ST Pat’s will head into the women’s Premier League Hockey finals on the back of a four-game winning streak after accounting for Ex-Services 4-1 on Saturday.
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While the Saints had locked in third place regardless of the outcome of the final round clash at Bob Roach Field, Exies was vying for fourth.
It meant the Orange side brought plenty of enthusiasm to the clash, the work the players had done on structure in the build up showing.
But the Saints adjusted to what their rivals presented and came away with the points.
Winning coach Jaden Ekert praised both the effort of Exies, who bowed out of the the title race, and his side.
“Exies played fantastic. They applied a lot of pressure when we were taking our 16s and we didn’t really change our style in the first half to try and break it down,” he said.
“We spoke about it at half-time, they fell away on our 16s. We just needed to walk it up and our inside forwards and forwards needed to stretch it so we could create space, otherwise it gets too condensed in the middle there.
“That’s what we did in the second half and we just opened it right up, it was a lot better.
“You’ve got to be able to adapt, if you can’t adapt it’s going to make life hard. The first half our basics and things were lacking a little bit, but we had a chat at half-time, we had to change just those one percenters, and we did that.”
The first chance of the match fell the way of the Saints with a penalty corner – their first of 10 – in the second minute.
But Exies repelled the Saints from that set play and moments later Amy Hampton made a smart block when Lucy Weal burst into the circle.
It was clear the visitors were focused on their bid for survival.
Exies earned back-to-back penalty corners on 10 minutes and while not finding the mark, Pat’s lost experienced defender Jodie Webb to a suspected broken finger.
When the game was 13 minutes old Kristy Ekert found the mark off a penalty corner for the Saints, but from the restart Exies attacked.
Sian Duboc tucked the ball around diving goalkeeper Tracey Gunning to lock things up at 1-all.
While Ekert forced a number of turnovers in the middle of the field, Exies defender Kayla Orrock sent some penetrating passes out of defence.
Fittingly the teams went to the half-time break locked at 1-all.
The opening five minutes of the second half saw both teams with chances from penalty corners, but the Saints then began to get on top.
Exies goalkeeper Erin Horan came up with a good block as Ella Menzies linked with Ekert, but moments later the talented Saint struck.
A classy right to left finish from Ekert gave her side a 2-1 lead in the 42nd minute, and from there the Saints went on with the job.
As the penalty corner count grew, so too did the pressure on Exies and with 15 minutes left the hosts once more found the mark.
Julie Hanman’s initial strike from the set play hit the post, but Ekert pounced on the deflection to score her third.
The win was sealed when Sam Tibbles tucked in a shot on the left post. Pat’s will now meet Confederates in the minor semi-final.