HOCKEY
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"WATCH out for Bathurst City? Yes, definitely watch out."
Those were the words of Bathurst City coach Jillian Long after her side posted a 4-0 women's Premier League Hockey major semi-final win over Ex-Services at Bob Roach Field on Saturday.
It was a contrast to the nervous figure Long cast before the game given two of her more experienced players were unavailable Ashleigh Carr due to a migraine while Annika Dicker had university commitments. Still, her nerves were soon eased.
Kelsey Willott found the mark with just two and a half minutes of play gone and by half-time the defending premiers had pushed ahead to a 3-0 lead.
While Ex-Services lifted in the second stanza and were able to apply more pressure in attack, they struggled to work their way into the circle and were limited to just four shots for the match, three of which came from short corners.
Against a side like Bathurst City, it was not enough to win. However, it was enough to earn praise from Long.
"That second half, they can beat anybody if they play like they did in that second half. They held us to just one goal and that was really just a plus goal at the end," the Bathurst mentor said of Ex-Services.
"I was actually very, very worried about the game today ... but our girls are playing well and on their day they are very hard to stop," Long said.
While City's defence was certainly impressive, the big difference between the two sides as they battled for the right to join Lithgow Panthers in the first grand final qualifier was speed.
City were quick to attack from the breakdown and it doing so, gave Ex-Services little time to set themselves.
The hosts boasted a fleet-footed set of strikers who constantly had the Orange outfit scrambling, while speed also led to numerous turnovers.
"I think our strikers and our midfield are probably one of the best group of strikers and midfielders in the competition and their speed is incredible. If they pass off then they are there 20 yards later to receive," Long said.
"There is a not a slow one there and today they worked continuously, they just kept going and going and going."
Speed was a factor in the opening goal as Rachel Miller played on quickly when awarded a penalty, threw the ball wide to Esther Hotham and she in turn sent in a cross which Willott ran onto and deflected into the net.
From the re-start Ex-Services attacked straight away, Leanne Kennewell carrying the ball down the right wing before blasting an attempt from the top of the circle across the face of goal. It was to be the only real shot from the field that the Orange side managed throughout the 70 minutes of the semi-final.
The visitors did get another chance to draw level after 11 minutes when earning back-to-back short corners, but Kennewell's effort off the second of the set plays flew too high. Even though it found the back of the net, it was disallowed.
City also had a shot that found the mark from a short corner disallowed, but this time it was more controversial. Hotham's effort from the top of the circle slammed into the backboard and while it looked like a goal would be awarded, after Ex-Services complained it was actually too high and struck one of their defenders on its way into the goal, the umpires conferred and agreed.
Ultimately that mattered little.
Soon after a perfect Hotham cross found Willott unmarked on the back post to make it 2-0. Four minutes later an astute piece of hockey increased the margin to three as, after noticing Ex-Services goalkeeper Cat Ironside had gone to ground early in a short corner play, City switched the ball wide to skipper Tanya Lowe and she blasted home.
Ironside made amends shortly before the half-time when she made a fine one-on-one block to stop Jess Hotham.
After the break Ex-Services looked a more settled side, Jade Williams making some promising runs but she was ultimately unable to penetrate the circle.
Ironside came up with another excellent one-on-one save when she forced Miller wide and her team-mates were in the main scrambling better in defence.
Four second half short corners reflected Ex-Services' improvement and it was from the second of these that they came closest to scoring.
Kennewell cracked the ball at the right post and Linda Wilson deflected it towards goal, but her effort found the stick of City fullback Andrea Seymour on the line.
With just over 90 seconds of play remaining City underlined the result with a fourth goal after Lowe forced a turnover. Willott, standing unmarked on the top of the circle, was picked out and she took her chance.
BATHURST CITY 4 (Kelsey Willott 3, Tanya Lowe) defeated EX-SERVICES 0