THE GCC ladies hockey team suffered two losses on day two of the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey League on Saturday after winning their opening fixture on Friday.According to Guyana Hockey Board’s (GHB) president Philip Fernandes, who is the team’s coach, the GCC ladies began their second competition day of three in a row with a hot midday clash against the Magnolias hockey club.
Despite another solid performance, the Guyanese suffered their first loss of the competition by 2-1.
The Guyanese started strong and applied a high defensive press from the opening whistle and this produced some good attacking play but their execution in the scoring area left a lot to be desired.
After a scoreless first half, star striker Stacey Sui-Butt and the Magnolias got a favourable break in the 35th minute when a lifted ball was tapped by Sui-Butt past advancing goalkeeper Briawna Gordon and rolled into the corner of the empty goal.
GCC managed to draw despite a powerful penalty corner strike by Kerensa Fernandes but Sui-Butt lighted up the hockey pitch once again, capitalising on a defence error by pouncing on the loose ball with a first-time shot into the back of the GCC net.
In the second match of the day, GCC came up against league leaders Paragon who had just come off a few impressive victories earlier last week.
GCC, however, took the early initiative through a Kerensa Fernandes penalty corner strike in the 5th minute. GCC then doubled their lead three minutes later with a brilliant counterattack up the left wing by Aliyah Gordon, feeding the ball to an open Shebiki Baptiste, who had run the length of the field, for the finish.
While GCC held the lead for 40 of the 60 minutes, a few lapses in concentration by the deep defence allowed Paragon back into the match, as Trinidad national captain Allana McLean converted a penalty stroke in the 34th minute and a Paragon deflection goal drew the score with 20 minutes left.
By this time the earlier match had begun to take a toll on the GCC side whose pace slowed and Paragon wrested control of the match.
A second tip in on the far post and a skilful penalty corner deflection took the score to 4-2 in favour of Paragon, before a final Allana McLean penalty corner strike four minutes from the end sealed the score at 5-2 for Paragon.
GCC were scheduled to play Notre Dame yesterday at 11:30hrs and Checkers Hockey Club at 15:30hrs before returning home to prepare for their second stint in a couple of weeks’ time.