Pirates take it all
GRENSIDE – Pirates beat the Rumblers to win the Southern Gauteng Men's First Division.
Pirates Sports Club beat two Wanderers Club hockey teams in one weekend, to finish top of the Southern Gauteng Men’s First Division league.
The side will now be promoted to the Southern Gauteng Reserve League, just one year after making it to the first division.
The Greenside club’s greatest rivals, the Wanderers C team, or Wanderers Rumblers, fell 4–1 in a closer match than the scoreline suggested on 3 September. The match determined who would win the league and, even though the Rumblers have some games left to play, the side from Illovo is now sure of a second-place finish.
The Rumblers opened scoring early on a scorching day at Northcliff High School and held on against a fierce Pirates attack for the rest of the first quarter. The Rumblers gained more possession in the second quarter and created at least as many chances, as both teams played with intensity, eager for the win. But both defences held on, leaving it 1–0 to the Rumblers at half-time.
Pirates had more players on the bench, and their access to rested players played more of a role as the match went on. The Rumblers had to do as much running, with fewer legs. Pirates equalised right after half-time, and then scored again to lead 2–1 at the end of the third quarter. The Rumblers worked as hard as they could but just could not match the speed of the fresh Pirates players, and Pirates scored twice more before the end.
“It was a good match. From the second half, we showed how we play hockey – we push the ball around and play at speed,” smiled Pirates captain Mike Tucker.
“It was our aim to be promoted so we are very happy with the win.” Rumblers captain Ricky Madsen said the game was fair, but his team ‘just ran out of legs’. “We need more substitutes and need to work on our fitness,” he explained.
Pirates then beat the Wanderers D team the next day, also 4–1. Although the Rumblers finished second and are also eligible for promotion, Madsen said they are not interested in playing in the Reserve League, as many of the players are married and cannot commit to the amount of hockey that is played there.
