By RICHARD PHILIP
BURRINGBAR/Mooball team Waratah Bobcats have guaranteed themselves the inaugural Harcourt Hockey League minor premiership with a 3-0 win over rival Kingscliff at Barrie Smith Hockey Fields in Murwillumbah on Friday night.
With one game to go, the victory gives the Bobcats a four-point lead over Kingscliff and hands them the minor premiership.
Kingscliff had a chance to close the gap and keep themselves in the race for the minor premiership going into the game. Both teams had their chances to score but it was Waratahs who scored first through Dwayne Newell in the first half.
Just 1-0 down, Kingscliff still looked to be in with a good chance but two soft goals, the second an own goal as they cleared the ball from the goal, saw Waratahs grab the points and minor premiership.
In the earlier game, the two new teams went head to head with the East Coast Sharks coming away with a 3-2 win over Central Comets. The Comets started off slowly allowing the Sharks to convert two short corners from low drag flicks by representative player Maddy Fitzpatrick. The goals stung Comets into action and they mounted a couple of strong attacking raids but they were stopped by an in-form Shark’s keeper Peter Hollis.
The Sharks, lead by midfielders Able East and Adam Cadosoakis, were playing strong controlled hockey and up front Mathew Bartell, making those 10-metre quick leads, was proving hard to control. And so there was little surprise when they scored with 10 minutes to go to lead 3-0. But Comets came home strongly with quick goals to Michael Campbell and Josh Barnes to almost steal the match.
In the women’s games, the last competition games of the year saw Casuarina play Murwillumbah.
The Coast team was in good form again and came away a 2-0 winner with goals to Kim Tuckwell and Hannah Raftery. Casuarina’s best players were Vanessa Robinson and young Tara Fitzpatrick.
But it was far from a one-sided match with Murwillumbah taking it up to the more fancied Casuarina but just couldn’t find the back of the net. They are still improving each week and could be the dark horse of this competition with their best players being Brodie Palmer, Erin Fleeton, Shari East and Amy Stuart.
In the other women’s game between Kingscliff Sirens and Waratah Falcons we saw a very entertaining game 3-3 draw.
Waratahs knew they needed a win to secure the minor premiership but, missing some key players, also knew they had to step it up against this Kingscliff team.
Both teams traded blows with attacking raids and went goal-for-goal all game.
Next weekend we see the women playing their semi-finals on Saturday. Minor premiers Casuarina take on second-placed Waratah Falcons at 3.35pm; and in the do-or-die game, third-placed Kingscliff Sirens and fourth-placed Murwillumbah face off at 5pm.
So this year we have Casuarina winning the J.H. Williams Hockey cup which is the combined comp with Lismore teams and then the minor premiership, by one point over Waratahs. Now there is one last trophy up for grabs – the big one, our local competition grand final on Saturday 7 September, and this could be anyone’s as this competition is so close.
In the men’s, we have them playing their last comp of the year. On Friday night at 7pm it is Waratahs up against the big improvers East Coast Sharks and at 8.25pm Kingscliff Stingers play Central Comets.
