Northern Blues and Western Province share Under-21 IPT glory in contrasting finals
It was honours even when the Northern Blues and Western Province faced off in the men's and women's finals of the SA Under-21 Interprovincial Tournament (IPT) at Cornwall Hill College in Pretoria over the weekend.
The women's final was a tightly contested tactical battle, played largely between the 25-yard lines. Both teams struggled to carve out clear-cut goalscoring opportunities.
Western Province had a single penalty corner chance in the first half, which was safely dealt with, and the match remained goalless at the break. The deadlock was finally broken in the second half when a re-awarded penalty corner gave the Blues another bite at the cherry. Emily Macquet stepped up to drill it home.
The Northern Blues edged Western Province 1-0 to take the tile at the SA U21 IPT at Cornwall Hill College in Pretoria.
Image: Silver Edge Photography
Province, contesting their second consecutive final, threw everything forward in the closing minutes. But Northern Blues goalkeeper Manisha Desai — named Goalkeeper of the Tournament — and her defence held firm, successfully repelling a string of late penalty corners.
There was jubilation for the Northern Blues at the final whistle as they lifted the title after going unbeaten throughout the tournament. The Blues had also edged Southern Gauteng 1–0 in the semi-finals with another clinical defensive display.
Hannah Quinton of Southern Gauteng was named Player of the Tournament.
Western Province were crowned men's champions of the SA U21 IPT after a resounding 7-2 win over the Northern Blues in the final.
Image: Silver Edge Photography
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