Brisbane Hockey Player of the Year Jake Whetton, of
Easts, evades Peter Dillon and Ashley Zanetti.

Easts fullback Matthew Pembroke dives to clear the ball from the Tigers circle.

Easts striker Jacob Webber confronted by Redcliffe Leagues goalkeeper Daniel Pink.

Todd Watson moves in on Redcliffe Leagues opponent Matthew Raynham.

Tigers defender Simon Mills gets a vital touch on the ball ahead of Redcliffe Leagues
forward Ian Schulz.

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE – Semi Finals (Week 1)

Easts 3 (Jacob Webber, Mitch Wright, Dale Gohdes) defeated Redcliffe Leagues 2 (David Halliday, James Hawley) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Easts moved to within one victory of their third grand final appearance in four years after holding off a late charge from Redcliffe Leagues.  Easts had the better of the early attack, with Jacob Webber's scoring chance snubbed out by Redcliffe Leagues defender Nick Budd before Ben McCarthy shot wide of the net.  Soon after Redcliffe Leagues' Shane Rudken had a goal disallowed, Webber's flick shot from a penalty corner opening the scoring.  Three minutes later Redcliffe Leagues striker David Halliday equalised before the Redmen's goalkeeper Daniel Pink produced some fine saves to deny Webber and Michael Bates.  The turning point of an evenly poised match came at the end of the first half. With Easts looking seemingly content to run out the clock until the halftime siren, defender Matthew Pembroke caught the Redcliffe Leagues defence napping, giving a long pass for replacement winger Mitch Wright to score his first top-grade goal with no time left on the clock.  With turnovers creeping into both side's game midway through the second half, Easts extended to a 3-1 break through a goal from a penalty corner to Dale Gohdes, before the Tigers defence of Pembroke and Simon Mills stamping their authority on Redcliffe Leagues' strikers.  Easts goalkeeper Casey Lee was called on to deny a shot from Peter Dillon following his run down the back line, but the momentum shifted to Redcliffe Leagues soon after.  James Hawley scored from a penalty corner with 10 minutes left to make the score 3-2 and give Redcliffe Leagues hope for a comeback result, but that hope wasn't fulfilled as Easts' defence stiffened up again.


Pine Rivers St Andrews 6 (Ryan Gibbs 2, Mitchell Bolton, Kurtis Ashford, Luke Reddiex. Michael Stokes) defeated Labrador 3 (Andrew Ward 2, Mark Harris) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

A dominant four-goal first half display helped Pine Rivers St Andrews overpower an under strength Labrador outfit to book a date in the elimination final against Redcliffe Leagues. A brace of quick back-to-back goals saw the Saints race out to a 4-0 lead to stun the Gold Coast side. Luke Reddiex and Andrew Richards controlled the game for the Saints from midfield, both instigating key attacking movements that led to two goals in as many minutes. In the 20th minute Gibbs made sure Richards' goal bound shot found its way into the net, before Mitchell Bolton scored after collecting the ball from a diving Reddiex, who delivered a pinpoint one-handed pass into the circle from the right sideline.  The Saints doubled their lead with two goals in the final four minutes of the first period, with Kurtis Ashford hitting the target and Reddiex netting a deserved goal from a penalty corner.  Missing top goal scorer Joe Reardon, Labrador pushed Australian international Brent Livermore into an attacking role in the second half, with the strategy paying off almost immediately. Livermore surged into the circle, with his backstick shot deflecting off Richards' stick and lobbing over the head of goalkeeper Nathan Panetta to be volleyed into goal by Andrew Ward. Five minutes later Livermore set up Mark Harris to shoot the ball into the top corner of the net to make the score 4-2, and Saints' grip on the match looked tentative.  However Gibbs, who played with a protective glove on his injured hand, scored again to give his side some much needed breathing space, with Michael Stokes sealing victory before Ward scored a consolation goal on fulltime.


BRISBANE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION BEST AND FAIREST MEDAL:

20  -  Jake Whetton (Easts)
18  -  Joe Reardon (Labrador)
16  -  Greg Collins (University of Queensland)
15  -  Blair Brown (Commercial)
      -  Nick Budd (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Adam McClelland (United)
13  -  Adam Dinsdale (University of Queensland)
      -  Paul Nichols (Commercial)
11  -  Mark Harris (Labrador)
10  -  Lachlan Brownhalls (Valley)
      -  Jacob Burns (University of Queensland)
      -  Ryan Kilpatrick (Pine Rivers St Andrews)
      -  Callan Short (Valley)
      -  Craig Smith (Pine Rivers St Andrews)

Ryan Gibbs looks for support from a Pine Rivers St Andrews teammate.

Labrador's Dean Murphy runs crossfield, watched by Dylan Elliott and Michael Stokes.

Mitchell Bolton, Ryan Gibbs and Andrew Richards celebrate Saints' first goal.

Pine Rivers St Andrews' top goal scorer, Ryan Kilpatrick, looks for a way past Labrador
defender John-Ross Caldwell.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.