14 May 2026
As the evening set in at the Riverside Sports Club on Wednesday evening, Clifton College and Durban High School (DHS) produced a fiercely contested 1-1 draw before a power outage brought proceedings to a slightly premature end just as both teams were pressing hard for a late winner.
For long stretches, it was a match played at a high tempo and with real intensity. DHS made a stronger start, but Clifton hung tough.
“The first chukka was really good,” DHS coach Keegan Hezlett said afterwards. “We moved the ball exceptionally well. The intensity was there, which was something that we lacked in our previous outing against Maritzburg College.
“We probably didn’t take the opportunities as we would have liked. We created two short corners. Georg [Wolhuter] made a really good save.”
While DHS dictated matters early on, Clifton gradually settled into the contest. The home side began forcing penalty corners in the second chukka and started asking tougher questions of the Horseflies‘ defence.
Yet, just as Clifton appeared to be gaining momentum, DHS struck with ruthless efficiency. After surviving a dangerous Clifton short corner through a spectacular save by goalkeeper Bonga Dlomo, DHS exploded upfield on the counterattack. The transition was lightning quick, and Jesse van Wyk finished clinically to hand the visitors a 1-0 lead.
“That’s their game. They’re so dangerous going forward,” Clifton coach Calvin Price said after the game. “We tried to manage that as best as we could. Credit to the boys; we ran hard. And we’re tired. We’ve played 27 games of hockey.”
At halftime, DHS held a slender advantage, although Clifton had created enough chances to feel they could have been level.
The visitors threatened again in the third chukka through another sharp counterattack. Goalkeeper Georg Wolhuter was drawn from his line, and DHS looked certain to score into an open goal, only for Clifton’s Kyle Human – better known to many as a standout water polo player – to produce a remarkable stick save on the line.
Hezlett admitted Clifton’s defensive work rate disrupted DHS’s rhythm. “We started playing the ball a little bit longer. We started forcing it a little bit,” he explained. “We started throwing more overheads, and I think that levelled out the game.
“When we kept the ball on the ground, I think we were really good.”
Clifton’s persistence eventually paid dividends when they converted a penalty corner, with captain Ryde Brisset applying the finishing touch to level matters at 1-1.
It was a fitting contribution from Brisset, who was playing his 50th match for the Clifton 1st XI after missing the entire 2025 season following shoulder surgery. He delivered an energetic performance in midfield, while DHS captain Christopher Abrahams was equally influential, consistently testing Clifton’s backline with his physical presence and direct running.
“I don’t think we’re playing our best hockey, but to draw against a side like that, I’ll take it,” Price reflected.
“We fought well. We got stuck in, and we frustrated them, which was the plan. They’re a well-drilled unit under Keegan Hezlett.
“We let ourselves down in the final third with a few opportunities. We had more short corners than they had. But I’ll take the 1-1 draw against a quality side like that.”
Hezlett echoed similar sentiments after the final whistle – or, more accurately, after darkness forced the contest to an early conclusion.
“We had our chances,” he said. “They had two saves on the line when we had gone around the goalkeeper, so credit to Clifton. They fought hard.
“There are small margins. If you take your chances, you can win games.
“We’ve got to be better at taking our chances. Everything else we did, I was really happy with.”
Result
Clifton College 1-1 DHS
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