MEN’S Premier League Hockey premiership favourites Bathurst St Pat’s have handed Orange Wanderers a “hockey lesson” after a 9-0 thumping at the Orange Hockey Centre on Saturday.
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A more experienced outfit, St Pat’s piled on seven first half goals in the most impressive men’s display of the season.
Second half goals to Jayden Ekert - his third and fourth for the match - rounded out the impressive 9-0 rout.
Wanderers coach Beth Shea said her side was matched against a team “at the top of its pinnacle”.
“Whereas, I view us as a side that’s beginning to be on the up,” she said.
“St Pat’s is a very established side and they’re very experienced ... they’ve built what we’re trying to achieve here at Wanderers.”
The writing was on the wall almost from the opening whistle for Wanderers, with St Pat’s hammering home goals in the fourth, seventh and eighth minutes through Ekert, Brendan Burke and Tobie Muldoon respectively to race to a 3-0 lead.
They hammered home that advantage when Sam McPherson’s goal was shortly followed by Burke’s second, a Brodie Cook strike and Ekert’s third - all by the 28th minute.
Shea said the precise St Pat’s attack was a sight to behold.
“It was, they created ... they knew where each player was going to be before they got there. It wasn’t because we were undisciplined, they just out-thought us. It was probably a lack of experience on our behalf,” she said.
Shea believes St Pat’s performance on Saturday was something Wanderers was endeavouring to emulate, eventually.
“They’ve very spontaneous,” she added. “They threw the ball into space and sure enough a St Pat’s player was there to get it. It’s that experience of playing together.
“They thought our young guys were really strong. It was a game played in the right spirit.”
Shea praised young guns Hayden Dillon and Adam Skelton for their efforts, while the work of Darryn Marjoram in the midfield was pleasing.
BATHURST ST PAT’S 9 (Jayden Ekert 4, Brendan Burke 2, Sam McPherson, Brodie Cook, Tobie Muldoon) def ORANGE WANDERERS 0.