A STRONG start laid the foundation for Lithgow Zig Zag’s upset 3-2 victory over St Pat’s in Saturday’s men’s Premier League Hockey minor semi-final.
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Playing at Bob Roach Field against defending premiers St Pat’s, Taylor Tattersall, Dean Simmons and Luke Sheppard all scored in the opening half for Zig Zag to lead 3-0 at the break.
Zig Zag showed greater intensity and a higher work rate from the opening whistle and drew a number of saves from Pat’s goalkeeper Taylor Newton.
The visitors had earned five penalty corners – scoring off two – and intercepted countless passes, while the Saints only had three chances in the opening 35 minutes.
After the break Pat’s lifted and with co-captain Jaden Ekert scoring from a penalty corner drag flick then again 60 seconds later from the field, it was game on.
Riley Hanrahan, Josh Toole, Aidan Charters and Ekert all tested Zig Zag goalkeeper Luke Thurtell, but were unable to find a third goal. The loss ended St Pat’s season.
“It was a good start to the game for us. We had started slow the last couple of weeks and it was something that we spoke about,” Zig Zag skipper Ben Kelly said.
“So it was great we started well today and put our chances away early.
“At half-time we knew it wasn’t job done – no way, not against a quality side like St Pat’s. Earlier on in the year we were leading 2-0 and they got it back to 2-all.
“They have been the benchmark of the comp for the last five or six years, so to beat a quality side like them – it was great for us.”