Chanette Jansen van Vuuren and Katelyn Blokpoel were on target in Die Hoërskool Menlopark’s 2-0 win over Hoërskool Waterkloof in their league contest on the Menlo Blou Astro on Friday night.
The victory also confirmed Menlopark as the winners of the Northerns league title.
It was the perfect ending to an outstanding campaign that ended with Menlopark claiming five trophies across three age groups: their u15A, u15B, u14A, and u14B teams also topped their leagues.
“I am very proud of the girls. They played well on both sides of the ball,” Brad Brook, the Menlopark coach, told SuperSport Schools News.
It was the third time the rivals had met this season. They first crossed swords in the quarterfinals of the St Mary’s Waverley Festival. That contest ended 1-1 in regulation time. Menlopark won the resultant penalty shootout 4-3.
They met again in the final of the NWU Puk Series, where they were evenly matched once again, with the clash finishing deadlocked at 1-1 before Menlopark defeated Waterkloof in another shootout.
The highlights of those encounters were the midfield battles between Menlopark’s Monique Gerber and Chanette Jansen van Vuuren and Klofies‘ Lenique Vogel and Mila Badenhorst, which brought together four of the best midfielders in the country, providing great entertainment value for the spectators. Friday night’s contest was no different.
For most of the first half, there was little to separate the sides. Then, on the stroke of halftime, Jansen van Vuuren found the back of the net.
The next two chukkas saw the momentum swing one way then the other as Waterkloof hunted an equaliser and chased an insurance goal.
Menlo leaned on its watertight defence. With Annika Kloppers offering an almost-unbeatable presence between the poles, they conceded just a single goal in their league campaign.
Waterkloof’s defence was solid, too, making goals hard to come by, and it remained 1- to Brook’s charges heading into the fourth chukka.
Menlopark enjoyed success with a high press, which limited Waterkloof’s ability to play from the back. That approach paid dividends when a turnover high in Klofies’ half. Menlo quickly moved the ball, and Blokpoel ensured it would be the home side’s day with just over five minutes remaining.
Result:
Menlopark 2-0 Waterkloof
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