Orbost Hockey Club was back on the road for round 11 of the East Gippsland Hockey Association season, visiting the WORLD facility in Bairnsdale to take on their rivals from Sale in a neutral venue matchup.
Across a cold and blustery afternoon and early evening of action, the Green and Gold teams were full of effort and endeavour, coming close but unfortunately not close enough to their opponents in four consecutive matches as they ended a frustrating day winless.
Orbost’s under 10s had to dig deep collectively to try and fend off the regular attacks of a more experienced Sale outfit, and they all impressed with their willingness to work for each other despite the scoreboard pressure they faced. Jett Findley, Indi Gilmour and Zoe Griebenow made dramatic blocks of goal-bound shots on their own line, while Sophie Perry and Coden Volk both impressed throughout with their tackling tenacity.
Keira Murray and Frida Songailo were heavily involved in the midfield contesting loose balls, providing plenty of assistance to the pairing of Evie Crofts and Matilda Kuyper who did what they could to make the most of their limited opportunities to run the ball forward of centre and take the attack to the Sale backline, with Sale ultimately winning the match 7-0.
The following under 12s encounter saw plenty of goalmouth action at both ends, but aside from a powerful corner strike from Joe Millward for Orbost’s only score, this was one of those difficult days in the “D” for the Green and Gold youngsters where several solid chances unfortunately went begging.
Teddy Kuyper was a real livewire up front and forced key saves out of the Sale keeper on a trio of occasions, while Demi Murray saw her own close-range attempt turned away after receiving a precise Millward cross.
At the opposite end of the ground, Green and Gold goalie Darius Mathews impressed with a full-stretch save, Belle Healey bravely blocked a certain goal, Jaxon Murray made a series of crunching tackles across the backline and Savannah Lindfield regularly swept dangerous balls downfield to safety, though Sale were too good on the day, victorious 4-1.
The closest match of the day came in the under 14s fixture, where ladder-leaders Orbost faced off against the team just a place below them in the standings in a tense thriller.
This too was a game of inches that saw several Green and Gold goal chances denied, including a pair of Jasper Anderson strikes that hit the side rather than the back of the cage, a Joe Millward shot that hit the crossbar, and an Asha Farley shot that went sailing agonisingly wide after a rapid end-to-end counterattack.
Kitty Millward led the Orbost defence with aplomb through her intercepting and rebounding work, while Savannah Lindfield laid a number of tough tackles in and around her own “D”, and goalie Jacob Rutherford deflected a couple of Sale shots around his post. A see-sawing match that saw neither side open up anything more than a single-goal lead entered its final few minutes tied at three goals apiece, with all three Orbost scores coming from the stick of Anderson.
Ultimately the contest turned on the fate of a pair of late corners: firstly one which saw what appeared to be a Green and Gold goal struck off for an infraction, followed by a decisive Sale strike at the other end that allowed them to snatch the victory, 4-3.
The under 16 affair saw Orbost take it right up to a fast and accurate Sale side, particularly in defence where goalie Jack Scott was in inspirational form, making save after save with either his boots or his body, many of them from point-blank range when a score for their opponents seemed certain. Leni Millward made multiple crucial clearances of dangerous balls inside her own “D”, while both Mia Martin and Owen Fisher made key tackles in the same area to help relieve some of Sale’s attacking pressure.
The trio of Sarah Gladstone, Campbell Edlington and Chloe Findley worked tirelessly to convert backline possession into attacking opportunities, with Jasper Anderson coming the closest to getting his team onto the scoresheet via a pair of strikes that were well saved, plus another pair which travelled just wide of the post, though Sale’s ability to find the back of the net saw them secure a 3-0 win.
Orbost’s women’s team produced a spirited performance against a tough opponent, matching them in a tense scoreless draw for three quarters before finally succumbing to a late brace of goals in the final stages. Kerryn Volk and Lisa Murray were once again outstanding in defence, as was Green and Gold goalie Sarah Gladstone, who provided her usual reliable presence despite being under heavy pressure.
Visiting veteran and former Orbost player Alesha Fecondo made an immediate impact and saw plenty of the ball across the field, combining with Misty Anderson, Bree Kenny and Phoebe Findley to create opportunities through the midfield and into attack.
Teenagers Aster Anderson and Chloe Findley offered plenty of effort and enterprise in the front third of the field, but unfortunately there was ultimately no way through a very experienced Sale backline on this occasion, with Sale capping off a great day by
securing the points, 2-0.
Orbost will be back in action this Saturday, when it welcomes local rivals Swan Reach to the Orbost Recreation Reserve.
