The Green and Gold’s under 16s were Orbost Hockey Club’s biggest winners in round eight of the 2024 East Gippsland Hockey Association (EGHA) season last Saturday at the Gippsland Regional Sports Complex, putting together a fluent all-round performance which continually kept the pressure on the Wellington defence.
After Kayley Robinson went close to scoring twice in the early going, Mitch Farley’s clearance work, a brave Mia Martin tackle against a breakaway and an aerial save from goalie Sarah Gladstone all served to keep the hosts’ frontline at bay.
As the first half progressed it was the Green and Gold who had the majority of the play, and after one concerted team attack, Ellie Florance was able to sweep a loose ball into the back of the cage to open the scoring.
When Jasper Anderson delivered a sweet strike to end a fluent team move, Orbost was two goals up at the break, only for Wellington to half its margin almost immediately after the restart.
With the match very much in the balance, Phoebe Findley produced a storming run from the backline and created a chance for Leni Millward which was well saved – it was Findley herself though who was quickest to react to the rebound, powering the ball home from long range with real authority.
From there on the game was pretty much all Orbost’s, with Millward adding a deserved goal of her own after helping to lock the ball in attack with Ava Martin in support.
Chloe Findley, whose hard running had been behind many of her team’s best attacks on the day, produced one final moment of magic in the dying minutes, finding Aster Anderson open in the ‘D’ to work the ball past the diving goalie to round out the convincing victory.
Final score: Wellington 1 lt Orbost 5.
The young and developing under 18s team may have gone down in defeat in a crazily high-scoring game that saw a goal go in every three minutes or so on average, but of more significance was the attacking flair and great teamwork they were able to display through-out, generating five successful strikes on target for their best output of the season so far.
Chloe Findley’s ability to drive the ball forward into dangerous positions allowed her to be in the right place at the right time to convert two first half team attacks into goals, while Mia Joiner was able to add a third for Orbost before the break when she got onto the end of a clever cross from a tight angle from Joe Mathews.
In the second term a weaving run from Mathews took him to the edge of the ‘D’ where he unleashed an unstoppable shot for the Green and Gold’s fourth, and after both Leni Millward and Georgia Anderson went close at the post, Joiner powered home her team’s fifth and final goal after another dynamic Findley run and precision pass.
Final score: Wellington 14 d Orbost 5. The EGHA will take a break next weekend due to the school holidays, so the Green and Gold will next be back in action on Saturday, July 13, when they take to the road again to take on Swan Reach at the WORLD facility in Bairnsdale.
IMAGE: Orbost’s Joe Mathews attacked the ball with real intensity during the high-scoring under 18s contest against Wellington at the Gippsland Regional Sports Complex last weekend.
