The City Highlanders impressively defended the Challenge Shield this season for a seventh and final time on Saturday, holding out the ever-improving Kings United as they picked up a 2-1 win.
After an end-to-end opening to the game, Kings opened the scoring when Lizzie Perry finished off a slick counter-attack.
That lead lasted less than a minute, though, as City went straight back down the other end, equalising through a Chloe Donaldson deflection.
The back-and-forth pattern continued for the rest of the first half, but Rachael Lecky and Pippa Croft were both in fine form to keep the scores level at 1-1.
With the shield on the line, Kings were really forced to work, surviving a spell of penalty corners, eventually getting the ball away through the right leg of Lecky.
The odd counter-attacking chance presented itself for Kings, but truthfully it was all City in the second half, Hayley Cox converting a penalty corner late in the third quarter which was ultimately the game-clinching goal.
City used their experience and controlled the final quarter, getting over the line to the four competition points.
Earlier, Momona jumped back above Kings into second spot after a 2-2 draw with the University Huskies.
It was not exactly the result they wanted, but all things considered it is one that should give them a top-two finish.
In a bizarre game, three of the goals came in a six minute spell just before halftime, two of which were penalty strokes.
The result marks something of a return to form for the Huskies, who had been on the slide in recent weeks.
The Taieri Tigers were the other winners on Saturday, pounding the University Stingrays 5-0 to keep their finals hopes alive.
— In the premier men’s competition, Kings United and the Albany Alligators played out another goal-fest, this time drawing 3-3.
Turnstile defence was employed by both sides in the first quarter, as Nic Finlayson and Judd Adamson found the back of the net for Kings either side of a Jack Cotton brace for the Gators.
The attacking intent continued right throughout the contest, but there was to be no winner, as Nick Parata’s go-ahead goal was quickly cancelled out by a Jack O’Neill strike.
Kings won the shootout after the contest, bouncing back from last week’s loss in that department.
The Taieri Tuataras ensured that the goals would not dry up over on the far turf, pouring home double-digits with a 10-0 triumph over the University Panthers.
The title favourites showed no mercy to the students, as James Nicolson bagged yet another hat-trick.
In Gore for the final time in 2024, the Southland Barbarians did not get the fairytale they were after, beaten 8-1 by a ruthless University Whales side.
— Nicholas Friedlander
