THE first team into the Greater Northern League men’s hockey final is South Launceston after a dominant performance over Burnie Baptist in Launceston on Saturday.
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The Suns posted three goals in the first half and seven in the second to run out nine-goal winners with nine players contributing to the score.
The teams traded blows for the first 10 minutes with the respective keepers denying any score until Kurt Budgeon played a perfect tomahawk shot to open the Suns account.
Fifteen minutes later a corner conversion flick for Alastair McBain added the next with Sam Phillips adding the third three minutes later.
Keelan Beattie worked hard for the Suns to contain the Baptist coach Matt Selby, who was their best player on the day.
Solid pep talks from the coaches and the young Suns were set to continue as the Baptist side struggled to match the pace and contain them, even with the vocal support from their supporters on the sidelines.
An even start for the sides and plenty of scoring shots made for a more intense game and plenty of action with Kurt Budgeon again opening the scoring for the Suns 13 minutes in.
From there the floodgates opened with the Suns scoring a goal every three minutes on average as the clock ran down.
Baptist coach Matt Selby fired in a short corner that was deflected by Tom Wylie in the dying stages, to give them a late consolation goal.
Devonport are out of the finals race after going down to City Marians on home turf in their first loss to the Bloods for the season.
The Bloods are no strangers to finals hockey applying plenty of pressure to the Subbies from the outset in an effort to get rewards.
Old hand Craig McCarthy posted the Bloods first when he received a ball in open space to beat keeper Derrick Heathorn in a one on one.
The Subbies threw all they had at the Bloods defence who withstood the attack and responded with a smart reverse stick pass to Eddie Gates that secured their second.
As the time ran out on the first half the Bloods again found their way into the circle where Clinton Upchurch made short work of the opposition to post their third.
The second half was a scrappy affair as the Subbies tried different strategies to even the ledger holding the Bloods scoreless, with Derrick Henry adding a consolation goal.
City Marians will play Burnie Baptist in Burnie next week for the chance to take on the Suns in the grand final.
RESULTS – South Launceston d Burnie Baptist 10-1 (Goals — SOUTH: K. Budgeon 2, B. Buchanan, A. McBain, S. Weedon, K. Beattie, S. Phillips, J. Sexton, L. Elliott, B. Walker. BAPTIST: T. Wylie. Best — SOUTH: K. Beattie, K. Budgeon, A. McBain. BAPTIST: M. Selby, T. Wylie, C. Poke.)
City Marians d Devonport 3-1 (Goals — CITY: C. McCarthy, E. Gates, C. Upchurch. DEVONPORT: D. Henry. Best — CITY: D. Kenworthy, S. Vandenberg, E. Gates. DEVONPORT: A. Filler, B. Will, D. Henry.)
