A GRAND final double from captain Bec Bosianek helped Kelso to its third Bathurst Women's Hockey Association first grade title in four years, the green and whites downing Souths 5-2 on Saturday at Bob Roach Field.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While Souths clinched minor premiership and was the first side to qualify for the grand final, this year's squad could not replicate the efforts of the 2011, 2012 and 2015 units which denied Kelso in the premiership decider.
For Bosianek, who returned to hockey this season after sitting out 2018 following knee surgery, the win was sweet.
"Every single time we win it is special, the last time I played in 2017 we won Premier League and we won first grade. My first season back again, to back that up, it's pretty special," she said.
"We finished third overall on the ladder, but we just pulled it together for three games in a row.
"It was just who wanted it more and we fought for every ball. That 50-50 ball, we were there, we got it and we took the opportunities we had."
While Bosianek's goals - both off penalty corner plays - were vital in seeing Kelso deny Souths, the skipper said Saturday's success was due to strong performances from all of her team-mates.
"Yeah I got the double, it just clicked together for me today, so I was pretty lucky really," she said.
"They just stuck it to us, but we kept on them. I really don't think there was one stand out player in our side, I think we all did our jobs, we all clicked, we all worked really well together."
It was Rani Johnson who put Kelso ahead in the third minute when she tucked the ball in on the left post, but four minutes later Souths was back on level terms.
From the first penalty corner play of the match Souths had two shots blocked by Kelso goalkeeper Kylie Tattersall, but attempt three from Emma Siejka found the mark.
The frenetic start continued as Bosianek put Kelso back in front in the eighth minute and while Souths earned three consecutive penalty corners at the 10 minute mark, a fine Maddy Tattersall stick save kept her side in the lead.
Lisa Quinn made it 3-1 to Kelso 15 minutes out from the break, but when Ali Stanford struck for Souths two minutes after the resumption, it lifted the two blues.
Then when Quinn was yellow carded for a bad tackle on Sophie McCauley it gave Souths a one-player advantage, but they could not capitalise.
Instead Bosianek got a second from a penalty corner - her effort deflecting off the stick of a Souths defender and flying into the top of the goal - before a Jess Gardner effort sealed the deal with a tick over eight minutes left.
Keep up to date with the latest sports news by clicking here
The disappointment of missing out for the second time in as many years was easy to see on the faces of Souths player, but coach Rob Hennessy felt another emotion as well.
It was pride.
The coach admitted his side - who had suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 extra-time loss to St Pat's 12 months earlier - were outplayed by Kelso, but he could not fault the effort of his players.
"The girls played right to the end, even trying to force a short corner in the last minute when they are three goals down shows the nature of the team and the spirit that they play with," he said.
"In our games this year it was always fight to the end, never give up.
"But we didn't play good enough to win today's game, simple as that, Kelso were really hungry. The competition this year with the four teams was really close the whole way through, but they deserved the win, they played really well."
