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Madibaz’ hockey team in hard win

 
 
GOT IT: Caitlin Gouws, left, and Lise de Villiers tussle for possession at NMMU yesterday. Picture: JUDY DE VEGA

GOT IT: Caitlin Gouws, left, and Lise de Villiers tussle for possession at NMMU yesterday. Picture: JUDY DE VEGA

THE Madibaz hockey team worked hard to douse a brave-hearted effort by Lakeside Cavaliers at the NMMU astro yesterday, staying on track to retain the EP men’s premier league hockey title.

Level at 2-2 about 10 minutes into the second half, the Madibaz then took control with three goals by Jason McLachlan, adding to his opening goal in the first half, to consolidate their unbeaten record this season with a 5-2 result.

It proved to be a tough weekend for the Madibaz because they won a close encounter with their Rhodes counterparts 2-1 in Grahamstown on Saturday.

Yesterday, McLachlan put them 1-0 ahead when the Lakeside Cavaliers defence failed to shut him down on the edge of the circle.

The visitors, however, hit back through former SA player Clyde Abrahams to go into the break 1-1.

Within three minutes of the resumption, the Madibaz regained the lead when Grant Kapp slammed one into the net, but again Cavaliers showed they were up for the battle.

Darren Kimfley went on a surging run downfield and slipped the ball to Sylvester Leeson for their second equaliser.

However, NMMU continued to play the game at pace and they kept finding their way into the Lakeside Cavaliers circle for McLachlan to show some deft touches in his second-half hattrick.

Lakeside Cavaliers kept pushing hard, but the gap had become too big and the Madibaz were able to keep the game under control.

In other men’s encounters, Old Grey hammered Rhodes Thistles 8-0 on Friday and Gelvan Hurricanes were too sharp for NMMU B with a 5-1 result.

In the women’s league, the Madibaz and Gelvan Tornados scored identical 6-0 wins against Rhodes and St Peter’s respectively.

Yesterday, the Madibaz continued to challenge for the title when they saw off the efforts of Old Collegians, winning 4-1.

In a late men’s game at NMMU yesterday afternoon, Pirates registered a satisfactory 2-1 win against NMMU B.

In Grahamstown, the two Rhodes men’s teams met in their club derby, with the first team controlling enough of the match to defeat the Thistles 4-0. – Neale Emslie