A LAPSE in concentration in the dying seconds cost Souths on Sunday as they drew 4-all with men’s Premier League Hockey rivals Lithgow Zig Zag in Lithgow.
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Chasing a win in the catch-up match which would elevate them into outright second on the ladder, it looked to be mission accomplished for Souths as they led 4-3 inside the final minute.
The two blues had been strong in defence, especially through the midfield, while Zig Zag had just 10 men on the paddock as one of their players had been shown a red card late in the second half.
But Zig Zag, who themselves are fighting for a top-two regular season finish, had one last chance. They took it.
“We were up 4-3 with 15 seconds to go and they scored,” Souths coach Ray Winwood-Smith said.
“They had a free hit just on top of the circle and young Lachy Sharp took the ball up and put it in the back of the net. We just got caught ball watching and they played the ball very quickly and scored that goal.”
Souths went into the match on the back of a 9-1 win over Dubbo on Saturday, and while they were missing Daniel Carter for the third versus fourth showdown, NSW Waratahs representative Nick McEwen was available.
Play was tight from the opening whistle, but Souths better took their chances and by half-time had opened up a 2-0 lead.
Zig Zag also had their share of attacking forays, but some good defence from the two blues held them out.
The second half remained tight, thanks in the main to Zig Zag goalkeeper Luke Thurtell. He made some brilliant one-on-one blocks to keep the hosts in the contest.
“Their goalkeeper was exceptional today, to be honest he was the difference between the two sides,” Winwood Smith said.
“He probably made three times the amount of saves Rudgey [Souths goalkeeper John Rudge] had to make and we had a number of opportunities one-on-one with the goalkeeper that we didn’t capitalise on.”
Though the late lapse cost Souths what would have been their 10th win of the season and a six-point buffer over Zig Zag, Winwood-Smith could not fault the effort his men showed.
“We missed a number of chances which probably hurt us at the end of the day, but in saying that, I was very pleased with the way we controlled the ball,” he said.
“Our midfield was exceptional and from a standard point of view, it was very, very good.
“It was a good game, I would put it down to be the best game in regards to calibre I have seen all year, the standard was very high. It was a very high quality game.”
Souths and Zig Zag will do battle again this Saturday, the two to meet in Bathurst.