Orbost Hockey Club was back in action for round three of the East Gippsland Hockey Association season when it hosted Maffra at the Orbost Recreation Reserve last Saturday.
Over the course of a great day, some outstanding hockey was played with all five of the Green and Gold’s junior sides recording victories.
The under 10s team was the first to step onto the field, and with Izzy Palmer and Lara Kenny winning plenty of ball between them in midfield, Orbost found itself on the attack early and often.
After a couple of promising chances on goal were turned away, a combined effort from Zoe Griebenow and Evie Crofts helped to keep the ball locked in a dangerous area, and when Demi Murray pounced to fire a clever shot through a sea of legs for her career-first strike, the hosts had the lead.
At the opposite end of the pitch both Sadie Lindfield and Keira Murray made brave open-field tackles to deny some dangerous Maffra breaks, and when Joe Millward charged forward late in the contest, he was able to complete an excellent team move by drilling home a powerful shot to secure the well-earned 2-0 win for the home team.
The hosts’ under 12s side also made a fast start to their contest, one which saw Geoffrey Florance weave his way through the visitors’ defence not once but twice early in the contest, slotting the ball home from a tight angle in the first instance and following up his own saved shot to force it into the cage on the second.
Malky Morrison, Lara Kenny and Ahna Reddy were active throughout in winning the ball in midfield and propelling it forwards where Asha Farley showed great presence and persistence to score a brace of goals of her own before the half time
whistle blew.
Maffra did what it could to fight its way back into the match, but rebounding work from Cohen Mathews, a vital clearance from Isobel Lawless and a save from goalie Savannah Lindfield served to keep Maffra at bay.
A fifth and final goal did eventuate for the Green and Gold as they wrapped up their big win, Geoffrey Florance flicking home the loose ball after Joe Millward’s initial shot from a corner move had been blocked, Maffra left scoreless in a great
defensive effort.
The impressive Orbost teamwork continued into the under 14s match which was a tense affair throughout that was ultimately settled by a single goal.
With Kitty Millward and Malky Morrison always looking to take their opponents on, the Green and Gold’s running game proved dangerous throughout, putting the Maffra defence under regular pressure.
Thanks to the bold linking play of Alex Kenny and a precise pass from Kitty Millward, Jasper Anderson was able to find the space to burst into the “D” and strike cleanly into the bottom corner to open a lead for
the home side.
Geoffrey Florance’s persistence around the ground also provided an opportunity for Keira Irvine to score, only for the goalie’s pads to prevent the score, while a dynamic run and shot from Joe Millward also went close to doubling his team’s margin.
As the contest heated up in the second half, the visitors threw everything they could at the Orbost defence, but with Peter Florance in fine tackling form, goalie Jacob Rutherford clearing shots to safety with his boots, and Cohen Mathews making a brilliant one-on-one stop in the final moments, the home side was able to close out the victory.
Orbost’s under 16s side put in the performance of the day, building a solid lead over Maffra in the first half and then powering past them in the second.
Aster Anderson ensured her side got off to a bright beginning when she was on hand to force home a loose ball in front of goal.
After Sarah Gladstone made a clearance to deny an away equaliser, Kitty Millward doubled the Green and Gold advantage with some great second effort determination on the far post.
Jack Scott was in fine form in the Orbost goal, coolly turning away multiple shots with his boots, with Leni Millward and Mia Martin also showing plenty of tackling tenacity in front of him.
After Maffra pulled one back, Jasper Anderson made a strong forward run and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner, as did Mitch Farley just after the main break, finishing off an attacking move led by the hard-running of Campbell Edlington.
A pair of goal-saving tackles from Ava Martin ensured the visitors did not score again, while Chloe Findley scored a brace of goals at the other end before Farley finished off the contest in emphatic fashion with a storming run and tight-angle shot, as Orbost ran out 7-1 winners.
The fifth junior win of the day came in the under 18s encounter, one where Aster Anderson repeated her earlier feat by jagging the opening goal, this time by threading it through the tightest of gaps between the goalie and the post.
A brave deflection to safety by Leni Millward and a double save from a corner by the keeper Sarah Gladstone denied a potential Maffra equaliser before Campbell Edlington saw a couple of big blasts of his own turned away at the opposite end.
After Joe Mathews had a shot saved, Aster Anderson worked the loose ball across the goalmouth and straight into the path of a wide-open Max Rutherford who made no mistake in securing his career first entry on the scoresheet.
The hard running of Chloe Findley, the rebounding work of Ellie Florance and the pressure game of Dom Preston all helped to keep the Green and Gold in the ascendancy in the second half, but when the next goal came from a Maffra stick, Orbost realised it still had plenty of work to do in order to secure all of the points.
This was a day however on which they were not going to be denied, and after Mathews skilfully dribbled through the defence and drew a save from the goalie, Jack Scott was on hand to slap the aerial ball into the cage to confirm the excellent
team 3-1 win.
Orbost’s women’s team couldn’t quite join their younger clubmates on the winner’s list, but there was still plenty to like in their close loss to Maffra, particularly the growing confidence of their new players, with Connie Greenwood and Alena Walmsley showing great attacking intent, and the form of wing duo of Zoe Martin and
Sammi Reynolds.
Youngsters Ellie Florance, Aster Anderson and Chloe Findley all contributed positively across the ground, as did the backline buddies Lisa Murray and Sarah McDonald, together with Misty Anderson’s effective linking play from defence to midfield.
Kerryn Voss came the closest to hitting the scoresheet for the Green and Gold with a pair of big bursts forward, one in each half, with the first shot sailing wide of the post, and the second drawing a big save out of the visitors’ keeper.
Maffra proved too good, winning 3-0.
Orbost Hockey Club will be back at home when its hosts Swan Reach at the Recreation Reserve this Saturday.
