School teams to compete in final
The region’s prominence in the sport of hockey is continuing to shine bright.
Both Perth Schools boys and girls’ teams have advanced in to the final of the Scottish Aspire Cup after recent last four wins.
The girls’ squad captained by Caitlin McShea secured their place in the showdown courtesy of an emphatic 9-0 victory over Kingussie, played at Perth Academy last week.
Lead coach Jess Martin said: “Our focus with the girls’ squad going into the semi-final was on keeping our shape and playing possession hockey.
“We hadn’t seen Kingussie play before but were confident that if we stuck to our game plan we would come away with a win.
“The first half proved slightly frustrating as Kingussie crowded the D which made it difficult to find shooting opportunities.
“However, in the second half, Perth moved the ball quicker and made better use of our shape to open up the opposition and create many more goal scoring chances.”
The boys’ team, whose captain is Tom Cahalin, were required to show an abundance of fight in their 5-2 semifinal win against Harris Academy.
“We knew that the boys’ semi-final against Harris was going to be a real competitive match,” coach Martin continued. “Our boys started strong going 2-0 up but a slip in concentration allowed Harris to bring the score back to 2-2 where it remained for a while.
“I believe the key factor in us securing the win was that our boys were able to remain level headed and work with a positive determination to continue putting pressure on. Our third goal eventually came. With that extra boost and tiredness in the Harris ranks Perth finished them off with another two to finish 5-2 winners.
“Both the girls and boys have been training together on a weekly basis to work towards these wins and the upcoming finals.
“Having won both the boys and girls finals last year there was a real determination from those who were involved to retain our titles.”
Finals day takes place at Glasgow’s
National Hockey Centre on March 13 with the Perth girls coming up against the winners of Renfrewshire versus Dingwall. The boys will be lining-up against Grove Academy.
Martin said: “I am looking forward to the finals with the knowledge that both squads are capable of coming away with the trophies.
“However I know that both matches will require the teams to put out their best performance to date.
“With the boys playing Grove Academy we know we are in for a tough competition. With the girls opposition still to be confirmed all we can do is look at our own squad. The improvement from game one to the semi-final has been great and if we play to our strengths and keep our structure then I have no doubt that we are capable of beating whoever we face.”
The strength of Perthshire Hockey Club has played its part in the schools’ success, Martin believes.
And she added: “Perthshire is where many of these players train and play together at both U18 and senior level.
“That extra training and the coaching they receive there is key in improving the individuals that make up the core of our Aspire squads.”