The group stage of the u18 SASHOC National Week produced some dramatic hockey and surprising results. No team made a bigger splash, however, than Southern Gauteng B, aka Witsies, who upstaged some of the bigger name teams to secure a place in the semi-finals.
From the start of the event, on Sunday, Witsies demonstrated resilience and hunger and it paid off as they fought their way through to the final four.
On Wednesday, they played their last two pool matches, both of which they needed to win. In the first, they defeated Northern Free State 2-0 in a tight clash.
It took Southerns’ B 45 minutes to make a breakthrough, which came from the stick of Onwaba Santi, who slotted a field goal. Then, in the last minute, Nicole Bailey sent a penalty corner into the back of the net to secure her side’s victory.
Later in the day, Witsies took on Eastern Province. Once again, it was a very tight contest with little to separate the teams. With time running out, it appeared as if it was going to end in a stalemate.
Southern Gauteng B created chances but failed to take advantage of them. Three minutes from time, though, Tori Tanner-Ellis struck to see her team to a 1-0 win.
Witsies’ head coach, Lance Louw was a proud man after his charges secured a semi-final showdown with Southern Gauteng A. Their persistence, he said, had paid off eventually.
“We dominated most moments of the game, but we did not take our chances. We had a few in the first quarter…and we kept their corners out.
“We told ourselves after half time that we had to make sure we got one goal to get to the semifinal. We kept knocking on the door. We worked harder. We kept on defending.
“We were consistently knocking on the door, and when we hit a post, I thought we were not going to score. But, with three minutes to go, the player of the match, Tori Tanner-Ellis, put the ball in the back of the net. That summed up our IPT. It’s been great so far.”
Tanner-Ellis, who exhibited a high work rate and excellent skills, has twice received a player of the match award. She was also a recipient on the opening day of the event, when Southerns’ B played to a goalless draw against KZN Inland.
As a B team, Southern Gauteng was not looked upon as one of the primary title contenders, but their never-say-die spirit quickly showed they were not to be taken lightly.
With their good run through to the semi-finals, captain Niquita McHugh and company have shown the value of discipline, teamwork and a strong work rate. There is no secret to their success, she said, other than meticulous preparation.
“We just backed ourselves because we have the B team title, but we still deserve to be in this section, as we have proven. We have used the underdog title to our advantage. We’ve got into every game, and we have proved every team wrong.”
Their 1-0 win over Eastern Province saw Witsies sneak into the semis, after finishing level on points with Boland, at eight each, but with a better goal difference of only one goal.
When they face Southern Gauteng A, there will, no doubt, be many in the Southerns’ B side eager to prove, yet again, that they shouldn’t be underestimated.
Coach Louw said he is ecstatic for his girls. “I didn’t think they would do it, but they did it when they were in the u16 group, so some girls have played in the semi-finals before. But I think we have about seven or eight girls who have not been in this position before, so I’m just happy for them.”
Vuyo Ndudane is a Sport Management and Journalism graduate from the Vaal University of Technology and the University of South Africa. She has experience as a content producer for Mhlobo Wenene FM sport show, currently working as a Sport Multimedia Controller, Researcher and multiple sport freelance writer under the wings of Sport Journalist. She admires Kyle Walker and Vinicius Jnr. She’s just a lover of sport and trying to change the perception of Women’s Sport in South Africa – one article a time.
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