The City Highlanders delivered a statement performance, trouncing Momona 5-1 in the top-of-the-table Dunedin premier women’s clash to keep a firm grip on the Challenge Shield on Saturday.
The game was expected to be close and early on it lived up to that billing.
Hayley Cox opened the scoring with a well-taken finish, but overall it was a largely cagey start.
Momona hit back in the second quarter, as Lucy Saywer found the back of the net, sending things into the break all square.
The second half featured an orange and blue wave as the defending champions found another gear and Momona struggled to keep pace.
Cox bagged her second, this one from a penalty corner straight after halftime, and her side took greater control.
In the final quarter, that control was converted into goals, as Caitlin Blakely, Anabelle Schneideman and Chloe Donaldson all got their names on the scoresheet for City.
In her return for City, Blakely was everywhere, giving the defending champions an extra dimension.
Billie Crowe and Cox were equally impressive in their all-round play.
In a losing effort, Abby Reid was one to really shine for Momona.
Elsewhere in the premier women’s competition, there was a shock win for the Taieri Tigers over King’s United, as the previously winless side won 5-4 in a show-stopper of a game.
The teams traded blows right throughout, but two goals in a minute in the final quarter from Bex Clementson helped Taieri home to a deserved win.
In the University derby, there was to be no upset as the Huskies drilled the Stingrays 8-0, with Rose Parkinson bagging four goals.
In the premier men’s competition, Albany sent out a statement by holding Taieri to a 1-1 draw.
The Gators were ravaged by a catalogue of availability issues, but a late Johnny Thorn goal cancelled out James Nicolson’s first-quarter opener.
In the shootout that followed, the Tuas showed a bit of extra class to get it done 2-1 despite the best efforts of Ben Sinnamon.
The other two men’s games were blowouts.
Kings United thumped the Southland Barbarians 7-0 on the back of braces scored by Ethan Green and Charles Darling.
The University Whales also won 7-0, taking apart their University counterparts in the Panthers. Joshua Wypych and Jacob Bell-Kake both found the back of the net twice for the Whales.
— Nicholas Friedlander
