Orbost travelled to the WORLD facility in Bairnsdale to take on Nagle last Saturday in round 12 of the East Gippsland Hockey Association 2024 season, with Orbost’s under 16s side refusing to be intimidated by their opponents’ higher ladder position.
A powerful run and shot by Mitch Farley created an early opportunity for Ava Martin, before an impressive burst down the wing started by Dom Preston and completed by Chloe Findley saw the ball crossed to Jasper Anderson who neatly directed the ball into the cage.
The hosts fought back well, but goal-saving tackles by Ellie Florance and Mia Martin respectively, together with three inspirational saves from goalie Sarah Gladstone kept them at bay, maintaining the Green and Gold lead at the main break.
In the second half Preston created a couple of strong opportunities to score, one the result of another charging Farley run, the other from a corner, before he turned provider by delivering a powerful cross that just eluded a wide-open Anderson in front of goal.
Phoebe Findley was playing a hugely influential defensive and rebounding game, and in quick succession delivered a couple of precision passes to Anderson that led to saved shots and desperate scrambles to safety by the Nagle defence.
As the contest wore on, the hosts increasingly asserted themselves upon it and were finally able to find a way past the resolute Gladstone with a tricky ball that bounced through the defence and into the goal.
Orbost kept fighting hard, but a classy strike from distance gave its opponents the lead, one which it was able to pad with a late counterattacking goal that came from the Green and Gold’s pushing forwards to find what would have been a well-deserved equaliser of their own.
Final score: Nagle 3 d Orbost 1.
Inspired by the effort and endeavour shown in the previous game, Orbost’s under 18s team that took to the turf for the next fixture also burst out of the gates and took the attack straight to their more fancied opponents.
With their first corner of the game the Green and Gold worked a little trickery into their usual routine, the end result of which saw Joe Mathews blast the ball home cleanly from a tight angle to give his side the lead, one they were able to maintain when goalie Dom Preston made a pair of fine saves at the opposite end.
With Phoebe Findley sweeping the ball forward at every opportunity and her sister Chloe embarking on multiple dangerous runs down the wing, Orbost remained in attack mode and created a brace of chances for Georgia Anderson, one shot after a precise Mia Joiner pass sailing wide and the other being saved after an interception and run in on goal.
Leni Millward also forced a sharp save from another cleverly worked corner, while Nagle steadily got its own offensive game going and managed to score a couple of goals just before halftime to establish the lead.
The second term saw the hosts tighten their control of the contest despite the tenacious tackling of Mitch Farley at the back and an important goal-saving clearance from Ellie Florance.
Nagle managed to find the back of the cage a couple more times, but the Orbost heads never dropped and their attacks continued throughout.
Jasper Anderson and Chloe Findley both went close to pulling a goal back before the visitors were finally rewarded when Anderson struck home the final score of the game, smashing home an incisive Joiner pass from the top of the ‘D’.
Final score: Nagle 4 d Orbost 2.
Orbost’s women’s team took to the field for the final fixture of the day, and despite a sharp piece of footwork from goalie Alana Farley and a strong clearance from Sarah McDonald, it was their opponents who struck first with the only goal of the opening half.
A dynamic run in on goal and subsequent shot from Georgia Anderson went close to finding an Orbost equaliser, as did a Jaime Haas back post opportunity after a dangerous cross.
Kerryn Volk and Misty Anderson worked tirelessly across the backline and midfield to repel and restrict the increasing number of Nagle attacks in the second term, while Zoe Martin almost opened the visitors account with a back post shot after Mia Joiner’s weaving run had wrong-footed the defence.
Ultimately this was a match where the Green and Gold struggled to find rhythm and to hold onto possession, and despite their best defensive efforts, the hosts were able to successfully find more routes to goal as the contest wore on.
Final score: Nagle 6 d Orbost 0.
Orbost Hockey Club will next be back in action this Saturday when it travels to Bairnsdale to take on Wellington.
