The accolades for Parkes’ female hockey players keep coming after one of the four teams that competed at the NSW Masters State Championships at Taree on the weekend returned joint victors.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And two others came out runners-up in their divisions.
The four teams representing Parkes at the championships were Parkes 1 in the Over 35s Division 1, Parkes 2 in the Over 35s Divison 4, Parkes 3 in the Over 35s Divison 5 and Parkes 4 in the Over 45s Division 2.
Parkes 1 were named joint state champions for a second consecutive year, a massive achievement for a country hockey association.
The side played their round games against Newcastle (2-0 loss), Sydney East (3-0 win – Cherie Johnstone, Janelle Thompson, Wendy Rix goal-scorers), Sydney North Shore (3-0 win – Tracey Harrison, Denise Gersbach, Janelle Thompson), Far North Coast (0-0 draw) and Sydney Northern Beaches (2-0 win – Wendy Rix 2).
At the end of the round matches, Parkes were coming first in the division earning themselves a spot in the final against Sydney Northern Beaches.
The score remained 0-0 at the end of the final, with Parkes and Sydney Northern Beaches named as joint state champions.
Coach Glenn Johnstone was thrilled with the performance of the side.
“The girls gave their all on the field this weekend. Every game was a real team performance with the girls playing with plenty of heart and determination,” he said.
“To win a state title is an amazing achievement, but to do it for two consecutive years is just phenomenal.”
Parkes 3 and Parkes 4 teams were runners-up in their divisions (reports to come for 2 and 3).
Parkes 4’s first game on Friday was against Cessnock, winning 4-0.
Kelly Spedding scored the first goal and not to be out done by her twin sister, Sandra Tilsley netted Parkes’ second, with Michelle Goodwin claiming the third and fourth goals.
Parkes won its second game against Port Macquarie 3-1 (Sandra Tidsley 2, Lynne Bourke goal scorers), smashed Eastern Districts 6-1 (Lynne Bourke 2, Jo Besant 2, Michelle Goodwin and Kelly Spedding), but lost 2-0 against Maitland.
The side played Port Macquarie again to get into the final, finding their opponents a little tougher. Kelly found the back of the net with three minutes remaining to give Parkes a 1-0 win, setting up a rematch with Maitland in the final. Parkes attacked strongly, but didn't get any rewards for their efforts, the scores remaining at 0-0 at halftime.
The side earned a number of short corners but couldn’t convert any with seven minutes left. Maitland’s attack was strong, winning themselves a goal and the final.
