams in the Manawatu League to merge again after both makeshift sides got hammered on Saturday.

On a bad weekend for the three local teams, 28 goals were leaked for not one reply, with the Tech College Old Boys women's team trounced 12-0 by Massey at the Twin Turfs and, back at Gonville Domain, Collegians ran out of legs in the second half against College, losing 9-0.

While TCOB also lost the men's game with Massey 7-0, coach Colleen Baylis pointed out the team was stronger on fundamentals than they had been in their previous defeat to MCOB, but had none of their regular strikers to convert pressure into points.

At Gonville, Collegians had a reasonable start with Rebecca Baker looking for work up front, but it was not long before the visitors began to turn the screws.

As the rain came and went, College turned the ball over in midfield nearly every time Collegians looked to get clear and worked it around for the opening field goal.

Collegians got one shot off, which the College keeper dived to save, then another College smash from the shooting circle ricocheted off the foot of Collegians keeper Sharece Dixon, who was covering for her absent sister Charlotte.

Veteran Pania Matapare could do little to turn the tide as she played in defence with a sore back, with the scoreline blowing out from 3-0 at halftime to see College put six more through the home defence.

Young Collegiate player Kate Tylee had a good game, especially considering she was struck hard in the face by the ball early on.

Anna Symes again ran Collegians with Jan Dixon away, but yesterday the head coach had a frank assessment.

"Just the girls were not fit enough," said Dixon. "You play a team like College ... they've played together a long time and got some good heads in there.

"This is my argument why Wanganui needs only one team.

"There's two teams and they both got thrashed. Someone needs to say it."

Both 'Techno' and Collegians rely on a small handful of quality players and when injuries or other commitments happen, the squads can get badly exposed.

Collegians may not be able to put a team together to play the other top side in their grade - High School Hockey Club - in Palmerston North this weekend, while Dixon will be away again as she attends a natural body building competition in Dubai.

At the Twin Turfs, Techno were staring down the barrel at 8-0 by halftime.

Manager Ian Glenny said they had injuries and were experimenting with players in different positions, which by the scoreboard did not work at all.

"Massey was putting some really good centres in," he said.

"In the circle, it was soft touches ... and they get a goal.

"Massey, once they get their confidence up, they are away."

Coach Mark Lyles gave the team a rark-up at halftime and Glenny said at least in the second stanza they managed to get some territory.

"They should have gone into shell shock at halftime, but they didn't, which I was grateful for."

While on the surface, the TCOB men's 7-0 loss to Massey would appear another step back from the 3-1 MCOB defeat, the Palmerston North-based team are on a much higher level than the Levin squad.

Baylis said all the basics they had worked on over the Queen's Birthday break were there at the Twin Turfs.

"It was a much better improvement. What didn't work was the fact we had our whole striker line out."

Veteran Trent Williamson and Tyler Hilton were unavailable, while both of the team's CHL Under-18 players - Lee Moir and Ryan Gray - had representative duties. As a result, Massey were the only team able to finish off their possessions with clean strikes on goal.

"I don't think the score actually reflected the game," Baylis said. "When you don't have your strikers there, it does make a difference."

Heinrich Burgstaller had a good match for TCOB, as did Matt Perry on defence.

Both the TCOB teams will have to pick themselves up to face their Palmerston North Boys and Girls High School rivals at Gonville on Saturday.