The OHA Premier League men have consolidated 3rd spot on the ladder after their third win in a row last Saturday against Diamondbacks. This was after claiming a 3-1 victory over Canterbury in Round 6, then a 3-2 win over ladder leaders, and hitherto undefeated NWG the week before! The boys are on a roll, but can they keep that winning feeling going as they come up against Derwent in the mid-week game, and then back up for Saturday’s clash with University, who will be hungry for a win to get back into the top 4.
Round 7 – OHA v NWG
It was a fast and entertaining match with opportunities at both ends. NWG were without midfield star Gobind Gill, but they have a lot of depth and their PC battery has been sharp all season. They scored twice from PCs aimed close to the post, but OHA found three replies, and came oh-so-close to a fourth goal in the final minutes.
Jo Murphy opened the scoring with a blistering reverse stick strike under defensive pressure in the opening minutes, off the back of a good pass from Isaac Bridley. NWG held a 2-1 lead at the long break, but OHA played even better in the second half and equalised when Nick Leslie cracked a beautiful field goal after a strong run into the circle and pinpoint pass from Jo Murphy.
Sam McCambridge was proving a handful for the NWG defenders and was brought down in the circle with a push in the back that resulted in a Penalty Stroke. For the second time in two weeks, Sam Keating slotted the goal home from the spot to put OHA into the lead. The late removal of the NWG ‘keeper nearly resulted in a fourth OHA goal, but they were happy just to win this important match and announce that they are serious contenders for season 2020.
Round 8 – OHA v Diamondbacks
The OHA Premier League men strengthened their position in the Top 4 with a 2-0 win against the youthful Diamondbacks team on 15 August. OHA junior Will Roehrer was the invited mentorship guest on the bench. Will Smith and Alex Moir were rested from action ahead of the midweek game coming up on 19 August. This provided an opportunity for Jayden Vince, who was moved forward with good effect, scoring his first PL goal after Sam McCambridge drew out the DBack ‘keeper and passed through to the waiting Jayden on the post. Isaac Bridley had scored OHA’s opening goal only a few minutes into the match, with a strong strike.
OHA then had many chances to go further ahead, but good goalkeeping was a factor in the result not really looking settled before Jayden’s second half goal. DBacks didn’t have scoring opportunities until they snagged a couple of PCs late in the game, but good first-running by Jo Murphy kept the ball away from the OHA goal-line to ensure a clean sheet. The OHA men play second-placed Derwent on Wednesday night 19 August at 8.15 pm, in what is a ‘brought-forward’ Round 15. They then play Round 9 against University next Saturday (22nd). Let’s hope there aren’t too many sore bodies from 3 matches in 8 days.
