Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Bathurst St Pat’s was far from the ideal start to the 2018 women’s Premier League Hockey season for Confederates, but considering the circumstances coach Fiona Reith says it’s not a bad building block.
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It was the new-look Confederates’ first real test without the likes of former stars Rach Hoey and Pip Mannix and with a new system and several debutants, Saturday’s first round at Orange Hockey Centre was always going to be a little disjointed.
While the Bathurst side did take advantage of that Reith’s troops were far from disgraced, they only trailed 1-0 at half-time and equalised after the break before two St Pat’s goals in as many minutes shot the Saints to a two-goal lead.
“It was very tough, and very physical. St Pat’s deserved the win, they’re an experienced and hard side and that gives us a lot to work on moving forward, the only way is up for us I think,” Reith said, highlighting match fitness as one area that probably let her side down.
“We had three debutants who got a taste of Premier League Hockey and how tough it really is, which is a positive.
“We only played one trial game so match fitness and awareness can definitely improve and we’re trying a new structure this season and definitely felt the pressure there too.”
Both sides battled for the upper hand in the opening stages of the clash, before Saints skipper Kristy Ekert opened the scoring in the 25th minute.
Both sides traded chances before the break, but none could convert as the Saints’ 1-0 lead stayed intact until well after half-time.
It took 12 minutes after the break, in fact, before either side troubled the scorers again and, giving the hosts a big hope, it was Confederates’ Eva Reith-Snare who did that.
She slashed one home in the 47th minutes to lock the scores up but the Saints hit back immediately, producing a match-winning blitz just a couple of minutes later.
Michelle Somers pushed her side ahead again in the 50th minutes and Julie Hanman found the back of the net just 60 seconds later to extend that lead to two goals, an ultimately match-winning margin as neither side scored again.
Confederates’ bid for their first victory of the season doesn’t get any easier this coming weekend either, the side travels to Lithgow to play last year’s beaten grand finalists Panthers.
It’ll be a motivated Lithgow side too, considering it was thrashed by the returning CYMS on Saturday afternooon.
St Pat’s take on reigning champions Bathurst City in round two.
- BATHURST ST PAT’S 3 (Kristy Ekert, Michelle Somers, Julie Hanman) def CONFEDERATES 1 (Eva Reith-Snare)