Victoria end their bad run

Elizabeth College 0, Victoria College 2

TWO goals in quick succession ensured that Victoria College first XI triumphed over Elizabeth College in this year's collegiate derby. Both of them came from the stick of Victorian right-sided midfielder Greg Sevant early into the second half after a dismal first half.

'We didn't take our chances in the first half and we had too many individual errors. Our basic control wasn't good enough,' said Elizabeth College coach David Wray.

In fact both teams were guilty of playing clumsy hockey throughout the first 35 minutes.

There were hardly any flowing passages of play as the game was continuously being stopped by the umpires, Mike Kinder and Chris de Putron, who rightly penalised the non-stop stick tackles that were taking place.

The first chance of the game fell to Victoria College's Chris Agathangelou after 10 minutes when he picked up the ball on the halfway line with just the keeper to beat. To the home side's relief he put his reverse stick shot wide.

Five minutes later the Guernsey team were close to scoring themselves after a goalmouth scramble that the sprawling Victorian keeper managed to keep out.

The rest of the half was uneventful as the play was locked in the centre of the pitch as both teams failed to string any meaningful hockey together.

The game got the boost it needed when Victorians steeped up a gear and started to threaten the Elizabethans goal with three chances in 10 minutes.

The third of these chances was a close-range effort into the side netting. From the viewpoint Elizabethan supporters had on the sidelines it looked as if their team had gone one-nil down.

Unfortunately for them that fate was soon to happen, Greg Sevant tapping home a cross from the left from three yards out.

Five minutes later Sevant again got on the scoresheet with an on-the-turn shot from a short corner that beat goalkeeper Matthew Copeland at his near post.

The rest of the game petered out in the same fashion that the first half had been played.

'I'm very pleased with the team for winning this game for the first time in three years,' said Victoria College coach Richard Finch at the end.

His Guernsey counterpart was not so jubilant but there were some positives to take away.

'After letting in two quick goals our heads didn't drop which was encouraging,' said Wray.