By Richard Philip
CASUARINA are the first team through the Tweed women’s hockey grand final competition with a four-nil win over second-placed Waratahs at Barrie Smith Hockey complex in Murwillumbah at the weekend.
Waratahs live for another day, taking on Kingscliff Sirens who, led by a Lorelle Morrissey hat-trick, came from behind to snatch their preliminary final berth with a three-two win over Murwillumbah.
The Casuarina-Waratahs game saw Burringbar-Mooball team start on top moving the ball down their right side with Ebony Young making some fast inroads. However try as they might, Waratah’s couldn’t break through to score and to dominate and not score is not the way to win.
Casuarina withstood this attacking raids with Alley Farrell, the stand-out for Casuarina.
The first points came in the 20th minute against the run of play with a short corner to Maddison Fitzpatrick which allowed her to use her lethal drag flick well and put Casuarina on the board.
Four minutes later she was in the action putting in a quick free hit onto Kim Tuckwell who scored the Coast team’s second. Waratahs had a good chance to get one back with a shot that went through the keeper but some scrabbling defence by Casuarina saw a great save on the line to leave the score at two-nil at the break.
Second half saw Casuarina playing as a team, passing side-ways and taking quick free hits. They just seemed that little bit quicker on the day and Hannah Raftery and Kim Tuckwell were finding plenty of space out-wide as Waratah’s defence was just not marking up. With 15 minutes left the coasters scored again from a short corner. Waratahs were now turning the ball over too many times and with two minutes remaining, a scramble in Waratah’s circle saw Hannah Raftery pounce on the loose ball to score. This was a fairly close game and Waratah were best served by Candis Henry and Stacy Butters but Casuarina as a team were just too good and earned their grand final berth.
The second match was between Kingscliff and Murwillumbah with the loser dropping out. Murwillumbah started on-fire with a short corner hit from Erica Wells allowing them to score score first. However Kingscliff are always dangerous and just five minutes later a scramble in Murwillumbah’s circle saw the ball bounce out around their keeper Erin Fleeton which veteran player Lorelle Morrissey pounced on to take the score to one-all at the break.
After end-to-end hockey in the second half, the deadlock was finally broken with 15 minutes to go with another cracking shot by Erica Wells to give Murwillumbah a two-one lead. But Kingscliff dug deep and two more goals by Morrissey saw them come from behind to snatch victory.
The Harcourt Hockey league is a week behind the women’s competition, only finishing their preliminary rounds at the weekend.
These game had no bearing on the final placing, which were decided last week with Waratah’s taking the minor premiership ahead of Kingscliff with Central Comets in third and East Coast Sharks, fourth.
The first game between minor premiers Waratah Bobcats and East Coast Sharks saw Bobcats go out to a handy two-nil lead but with 15 minutes remaining in the match two goals to Mathew Bartell saw Sharks snatch a two-all draw.
On paper the other game between Kingscliff and the Comets should have been an easy win for Kingscliff and while they started well, they couldn’t score and soon self destructed.
In the end it was a four-nil win to the Coments with goals to Josh Barns, Michael Campbell, Luke McMahon and a own goal from Kingscliff.
This weekend the men start their final’s series while it is the second last week for the women who play their preliminary finals in all grades.
In the Harcourt Hockey league on Friday night at 6pm the minor semi-finals will see fourth place East Coast Sharks play against third place Central Comets with the winner moving onto next week’s finals and the loser out for the season. On Saturday at 3.30pm first placed Waratah Bobcats play second placed Kingscliff Stingers.
In the women’s final on Saturday at 5m Waratah Falcons play Kingscliff Sirens with the winner going into next week’s GF against Casuarina.
