EYE ON THE BALL: TCOB's Bryce McKenzie tries to keep the ball away from MCOB's Reon Sayer.PHOTO/230515WCBRCHOCKEY02
WHILE the latest weekend of Manawatu Division 1 hockey was a rare triumph for both of Wanganui's women's teams, the Tech College Old Boys will be going right back to the kids' stuff at training after an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Levin's MCOB at Gonville Domain on Saturday.
After focusing on game structure in recent weeks, a frustrated TCOB coach Colleen Baylis said training over Queens Birthday Weekend will be back to purest basics after TCOB dropped two second-half goals to MCOB.
"I don't care if they get bored with it, they need to do it," said Baylis. "By [the second half] there was no way we were coming back."
Midway through the first half the annoyed coach called together the players waiting in the dugout for their next shift and told them to watch how they trapped the ball and to cut out the risky long passes.
It was largely unheeded as the team struggled with a lack of footwork, meaning they often could not collect the ball cleanly or pass it off in timely fashion.
"I was not in the best of moods," said Baylis.
"Nothing went right and it was a game we deserved to lose.
"We said 'short passes, working together, and communication' - and there was none of that."
Rather than improving, the team have gone backwards from their 2-0 win over High School Hockey Club in the competition opener last month.
On Saturday, fumbles from ricocheting balls gave MCOB's Reon Sayer an early chance, while Matt Wilson put a penalty corner strike off the goalkeeper.
TCOB had chances as well - Ryan Grey making a breakout and Ben Pilet feeding Lee Moir, who was away with his long shot.
A penalty corner went to Matt Forward, who chipped it over the keeper for 1-0 to TCOB.
But the home side struggled to get into position after that, with MCOB defender Jason Kwan impressing with intercepts and cutting off the angles.
Laughlan Woodmass took the ball up to Dion Sanson, who had a free run to the goalmouth after the keeper had to come out with no other defenders nearby.
Woodmass had another chance off TCOB coughing up the ball, but was away with his shot.
Chad Warner and Calum Wilbur did some good defending at the back end of the half, while Bryce McKenzie got a shot on goal which was kept out.
MCOB could not convert two PCs while Moir had another chance on a breakaway, before Wilson and Woodmass nearly combined again to give the visitors the lead.
In a second half where few stood up, Baylis offered praise to young Joseph Redpath for another good game where he did the basics well, having been unfortunate to only be named as a non-travelling reserve for the Central Under 18 squad.
Baylis' mood would not have improved later in the afternoon as she played for the High School Hockey Club Rebels against the TCOB women, who recorded their second win in three games with an impressive 4-2 victory.
Veteran Michelle Low missed a stroke chance but made up for it in the second half with a goal on another opportunity, while Sarah Reid grabbed a double in an excellent game.
Charlotte Harding scored her second goal in two matches, sweeping it into the goal after a move the team had practised on Thursday - with a forward on the goalpost and another at the baseline. It was that kind of execution which most pleased manager Ian Glenny after the derby loss last weekend.
"Our frustration with Collegians was the structure wasn't there. We took the game to Rebels and played with far superior structure.
"The coaching that Mark [Lyles] is giving is starting to pay off.
"The team's starting to get their heads around it and everyone's seeing the advantage of the passing game."
Glenny also singled out Janine Johnson for coming back from injury and having a "blinder".
Over at the Twin Turfs, an understrength Collegians held on to beat PN Marist 3-2.
With only 12 players, 10 of them Under 18 as veterans like Pania Matapare were out with illness, Collegians had a brilliant start as Hollie Brasting scored in 20s, getting a rebound off the keeper after her team grabbed a turnover.
Rebecca Baker scored for the second time in two games with a field goal for a 2-1 lead at halftime, then Jessica Watkins bagged another PC for 3-1 after the break.
But Marist would score to close the gap as Collegians began to run out of legs.
"It shouldn't have been, but it ended up being pretty close," said coach Jan Dixon. "Wasn't pretty, but we'll take it."
Lisa Grant and Emma Rainey had good games, as did Charlotte Dixon at keeper.
Jan Dixon was also delighted with Collegiate's striker Grace Godfrey and right side defender Kate Tylee, who having just joined the squad played the full match and held up their end.
All teams will have a break this Queens Birthday weekend with the representative players away on Central duty.