Confederates' boom recruit India Draper made her presence felt in her first all-Orange women's Premier League Hockey derby on Saturday, the NSW regular and Australian Schoolgirl landing the decisive blow in her new side's win over Ex-Services.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Draper, who was among NSW's best in their bronze medal showing at the Hockey Australia Under-18 Women's Championship last month and has just been named in the under-21 Blues side too, buried the only goal of Saturday's feisty derby encounter, the victory Confederates' first of the 2019 season.
It came as a result of a lapse in concentration defensively, Ex-Services assistant coach Daryl Kennewell explained, which ultimately proved a lamentable misstep in an otherwise-encouraging performance from the understaffed blue and golds.
He went on to say the clash was an evenly-matched one outside Draper's lone goal, which is typical of the two sides' derbies in recent years. Outside Confederates' 3-nil win midway through last year the two sides have rarely been separated by much.
"It was a good, hard-fought game," Kennewell said.
"I thought we played really well across the paddock and we defended really well too, we just had a lapse down our left edge which we did in our [1-nil loss] against CYMS in the first round as well.
"We had no substitutes again and considering that the effort was really good. You know we had a few shots at goal and a few chances, unfortunately for us we just couldn't put them away. You put a few away and we probably win by a goal or two.
"That's the way it goes sometimes though and we're not far away, we're getting better every week."
Despite the defeat Ex-Services stay in fourth, a spot they jumped to with the week prior's forfeit win over Bathurst Souths, who played an unregistered player.
A share for fourth rather, on competition points. While they have the upper hand in terms of goal difference Ex-Services are now locked up with Bathurst City and Confederates.
Kennewell said in the lead-up to the derby he and head coach Michelle Barrett aren't too concerned with their spot on the ladder this early in the season, it's more about performance and development.
He admitted hanging onto that top four spot would be ideal, and said his troops aren't far away from the consistent performances they'll need to do so.
"The girls are starting to buy into the structures we're putting in place and once we've built those combinations and get our full team on the paddock, I think we'll be right," he said.
"We have to be realistic about what we're doing, we're still coming together, and the performances we've had so far have been pleasing."
- CONFEDERATES 1 (India Draper) def EX-SERVICES 0
WANT MORE ORANGE AND REGIONAL SPORT?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
