KNYSNA | PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Old Oaks Knysna Hockey Club enjoyed a triumphant return to the Eden Senior Hockey League last weekend with their men's and ladies teams coming out on top in their matches against George Hockey Club.
Plett Hockey Club meanwhile had a tough time of it against York High School as both their teams suffered defeats.
The league took a month's break after the first round of fixtures wrapped up on 18 June to allow for some rest for the clubs and for club hockey players to take part in the SA Country Districts tournaments.
This break was successful as both the Eden Men's and Eden Ladies teams won their SACD tournaments. When the break came, Old Oaks' men were in third place behind York (first) and NMU George (second) while Plett's men were sixth.
Old Oaks' ladies were top of the log, six points clear of York, and Plett was in seventh place.
The made a welcome return when the second round kicked off on Saturday 30 July. Old Oaks had to face George at the Oakhill Sports Campus (OSC) while Plett welcomed York on the Knysna High School astro-turf.
Plett vs York
At Knysna High it was Plett's ladies in action first and they were handed a challenging return to the league by York. Two goals in the first quarter, one in the second as well as the third quarters, plus a further two in the fourth and final quarter meant that York ran out 6-0 winners.
The men's game followed a similar pattern. York scored six unanswered goals in the first half to go into the break 6-0 ahead. A Roderick van Rooyen goal in the third quarter gave Plett something to cheer for before York scored another five goals to emerge as 11-1 winners. York are now top of the league, surpassing NMU George on goal difference.
Old Oaks vs George
Back at the OSC it was the ladies' game between Old Oaks and George that got the afternoon going at 14:00. Old Oaks were dominant from the get-go and had secured a 5-0 lead by half-time.
They scored a further five goals in the second half to win the encounter 10-0. René Korsten scored three goals, Charné de Wet and Zané Nortje scored two apiece while Donné de Wet, Christine van der Merwe and Nicky Hazell all scored a goal each. Old Oaks' ladies remain top, six points ahead of York.
As with matters at Knysna High, the men's game followed a similar trend to the ladies'.
There was a slightly slower start to the game for Old Oaks though, as the men were only 2-0 up at half-time. The second half proved more clinical as Old Oaks bagged a further six goals, running out 8-0 victors.
Malcolm Quirk, Geeno du Plessis and Nick Olivier scored two goals each while Sean Mackenzie and Blake Linder contributed with a goal apiece. Old Oaks are still in third place, four points behind NMU and York.
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