IT may not have been the slickest performance from St Pat’s so far this season, but the blue and whites still got the result they were after on Saturday afternoon at Bob Roach Field.
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The Saints posted a 5-0 win over the visiting Lithgow Zig Zag outfit to remain in the top three as the finals series draws closer.
Though Pat’s created enough chances for the score to have been even more one-sided, for coach Jaden Ekert the most important thing was seeing his side earn maximum points and stick to its structure.
That is what he got.
“That was our main focus, concentrating on the style we play and being able to adapt to a different change. They concentrated on their basics, their communicating and keeping their structure and they did that fine,” the coach said.
“A game like that, you know there’s not going to be any intensity from the opposite side and sometimes when that happens, you play to their level I guess and we did that.
“But in saying that, we had 16 short corners and we had five shots that went past the post.
“You can look at all the bad things, but the good thing was, like I said to the girls, we need to get the points and start again next weekend and that’s what we did. We got the job done and it was as simple as that.”
Taking on a winless Zig Zag side that started the match without any reserves, the Saints players wasted little time in showing their intent.
They concentrated on their basics, their communicating and keeping their structure and they did that fine.
- Jaden Ekert
It was 2-0 after seven minutes as an early Kristy Ekert strike was followed by a Julie Hanman goal from a well-worked penalty corner set piece.
The Saints dominated possession in the opening period and it was not until the 17 minute mark that Zig Zag notched up its first circle penetration.
The visitors managed to draw a penalty corner, but Amy Glenn was quick off her line to block Jana Winnard’s shot.
Winnard had another half chance seven minutes later when she dived to try and connect with a cross, but the ball was just out of reach.
For Pat’s the chances were plentiful and the weight of possession in good field position eventually led to more goals.
Ekert made it a hat-trick for the half as firstly she slotted home a cross then scored from a penalty corner play just before the break.
That made it 4-0 and when play resumed, the Saints continued to pressure.
The penalty corner count climbed and on number 12 Pat’s added to its tally with another nice variation.
This time Lucy Weal laid the ball off to Kirralee Naylor on the left and she powered her strike past the oncoming defenders. That made it 5-0 and though Pat’s had another four penalty corners in the remaining 14 minutes, that’s how the score stayed.
“They know all it takes is doing the simple things right and you are going to score goals. They did that, we walked off at half-time with a 4-0 lead and it was 5-0 at the end of the game,” Ekert said.
“Zig Zag, they played with 11 behind the ball and sometimes when they shut so much space down, it’s hard to get in behind.
“But we still created those opportunities and that was pleasing.”