Confederates had a breakthrough win over reigning women’s Premier League Hockey champions Lithgow Panthers snatched away by Amelia Leard’s 61st minute strike, which forced a 2-2 draw at Orange Hockey Complex.
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But that didn’t worry Confederates coach Fiona Reith, not one iota.
After all, a draw is all her side needed to qualify for the finals for the first time since re-entering the competition in 2012, the Orange side sealing fourth place in Saturday’s final regular season round.
Prior to the round Feds were locked in a fierce battle with Ex-Services for fourth, they were equal on competition points heading in.
But the blue and golds went down 4-1 to Bathurst St Pat’s, meaning Confederates had to lose by seven or more goals to miss out on the post-season.
They didn’t, they shared the points with Panthers to set up a landmark minor semi-final clash with Bathurst St Pat’s next weekend.
“Honestly, I just can’t really believe it,” Reith beamed.
“There’s no disappointment in missing out on the win at all, the result is incredible.
“Our goal was top five and we secured that a few weeks ago, I’ve said every week anything after that would be a bonus but it’s the same now.
“We’ve made the finals, anything can happen, but we’re so pleased and anything else now would be a bonus.”
In a fast-paced, evenly-matched game Panthers started the better of the two sides, creating a couple of early chances that just sailed wide in the early stages.
But against the run of play Rach Divall opened the scoring for Confederates in the 10th minute and from there, the Orange side outshone their more experienced opponents for a large part of the encounter.
Panthers took the chances that came their way though, Amanda Saladine doing so in the 14th minute to lock it up at 1-1.
Confederates snatched the lead back 10 minutes later, Phoebe Litchfield finishing from a deft Rach Hoey touch.
Confederates created several more chances in the opening half, but couldn’t finish.
They did so again in the second period, at one stage having three back-to-back shots which Lithgow goalkeeper Jess Luchetti stunning kept out.
The Orange side was given a short window to extend its lead when Hannah Kable was green-carded, but but instead Leard banged home an equaliser while her side was one player down.
The final nine minutes were frantic, but neither side could find the back of the net again.
“The belief the girls had in themselves and the ability they had to compose themselves and play our game under a bit of pressure, that was amazing,” Reith said.
“We knew we’d disrupted their structure and we just knew if we kept playing our own game that would keep happening and it would put pressure on them, it did.”
Divall was electric up-front for Confederates, proving just how big her inclusion before the game really was.
But Rach Pengilly was undoubtedly the Orange side’s best, she was superb at the back, shutting down Panthers on a number of occasions.
Confederates will play St Pat’s in Bathurst in the elimination semi-final, while minor premiers Bathurst City host Panthers in the major.
- CONFEDERATES 2 (Rach Divall, Phoebe Litchfield) drew LITHGOW PANTHERS 2 (Amanda Saladine, Amelia Leard)