Glenwood hockey’s continuing rise evident in draw with Clifton

The home side arrived in a confident mood after an unbeaten run at the Saint Stithians Easter Festival, where they beat Falcon College, St Stithians, Reddam House Constantia, and Affies, and drew with Pretoria Boys High.

Glenwood’s Easter return, by contrast, was more modest on paper. At the KES Easter Festival, they posted a win, a draw, and two losses. Yet, context matters. They beat Eldoraigne, drew with Waterkloof, and lost to Grey College and an unbeaten Pearson outfit. More tellingly, they had recently clawed their way back from 0-2 down to secure a 2-2 draw against Maritzburg College.

That was a sign of Glenwood’s growing resilience, and that resilience was on full display again on Thursday evening.

The opening exchanges lacked bite, with Clifton controlling territory without needing to stretch through the gears. Their early dominance told in the eighth minute when Luke Carolan calmly applied a reverse-stick finish after a goalmouth scramble to put the hosts 1-0 up.

At that stage, it felt routine. Clifton was composed, measured, and, seemingly, in control.

Then, the game turned.

Barely a minute into the second half, Daniel Ruiters – playing with a point to prove after missing out on Glenwood’s KES Festival squad – drew the visitors level. It was the spark that ignited the contest.

Clifton nearly responded immediately. From a penalty corner, captain Ryde Brisset unleashed a fierce effort destined for the net, only for Ithani Doyi to produce a stunning goal-line save to keep Glenwood alive.

Moments later, they did more than survive. They struck.

Glenwood surged the length of the field in a sweeping counterattack, and Ruiters was on hand to finish, handing the visitors a 2-1 lead and shifting the momentum decisively.

Clifton answered through Brisset, who adjusted his approach at the next penalty corner, drilling a low drag flick to the right of the goalkeeper to level matters at 2-2.

By now, the intensity had risen sharply. Clifton lifted their tempo, but Glenwood matched them stride for stride, refusing to yield.

The decisive twist – or so it seemed – arrived deep in the fourth chukka. Clifton’s Tye Milne drove forward ambitiously, but when possession was turned over, and he slipped in recovery, Glenwood pounced. Exploiting the numbers, they carved open the Clifton defence, and Ruiters completed his hat-trick with a simple finish to edge Glenwood 3-2 ahead.

It was a moment of personal redemption and a statement performance from the young striker.

With time slipping away, Glenwood stood on the brink of a notable victory. Clifton, however, had other ideas.

They pressed with urgency and intent, and their persistence paid off when they were awarded a late penalty stroke after a foul in the circle. Milne, seeking redemption of his own, stepped up and converted to secure a 3-3 draw with just two-and-a-half minutes remaining.

For Glenwood, it felt like an opportunity missed. For Clifton, it was a narrow escape.

“The boys are fighting. This is a different Glenwood,” the school’s Director of Hockey, Braydon Naidoo, said afterwards. “They’re digging deep. The body language is good, there’s good energy, and they’re expecting results from that.”

His side’s reaction to the final whistle perhaps said as much as the performance itself. There was no sense of satisfaction – only the frustration of having let a lead slip late on. That, in itself, marks a shift in standards.

Naidoo acknowledged the late concession. “It was a cynical foul at the end to give away the penalty stroke. That’s disappointing,” he admitted. “But we’ve pushed two top sides in the past week. Maritzburg College and Clifton are both in the country’s top 15 and are having outstanding seasons.”

There were, he stressed, positives. “In the past five days, the boys have put in two big shifts. It shows character to come from behind in both games and get draws. They’re digging deep, giving everything, and they’re well-conditioned.”

Encouragingly for Glenwood, this is a team still in its early stages of development. “It’s a very young side,” Naidoo explained. “We’ve only got four matrics. Some of the boys are in Grade 9 and Grade 10, so there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Leadership, too, has played a role in their growth, with Deputy Head Boy Murray Wicks leading the team, supported by a strong group around him.

“There’s good energy around the programme,” Naidoo added. “There’s a nice vibe and atmosphere. The future is bright, and the boys can see that. They’re hungry for it.”

For Clifton, the match offered a timely warning. Coach Calvin Price was left frustrated by his side’s slow start, particularly their lack of urgency until they fell behind in the second half. Against top opposition, such lapses can be costly. At the Hibbert Shield, they will be punished.

Yet, there is value in the lesson.

Clifton has shown this season that they possess quality in abundance, but Thursday’s encounter reinforced a simple truth: nothing is given. A strong start matters. Consistency matters.

Against a Glenwood side on the rise, they were reminded of both.