Ben Heuer, Rourque van Rooyen, and Henry Yeadon‘s goals lifted Michaelhouse to a 3-1 win over Hilton College on the Punchbowl Astro at Michaelhouse on Saturday.
With the win, the hosts completed the double over Hilton.
In May, they secured a 4-2 win on Hilton’s Mansergh Astro. Haydn Ravenscraft led the scoring in that match with a brace, while Henry Yeadon and Henry Love added a goal each.
The victory was Michaelhouse’s first win over Hilton on the Punchbowl Astro since 2019.
“It’s nice to get that one off the back. They’ve come here, and they’ve had the upper hand in previous matches,” Nick Bérichon, the Michaelhouse head coach, told SuperSport Schools News.
Bérichon’s charges headed into the contest high in confidence despite their less-than-stellar home record against Hiton. Part of the reason for that was their recent form, which included back-to-back wins over Westville Boys’ High and Maritzburg College.
True to form, Michaelhouse took the lead through Van Rooyen, who was in the right place at the right time to guide home a great ball into the circle early in the first chukka.
The goal reflected some of the attacking moves the hosts tirelessly work on in training. “We work a lot on that stuff, setting each other up in those higher zones,” Bérichon explained.
However, ‘House’s lead was short-lived. Hilton responded shortly afterwards with a goal from Ben Wilson, who converted a penalty corner to level for the visitors. At halftime, it was 1-1.
“We were struggling to play the ball into the midfield. I think we became quite predictable in the first half, trying to go long, and they set up traps to nullify that. So, our big chat was playing more ball in the midfield,” Bérichon revealed about his halftime team talk.
The result was a more confident Michaelhouse side in the second half. The hosts won more midfield battles and showed better proficiency with short passes. Those close connections helped them to create better opportunities in Hilton’s final third.
Yeadon found himself on the end of one of those chances, and he grabbed his opportunity from close range.
Up by a goal, the hosts kept pushing hard. They were rewarded with a penalty stroke late in the contest, and Ben Heuer slotted from the spot to extend the lead to two goals.
Five players each from Hilton and Michaelhouse will join six Maritzburg College boys at the SASHOC Inter-Provincial Tournament (IPT) at the end of the month, where they will represent the KwaZulu-Natal Inland u18A side.
Result:
Michaelhouse 3-1 Hilton
