Orbost Hockey Club returned to its Orbost Recreation Reserve base last Saturday to play host to Wellington in an action-packed round eight of the East Gippsland Hockey
Association (EGHA) season.
Across a highly competitive morning, two of the club’s junior squads powered to emphatic, high-margin victories, while another two were locked in nail-biting battles that yielded a hard-fought draw and a close defeat for the Green and Gold.
The under 10 clash set a high bar for excitement. The young side was placed under intense early defensive pressure by a fast-starting Wellington unit, but a sharp save from Coden Volk and a pair of last-second clearances by Jett Findley kept the visitors at bay, as did a brave block from Toby Gilmour.
Orbost’s transition play caught fire late in the half.
A long ball from Steel Perry onto the stick of Grace Reddy manufactured a great scoring opportunity, while an incisive pass from Keira Murray to Matilda Kuyper almost broke the deadlock just before the main break.
The home side grew in confidence as the match opened up in the second half.
With Lyla Gilmour and Sophie Perry rebounding the ball cleanly out of defense, Orbost looked destined to score. A big burst forward from Reddy saw her shot shave the wrong side of the post, while a Kuyper strike — orchestrated by desperate frontline
pressure from Jude Perry — missed by mere centimetres, leaving an entertaining match to end in a scoreless 0-0 draw.
The subsequent under 12 fixture saw Orbost execute a much brighter start to take an early lead. Jaxon Murray showed great awareness to keep the ball alive after a short corner deflection, slipping a quick pass to Teddy Kuyper who made no mistake with the clinical finish.
After the Wellington keeper made a pair of desperate saves, Demi Murray doubled the advantage, tapping home at the back post following a driving run from Asha Farley. The margin stretched to three before half time when Joe Millward produced a spectacular solo effort in the “D”, weaving past two defenders before picking his spot in the back of the cage.
Orbost repeated the dose in the second half, adding another three goals. Teddy Kuyper initiated the onslaught, pinching an intercept in a dangerous area before finishing a brilliant solo run. Sophie Findley then swept home her first career goal to cap off a slick end-to-end team sequence.
Savannah Lindfield’s tireless running and effective link play almost yielded a deserved goal late, but while her short corner strike was saved, Farley was the quickest to react to the loose ball, putting the exclamation point on a comprehensive 6-0 rout.
The final 11-1 scoreline in the under 14 match suggests a one-sided blowout, but the contest was a classic game of two halves. The opening periods required an inspirational goalkeeping performance from Jacob Rutherford — stoutly supported by Cohen Mathews and Alex Kenny — to weather a fierce Wellington storm. The second half, however, belonged entirely to Jasper Anderson, who completely dismantled the tiring visitors with a flurry of hard-charging runs.
Demi Murray opened the scoring early for Orbost with a pair of well-taken strikes, the first a sharp back-post finish and the second following a powerful burst from Lily Crofts.
Wellington managed to claw a goal back before the break, but a quick brace from Anderson — born from intense pressure in the “D” by Teddy Kuyper and Jaxon Murray — pushed the buffer out to three.
Wellington’s hopes of a comeback were shattered early in the second half by two nearly identical goals, both created by defence-splitting passes from Joe Millward to Anderson, who converted with ease.
With Kitty Millward and Savannah Lindfield relentlessly driving into attack, the goals kept coming. The highlights of the final quarter blitz included a spectacular flick into the top corner by Anderson — who finished with an incredible eight goals — and the completion of Demi Murray’s well-deserved hat-trick.
With Wellington unable to field a senior women’s side, the day’s action concluded with an eight-goal thriller in the under 16 division.
The Green and Gold struck first blood when Ava Martin tapped in a cross at the back post, but Wellington responded aggressively. The home defensive trio of Leni Millward, Mia Martin and Sarah Gladstone fought valiantly with tenacious tackling and desperate clearances, but the visitors still managed to sneak two goals past. Just before the long break, a key pass from Keira Irvine found Jasper Anderson in space, and he smartly threaded an equaliser through the goalie’s pads for 2-2.
The intensity rose in the second half.
Kitty Millward’s determination up front saw her go agonisingly close on three occasions, while at the other end, deft footwork from home goalkeeper Jack Scott kept the scores level.
The momentum swung late when Wellington scored twice in quick succession. A sharp strike from Lily Crofts, following a strong entry into the “D” by Campbell Edlington, kept Orbost alive and set up a grandstand finish. The hosts threw everything at the equaliser in the dying minutes, with Anderson having three chances — one saved, one cleared off the line, and one flying just wide. Ultimately, a last-gasp counterattack from Wellington sealed their fifth major, condemning a brave Orbost side to a 3-5 defeat.
The EGHA will take a league-wide competition bye this weekend. Orbost Hockey Club will return to the pitch on Saturday, July 11, when they tackle Mitchell River at the WORLD precinct in Bairnsdale.
