Rusten Abrahams collected a brace and Brandon James scored a vital powerplay goal – worth double – as the University of the Witwatersrand overcame a tenacious University of Free State side 5-2 in the opening game on day three of Varsity Hockey at the University of Johannesburg on Sunday.
Kovsies were way more competitive than the scoreline suggests and really pressured Wits, who were just more clinical in finishing chances in the circle and were bailed out by some fine saves by goalkeeper Quinton Kernot.
Wits opened the scoring in the sixth minute as a wonderful interchange between captain Stuart Philip and James led to a lovely goal for Philip. But Kovsies equalised just a minute later, Winray Christoffels scrambling the ball into the goal after a great run by Dylan Swanepoel and it soon became clear that a tightly-contested, exciting game was going to develop.
Wits went 2-1 up four minutes later as Thabang Modise built an attack with an excellent run and then slipped the ball left to Abrahams, who took his time and finished with great composure in the left corner.
Kovsies dominated the second quarter, earning a couple of short-corners and a chance for Tiaan Weldhagen, but the excellence of Kernot in the Wits goal meant the equaliser did not come for the Free Staters.
Instead it was the slick finishing of Abrahams that allowed Wits to score next, the Beaulieu product making his second statement on the scoreboard in the 25th minute.
The Free Staters closed the gap to 2-3 in the 38th minute as the tenacious defensive work of Darren Kamfer and Gerhard van Bosch led to Wits turning over possession just outside their 25, with Weldhagen finding the target from the outer reaches of the circle.
The third quarter ended with the local students pressing hard, but the final chukka began with the heroics of goalkeeper Kernot saving Wits as he denied Qhiyiya Jack in a one-on-one.
The crucial period of the game came in the 48th minute as Wits took the powerplay in an effort to dig themselves out of the pressure situation they found themselves in.
But it was Kovsies who created a great chance, but Christoffels took far too long on the ball with an unmarked man just outside the circle. The lack of clinical finishing was a problem for Kovsies and this time it cost them dearly as Wits broke away and James flicked in on the run at the other end of the field for a goal worth double, lifting Wits to a 5-2 lead.
The Wits goal was still under pressure though and the defence at a short-corner was reduced to just two men and the goalkeeper after early breaking. But the ball was eventually missed by the Kovsies stopper and even though the powerplay was taken, the Free Staters scrambled and fought but the goal was not forthcoming.
FNB Player of the Match: Brandon James (Wits)
Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Quinton Kernot (Wits)
Samsung Super Striker: Rusten Abrahams (Wits)
By Ken Borland
