A Shian Duboc strike six minutes from full-time was enough for Ex-Services to salvage a draw in Saturday’s women’s Premier League Hockey all-Orange derby, a much-needed one in terms of the side’s finals hopes.
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A loss would’ve been a huge setback for the blue and golds but with two games left in the regular season, Ex-Services now only needs to draw or win one of those games to sneak into fourth spot and qualify for the post-season.
Much like in the first derby of 2017 back in May, Confederates enjoyed the run of play for the better part of Saturday’s game but this time around they also led for 51 minutes of it too.
But Ex-Services’ experience, grit and ability to stay in the contest once again came to the fore as the side lifted in the dying stages, creating an opportunity in the 64th minute which Duboc gleefully finished off.
“Even though it’s not a win it’s a handy result, it keeps us on even points with Confederates and they’re a game ahead so we’ve just got to control the next two games and we should make the four,” Ex-Services manager Andy McManus said.
“The girls scrambled really well after we went 1-0 down early on.
“Unfortunately that goal went in for Confederates but those things happen, we came back in that second half and got that goal, which I think was against the run of play a little bit, so it was a big effort.”
It was a magnificent, physical, evenly-matched clash, one that was highlighted by both sides’ monumental defensive efforts.
So much so it took a full 13 minutes for either side to even have a shot.
That shot was Confederates’ and it was one skipper Annabelle Tierney put away to give her side a 1-0 lead.
On the back of a fast break Millah Allcorn found Phoebe Litchfield in the circle, the young gun producing a deft touch to gift Tierney a shot at an open goal.
She made no mistake.
On the back of their super-fast counter Confederates created a couple more chances in the opening 35 minutes, but couldn’t convert.
Although, Ex-Services’ stoic effort in their own half had plenty to do with that.
“We held out a couple of short corners too, which I was pleased about. Our short corner defence is up there with the best of them,” McManus said.
The blue and golds won back-to-back penalty corners of their own late in the first half, but Eva Reith-Snare shut them both down to help her side maintain it’s one-goal lead at half-time.
The two sides went back-and-forth in the early stages of the second half.
After Ex-Services turned away another short corner, Confederates gun Rach Hoey copped a stick to the face, which opened her up, and she was forced from the field.
She’d been, arguably, best on ground until that point and without her controlling the midfield Confederates looked somewhat vulnerable for the first time.
Ex-Services took full advantage.
The blue and golds shifted up a gear, lifted their intensity and speed and won control.
With that came chances, one of which Duboc finished off.
That sparked a frenetic final six minutes in which both sides had a couple of chances, but neither could convert.
“Our first half was pretty amazing, we played really well. That was a strong point, we stayed composed,” Tierney said.
“We’re still pleased with the result, this game was just about going out, playing as a team, going hard and playing well.
“It was a really fast game, we’re all buggered and we took some hard hits but I’m proud of the way we played.”
- EX-SERVICES 1 (Shian Duboc) drew CONFEDERATES 1 (Annabelle Tierney)