DERWENT OUT TO STRIKER FEAR INTO OPPONENT
DERWENT will be out to assert its premiership credentials against elimination final winner Canterbury in men’s preliminary final action from 1.30pm on Saturday.
The Strikers took the minor premiership by a clear margin of 14 points, but it will all mean nothing after they fell to a penalty shootout loss to OHA in their semi-final.
In stark contrast, two goals to Tom Beard and a penalty corner goal from Khan Riley saw the Lions end the season of defending champions North West Graduates with a 3-1 victory.
Derwent coach Nathan Fitzpatrick was disappointed to see his side relinquish a 2-0 advantage for the second year running, but says the squad has maximised the positives from playing again this weekend.
“We had some honest conversations about where and how we can improve earlier in the week, and we’ve quickly moved on to what we know Canterbury will look to do,” Fitzpatrick said.
“The work we’ve done in midweek will hold us in really good stead on Saturday and we’re clear on what our strengths are and what our roles are.”
The Strikers will look to stars Josh Mardell and Angus Boulton to also increase their output as they look to add to their 2021 record of three wins and one draw against the Lions.
Canterbury has continued to sweat on the availability of star defender Ian McHugh as he races to return from an ankle injury. McHugh’s potential absence could be exacerbated by the unavailability of Riley, but Canterbury will back in its improved depth to cover the losses.
“It’s been a tough few weeks’ selection wise, but it’s a good sign of the depth we are developing despite a number of significant injuries,” Lions coach Craig Donovan said.
“It has left us with a few headaches that could rival what we may be feeling post end of season on Sunday morning!
“We enjoy playing against the cream of the crop in the competition and have enjoyed some good competitive hitouts against Derwent throughout the year.”
The winner will progress to play OHA in next weekend’s men’s Premier League grand final.