TO head into a major semi-final missing your leading goal scorer would be a situation many teams in the women’s Premier League Hockey competition would fear, but that is certainly not the case for Bathurst City.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Talented striker Casey Bayliss, as well as another of her City team-mates, Kelly Baker, will miss this Saturday’s major semi-final against Souths at Bob Roach Field as they are busy with NSW Country duties.
Bayliss has proved her worth to City more than once this season. In her last game with them before heading to the Australian Country Championships, she netted both goals in a 2-all draw with Parkes.
She was also the leading goal scorer for Australian Country on their tour of Singapore and Malaysia earlier this year, finding the back of the net on 14 occasions.
There is no doubt City will miss her presence, but coach Lisa Quinn knows the players who will be there on Saturday have the talent to get the job done without Bayliss.
Playing below full strength is something they have done all season.
“I don’t think we have a weak link. We have got a really strong team all over the park and, in all honesty, we haven’t played one game with our whole, full strength team,” Quinn said.
“I have been injured, Casey has been injured, Jess Hotham has been injured, girls have been away for masters, under 18s, schoolgirls stuff – you name it, we have been missing players.
“But we have got a lot of depth, so when we are missing one or two players, it doesn’t make a huge difference.”
City took on Bathurst rivals St Pat’s without Baker or Bayliss in the final round of the regular season last weekend.
But captain Kelsey Willott stepped up and found the back of the net three times to help her side to a 4-3 victory, while Meg Booth was the other player to add to City’s tally.
Willott shapes as a key figure in the semi-final against Souths given her strong record of scoring at this time of year.
But she is by no means the only threat. Jess Hotham scored when the Bathurst rivals last met in a semi-final in 2013, while Andrea Seymour is one to watch in penalty corner plays.
City’s younger brigade of Booth, Danielle Fisher and Chayse Holland are all handy as well, as is Quinn herself.
It is little wonder the City coach feels she has the depth to cover for Bayliss and Baker.
