Slow start for Reds a win for Yellows in local hockey

The penultimate game of the Nickol Bay Hockey Association’s autumn competition got off to a quick start last Wednesday.

Within the first 30 seconds, the yellow team slotted through the first goal of the match at the Bulgarra tennis courts when player Steve Cook took the ball straight from the halfway line, dodged a couple of unsuspecting red defenders and passed to Ryan Piller on the goal line, who neatly tapped it in.

An attempt at a similar blitzkrieg manoeuvre by the red team at the next set up did not go to plan after Alex Walter got the ball tangled in his feet, and the turnover resulted in another shot on goal for yellow which Steve Knight capitalised on.

The move took the score to 2-0 early into the first half.

But a more defensive strategy taken up by the red side saw the momentum of the game even out, and thanks to a lucky deflection to Amber Vidotto, by half-time the margin had reduced to 2-1.

The red team was more settled in the second half, and several runs by Annabelle Little down the wing were unlucky not to even the score, mainly due to excellent defending on the goal line from yellow’s Gareth Galloway. Another goal to Piller against the flow of play proved a catalyst to the yellow team, who quickly piled on two more goals after that — including one from first-time player Mark Davis.

A consolation goal to red’s Dave Ellam in the final minutes meant the scoreboard stood at 5-2 to Yellows by the final whistle.

The last game of this term’s hockey competition was on earlier this week at the Bulgarra tennis courts.

It will be followed by a two week break before the Karratha Cup kicks off.