11 March 2025
The Clifton College 1st XI began their 2025 hockey season with a strong performance, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Westville Boys’ High on Friday evening in Westville.
Despite missing their standout SA u17 player, Ryde Brissett, who is due to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, Clifton demonstrated their depth and determination in an impressive display.
The match started with a tense goalless first chukka, but the visitors soon found their rhythm. A high turnover early in the second quarter allowed Byron Ward to break through and finish from close range.
However, just before halftime, Westville capitalised on a penalty corner, with Declan Boynton equalising to make it 1-1 at the break.
Clifton wasted little time in the second half before regaining control after vice-captain Jason Adams delivered a crucial goal to restore their lead.
Skipper Zach Williamson and Adams dominated in the midfield, maintaining possession and dictating the tempo, which proved instrumental in securing victory. Clifton’s defensive discipline made it difficult for Westville to create clear-cut opportunities, which was a testament to their hard work and well-drilled system.
Reflecting on his team’s performance, Clifton coach Calvin Price highlighted their off-the-ball work as a key factor. “We have worked a lot on our recoveries. That’s the most important thing – the hard yards off the ball. All in all, it was a very good performance by all of them,” he said.
Price also acknowledged the challenges of starting the season with new faces in the squad. “We were a bit rusty. The first chukka wasn’t our greatest, but we improved as the game progressed. Nerves showed – we had four debutants – but they proved their worth.”
A significant part of Clifton’s success stemmed from their fitness and conditioning, a focus area for Price during pre-season. “We’ve worked hard on our fitness. The boys have been training three times a week since January, and we’ve implemented a new pod system that places a strong emphasis on conditioning.,” he explained. That preparation was evident as Clifton maintained their intensity throughout the match.
Looking ahead, Price expressed confidence in his team’s potential. “I told the boys at the beginning of the season that we have high expectations for ourselves. We want to be one of the best teams around, and to start with a win like this is encouraging. I think we can only get better.”
Clifton’s combination of disciplined defence, controlled midfield play, and clinical finishing, suggests they could be a formidable side this season.
Westville coach Cam Mackay has had to deal with a significant turnover of personnel and will be tackling the season with a less experienced line-up. That showed at times, Mackay felt: “I think we lacked a little bit of confidence and our passing in the midfield was not great.
“We let ourselves down in small moments. We missed traps here and there. We were getting turned over in the midfield way too much. Then, when we did get the chances up front, our execution at penalty corner (PC) time [wasn’t there]. That’s one of our big positives this year. We’ve got good flickers.”
Make no mistake, though, Westville, under Mackay’s savvy leadership, will make big strides this season. They always do. In the past couple of years, they’ve comfortably taken down some high-flying opposition at the tail-end of the season, ending their campaigns far stronger than when they started them.
If Westville can make good use of their penalty corners, that will immediately elevate their prospects. Set piece success can go a long way towards determining the outcomes of games.
While downplaying his team’s challenge in 2025, Mackay said: “We’re trying to be the hardest working team, and we’re trying to be a good team on the counter.”
Given the coach’s pedigree and Westville’s strong character and hockey programme, don’t count them out.
They won the remaining age group games against Clifton on Friday, but the visitors were happy to have claimed the honours in the clash of the 1st XIs.
On Saturday, Clifton visits Kearsney College‘s Mason Astro, which has been a stronghold for the Botha’s Hill boys for many years. Westville travels to Hilton for a showdown with Hilton College.
In other KZN derbies, Maritzburg College takes on Durban High School (DHS) in Durban, Northwood hosts Michaelhouse, and St Charles College welcomes Glenwood to Pietermaritzburg.
RESULTS
1st: Westville 1-2 Clifton
2nd: Westville 2-0 Clifton
16A: Westville 3-1 Clifton
16B: Westville 2-1 Clifton
14A: Westville 3-0 Clifton
14B: Westville 10-0 Clifton
Leave a Reply