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Namibia: Wanderers Night League in Full Swing

AllAfrica 2 days ago

With the Old Mutual Wanderers Night League Hockey series in full swing teams are battling it out to make the knockout stages which will commence next week.

In the men's competition, Wanderers went to the top of Pool A on Monday night after repelling a determined comeback by DTS to win their encounter 4-3.

Wanderers were all over DTS in the first half and took the lead after five minutes when they won a short corner and Johan van Rooyen beat DTS' keeper Jacques Nel with a shot high into the corner of the net.

Wanderers continued to attack but DTS defended well to keep them at bay just before the halftime break when Tiaan Grobler broke into DTS' box to smash the ball into the net from close range.

When Grobler got his second goal from a counter-attack in the third quarter it seemed that the match was all over with Wanderers leading 3-0, but DTS launched a stunning comeback.

Jason Bolton opened their account with a great shot from the edge of the box and when Christo van Rooyen was fouled in the box they won a penalty that Xander van Rooyen converted to narrow the deficit to 3-2.

There was still more to come and barely a minute later Ivan Mendes pounced to put a loose ball in the box away, to draw level at 3-3 and complete a dramatic turnaround.

DTS, however, could not maintain the momentum and Wanderers had the final say when Grobler completed his hattrick early in the final quarter to givethem a narrow 4-3 victory, which put them at the top of Pool A on 10 points from five matches.

Windhoek High School remain second on nine points, despite losing 5-2 to School of Excellence in another match on Monday.

Josh Jones put WHS ahead at the end of the first quarter, but Delron Handura equalised, before a short corner goal by Kandji Kaizembi gave SoE the lead just before halftime.

SoE went 3-1 ahead after Handura scored his second goal with a great diving shot, but WHS fought back and reduced the deficit to 3-2 when they won a penalty and Jones scored from the spot.

That's the closest they got though as SoE scored two more goals in the final quarter by Giovane Handura and Rashimo Kap as they eased to a commanding win.

That put SoE third on the log on four points, ahead of Nust and Masters on three points each and DTS on two points.

Windhoek Old Boys, meanwhile, are the pacesetters in Group B on 17 points, afte winning four and drawing one of their opening five matches, while scoring 48 goals at close to five per match.

Saints are second on 12 points with a match in hand, while WAP (6), WHS II (3), Windhoek Gymnasium (1) and Wanderers II (1) make up the rear.

In the women's competition, Saints beat WHS 7-1 on Monday night with Kiana Cormack and Tara Myburgh both scoring a brace, to go second in Pool B on seven points from two matches. DTS lead the log on 10 points from four matches, while SoE (4), Windhoek Gymnasium (3) and WHS I (1) make up the rear.

St Paul's College lead Pool A on eight points, followed by Windhoek Old Boys and WAP on seven points each, Wanderers on four and WHS II on zero points.

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