The South African women’s hockey team emerged as convincing champions of the inaugural Spar Cup at the Queensmead Astroturf in Durban on Saturday.
They defeated Scotland 4-0 in the final to take top honours in the four-nation tournament. Having struck early on, the South Africans enjoyed the upper hand throughout the match.
The first half saw an expert display from the South African side, who dominated proceedings and limited the Scots to just one penalty corner — their only real chance of the first 35.
Marsha Marescia was especially impressive in the midfield and was later named player of the match. After just four minutes, the South Africans had already scored from their first penalty corner of the game. Tarryn Bright took the shot, which beat Scottish goalkeeper Debbie McLeod for the 1-0 lead.
The South Africans’ other goal of the half came with just a few seconds left on the clock before the break. This time it was off their sixth penalty corner. A slickly executed variation saw Marescia passing to KwaZulu-Natal local Jen Wilson, who got the final deflection into goal for a 2-0 lead going into the break.
The third goal came just eight minutes in to the second half. Bright was once again in on the action, with her shot from a penalty corner finding the back of the net and stretching the South African side’s lead to 3-0.
Then, with just one minute left on the clock, the South Africans gave the enthusiastic Durban crowd one more thing to cheer about. This time Kate Hector’s shot from the final penalty corner of the match was deflected in by Henna du Buisson.
Earlier in the afternoon, it was an emotional South African captain Lindsey Carlisle who took to the field for the national anthems. This was 36-year-old Carlisle’s final match in South African colours on home soil, as she will be retiring after next month’s Commonwealth Games.
”I think at any tournament you always have a dip and that came against Ireland on Thursday, but that just brings back the team even better,” said South African coach Jenny King afterwards.
”This was a massive test to see if the team can turn on when they have to, and they really did that,” she added.
”I tried not to make too much of a deal of my last match in South Africa, but I shed a tear every now and again,” said Carlisle. ”It was really sensational to be able to pull the team together and rise to the occasion. Today South Africa stepped up really produced a final result and that will strengthen our confidence going into the Commonwealth Games.
”It has been an absolute bonus to play over 200 games in the sport that I love. Now I just want to give back to the sport,” added the captain who will continue to be involved with coaching.
In the play-off for the bronze medal, played in blazing 36-degrees-Celsius heat, Azerbaijan and Ireland were locked at 1-1 after 70 minutes, after goals from Elaine Bromell (for Ireland off a penalty corner in the fifth minute) and Guinara Mikayilova (for Azerbaijan in the 27th).
But a golden goal from a penalty stroke, taken by vice-captain Dilfuza Mirzaliyeva in the fifth minute of extra time, saw the Azeris, who were the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, taking the bronze. — Sapa