Hockey: Hand of experience steers capital to fourth title

Scott Falconer of Capital in action. Photo / Getty Images

Led by a man-of-the-match performance from veteran captain Scott Falconer, Wellington joined North Harbour as a four-time winner of the men's national league with their 2-1 win over Midlands at the North Harbour Hockey Stadium yesterday.

The North Harbour women later gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about with their richly deserved 3-1 win over Auckland after they had qualified in fourth place after pool play.

The men's final was far from clinical or classical but nevertheless absorbing, even if both teams were guilty of turning possession over with too much misdirected passing.

Wellington, playing these days as Capital, stuck to the game plan devised by coach Sean Dancer and stifled Midlands' attacking options with their half-field press.

Capital too had ended pool play as the fourth of the semifinalists and claimed their place in the final with a win on strokes over top qualifier Auckland.

"They played a patient half-court game which was difficult to counter," said Midlands coach Darren Smith who, a few hours after the game, was joined by North Harbour captain Ben Collier and Capital striker Joel Baker on a flight to join the Black Sticks for Commonwealth Games warm-up matches in Malaysia.

After early penalty corner opportunities - at both ends - went begging, Capital went ahead in the 29th minute. From their second penalty corner Baker pounced to score after the initial shot was deflected.

The reply, just three minutes later, was also from a second attempt at a penalty corner with Tenga Rangitauira reacting to push home.

The match-winner, 10 minutes into the second spell, came from a penalty corner variation with Matt Young lifting the ball over the prostrate Graham.

North Harbour had a dream start to the women's final when, from their first attack, Rhiannon Dennison was well-positioned at the far post to get her stick to a bouncing ball and steer it home after just 1m 52s.

A second goal, a well-placed drag along the ground by Kelsey Dunn from their first penalty corner, had the hosts 2-0 ahead after 13 minutes.

Auckland got one back when Kushla Glauser tapped home from a well-worked penalty corner variation.

The only goal in the second half went Harbour's way when Petrea Webster ran strongly on the right and crossed superbly into the circle, where Rhianna Buchanan pounced to score.