Orbost Hockey Club was back in action for round eight of the East Gippsland Hockey Association season when it played Maffra at the Gippsland Regional Sporting Complex in Sale.
Two of the junior Green and Gold teams tasted victory once again while another fought out a high-scoring draw in a good quality match.
The under 10s team began the day in temperatures that was barely above zero degrees, but they made a hot start to the contest when Demi Murray authoritatively finished off a move that began with Sadie Lindfield and also involved Lara Kenny.
After Lara Kenny herself went close to converting another strong team break, Izzy Palmer was able to double the visitors’ lead when she pounced on a loose ball that Dallas Redman had helped to lock into attack.
The second half then saw the Green and Gold’s youngest stars play their most fluent hockey of the season so far as their passing game really clicked and enabling them to hit Maffra on the counterattack with regularity, with the combination of Zoe Griebenow and Keira Murray winning plenty of the ball in midfield, four more great team goals were scored after the break from the sticks of Lara Kenny, Izzy Palmer, Demi Murray and Joe Millward respectively.
Orbost impressive winners 6-0.
The following under 12s fixture also saw plenty of attacking intent and fluent play from Orbost in a match that was only decided by a single goal, unfortunately for the visitors, one that was struck by Maffra from an after-the-siren corner.
Asha Farley’s strength and skill up front provided plenty of offensive options for her side, as did the speed and guile on the ball of Geoffrey Florance, while Lara Kenny continually worked her way into dangerous positions and was able to convert a strong run forward from Cohen Mathews into a goal.
The effective rebound work of Savannah Lindfield and the midfield tenacity of Ella Coles both helped the Green and Gold keep moving forward, while at the opposite end of the pitch a strong open-field tackle from Sophie Scott and regular defensive interventions from Jaxon Murray helped to keep their opponents at bay until the last moment of the contest, as the hosts seized victory 2-1.
Orbost’s under 14s may not have scored a victory on this particular day, but there was still plenty to enjoy and appreciate in the way that they battled back from a two-goal deficit to secure a hard-earned draw.
A somewhat sluggish first half from the visitors saw a pair of scoring chances on the post from Asha Farley and Harper Morgan go begging before a Jasper Anderson blast from a corner opened their account, equalising the contest before a pair of late Maffra goals before the interval put the home side back in control.
With the Green and Gold defence, led ably and tenaciously by Alex Kenny and Kitty Millward, starting to stamp its authority on the game, the momentum steadily turned in their favour and the visitors were able to create more attacking opportunities.
After Asha Farley and Joe Millward kept the ball locked in attack with some determined pressure play, Jasper Anderson fired home his second goal into the corner of the cage before the same player completed his hat-trick courtesy of a clever dribble and a deft finish.
Both sides had their chances to score the decisive goal as the clock ticked down, and in a “oh no, not again” moment for the away team, Maffra was awarded one last opportunity from a late corner, this time though goalie Jacob Rutherford’s big boots came to the rescue with perfect timing to preserve the draw at 3-3.
For the second week running the subsequent under 16s contest turned out to be the match of the day, one in which there was never more than a single goal between the teams, including the final margin which ended in Orbost’s favour.
A Jasper Anderson strike after some strong pressure work from Kitty Millward in front of goal opened the visitors’ account, and if further shots from Campbell Edlington, Ava Martin and Mitch Farley had travelled along a slightly different line, their lead would have been an imposing one before Maffra had even got going.
Once the hosts started to hit their attacking stride, a pair of big
open-field tackles by Leni Millward and Chloe Findley kept them at bay, as did a brave block of a shot by Mia Martin on the last line of defence.
A 1-1 halftime score almost swung in the home side’s favour only for Green and Gold goalie Jack Scott to make a pair of
inspired reflex saves, the second of which triggered a wonderful counterattacking goal when Campbell Edlington’s long pass provided room for Jasper Anderson to charge in and score.
Maffra quickly pulled level again, and after an important clearance from Sarah Gladstone prevented them from gaining the lead, the decisive final score of an intriguing game came when
Mitch Farley set up Campbell Edlington to burst forward and blast the ball home after his initial shot had been saved, giving Orbost a 3-2 victory.
The under 18 encounter saw plenty of goal-scoring opportunities created at both ends with Orbost certainly matching up well with an experienced Maffra outfit that certainly knows how to play their home conditions well.
Goalie Sarah Gladstone was called upon early and often to bail her team out of trouble as she pulled off a series of impressive saves with her boots and body, while Leni Millward and her backline colleagues successfully absorbed plenty of defensive pressure.
The effective sweeping of Mitch Farley and the busy interlinking play of Jack Scott helped the Green and Gold transition from defence to attack where the hard running of Chloe Findley plus the forward firepower of Joe Mathews and Campbell Edlington all contributed to drawing strong saves from the home keeper.
Ultimately the visitors had to wait until late in the contest to score their only goal, which deservedly came from Ellie Florance who capped off a fine all-round performance when she determinedly worked the ball into the cage after getting on the end of a defence-splitting pass, but the day belonged to Maffra, 5-1 winners.
The women’s match of the day was a well-fought tussle, one in which Orbost threatened throughout to upset the odds before a trio of late goals from Maffra eventually decided the proceedings.
Sarah Gladstone extended her great day with a wonderful performance between the pipes in her debut senior appearance, and was well-supported by the defensive duo of Sarah McDonald and Lisa Murray who frequently scrambled dangerous loose balls in front of their goalie to safety.
The teenage trio of Aster Anderson, Chloe Findley and Ellie Florance provided plenty of running intent through the centre and down the wings, while the interceptions and clean passing of Misty Anderson and Kerryn Volk laid the foundation for multiple Green and Gold attacks.
When Casey Findley converted an excellent team move from a corner involving Volk and Jaime Haas, the visitors took a lead that they were able to maintain until the shadow of halftime, and with Sammi Reynolds fighting hard to keep the ball in play in dangerous areas, three further scoring opportunities were created after the main break.
The game and the four competition points may have slipped away from Orbost’s grasp in the waning minutes, but the final scoreline of 4-1 to Maffra, certainly didn’t diminish
from what was an encouraging team performance.
Orbost Hockey Club will be back on the road for a second consecutive week, heading to the WORLD precinct in Bairnsdale on Saturday to take on Swan Reach.
