Hockey to heat up at Warracknabeal
The penultimate round of Wimmera Hockey Association’s winter season will be at Anzac Park, Warracknabeal on Saturday.
Although many teams have already confirmed their places in the finals, key positions in each division remain undecided.
A clash between home team Warrack Hoops and ladder-leading Yanac Tigers in open division promises to be a cracking game.
The Hoops regained second place last week and will need a win this game if they are to remain there.
To do this they will need to become the first team to defeat the Tigers this season.
Kaniva Cobras will look to get back on the winners list after narrowly going down to Hoops last week, while Dimboola Burras will want to show they deserve a place in the finals, which they can confirm with a win.
The winner of the game between Horsham Hurricanes and Nhill Rangers might still have a slim chance of sneaking into the finals, but the vanquished will almost certainly earn the wooden spoon.
Last week Hoops returned to second place on the ladder after winning an intense encounter with Kaniva Cobras on a slow and heavy ground at Yanac.
Jordan Williamson opened scoring for the victors with a goal 12 minutes into the game and it took a further 30 minutes of hard play before Clint Beattie replied for Cobras.
Williamson found the goals again late in the second half to break the deadlock, and although the Cobras peppered the goals in the dying minutes of the game, Hoops’ defence remained strong.
Sandon Schultz, Royce Bennett and Todd Krahe stood out for Hoops and Luke Shalders, Lachlan Clark and Beattie got the votes for Cobras.
The signs looked ominous for Horsham Hurricanes after they conceded five goals by half time to a slick Yanac Tigers’ outfit. But the Hurricanes allied after the break and a much-improved defence only let one more goal through in the second half.
Lewis Wheaton scored twice for Tigers and was among his team’s best players along with Todd and Brad Alexander.
Regular standout players Jarryd Bannan, Paul Mackereth and Stuart Hallett were best for Horsham.
In the unfamiliar environment of Davis Park under floodlights at Nhill, a strong Nhill Rangers defence kept them in the game in the face of regular attacking moves by higher ranked Dimboola Burras.
After the break the Burras kept up the pressure but were equally matched by the Rangers’ backline and the game ended in a scoreless draw.
Nhill goalkeeper Murray Miller was best player and his fellow defenders Tom Mcpeake and Dakari Delaney also played well. Talor Dent was Dimboola’s best player along with Jack Lovett and Tim Jorgensen.
Women
The feature game in the women’s competition involves Kaniva Women warming up for their first finals campaign in more than 10 seasons.
They come up against Dimboola Roos, and although even with a win they will not rise any higher on the ladder than their current third place, it would be a great boost to their confidence.
The other two games will see finals qualifiers Horsham Jets and Yanac Women take on Nhill Thunderbirds and Warrack Women respectively.
While ladder positions suggest the first two teams should win, recent results show the lower ranked teams are capable of causing an upset.
Last week, scoring opportunities were at both ends of the field in a game between Kaniva and Warracknabeal women’s teams, but good defence denied any work for scorekeepers in the first half.
Pressure continued after half time until, with seven minutes of play remaining, Lisa Stimson managed to breach the Warrack defence and establish a one-goal lead for Kaniva.
Nyree Hutchins, Stimson and goalkeeper Symone Mitchell were best players for Kaniva and Donna Robinson, Kelly Krahe and Leah Eilola earned the honour for Warracknabeal.
Yanac Women started well in their game by earning early short corners, which they were unable to convert. But at the other end of the field, Horsham Jets forwards responded with three goals before half time.
A fourth goal later in the game sealed a Jets’ win.
Ellie Morrow led the goal scoring with two and was among best players, along with Launa Schilling, Sophie Robinson and Ashleigh Fogarty.
Shanaye Alexander, Mikayla Farmer, Sheree Shurdington and Carmel Beattie were the better players for Yanac.
In the first of the games under lights at Davis Park, a strong Thunderbirds’ defence led by best-on-ground Jeanette Mcleod stopped many shots at goal. But Thunderbirds could not hold off a persistent attack from Dimboola Roos and ultimately yielded five goals, with Kelly Smithyman and Adina King scoring two each and Vicki Smithyman scoring the fifth.
Jennifer Klinge was best for the Roos, with Kelly Smithyman, King, and Mcleod, centre half back Ameilia Rintoule and forwards Sami Crowhurst and Kellie Farquharson Thunderbirds’ best players.