Govers scores four as Kookaburras secure quarter final berth
Published Fri 20 Jan 2023
Blake Govers had a day out in Rourkela as the Kookaburras scored a resounding 9-2 victory over South Africa to cement top spot in Pool A and book direct passage to the World Cup quarter finals.
The 26 year old scored four goals, all of which came in a stunning first 20 minutes, to take his already phenomenal goals to games tally to 126 goals from 133 internationals.
With Tim Howard playing his 100th international match, the Kookaburras feasted on the space and time afforded to them by South Africa, particularly in the first half, with Tom Craig, Jake Harvie, Daniel Beale, Jeremy Hayward and Tim Brand all joining Govers on the score sheet.
The lopsided encounter started evenly enough as Govers’ 4th minute opener was cancelled out four minutes later when Nqobile Ntuli fired a shot through the legs of Kookaburras keeper Andrew Charter.
However, six Kookaburras goals in a scintillating 20 minute spell effectively ended the game as a contest.
A barnstorming Craig started the onslaught when he hammered home a tomahawk after a barnstorming run into the attacking circle.
Govers then had his second when his superbly executed drag flick beat the South Africa defender guarding the post just before the end of the first quarter.
The awarding of a penalty stroke gave Govers the chance to have a hat-trick inside the opening 19 minutes, an opportunity he took with aplomb.
A minute later he had his fourth when Beale did well to direct a bobbling ball intentionally towards Govers who hit it first time, angling it past Gowan Jones in the South Africa goal.
South Africa were then awarded their own penalty stroke when a ball into the circle struck the back of Matt Dawson’s stick, however Charter produced an exceptional stick save high to his right.
The miss proved costly for South Africa as Brand and Harvie combined for the latter to score and make it 6-1.
Beale added a seventh just before half time in what was the 100th goal scored at the tournament, before Hayward joined in two minutes after half time with his fifth goal of the World Cup courtesy of a trademark drag flick.
Brand became the Kookaburras’ sixth goal scorer when he made it 9-1 in the 47th minute as the heat and humidity started to take its toll.
South Africa scored a late consolation through a stunning tomahawk strike from Tevin Kok, but it was job done for the Kookaburras as they look ahead to a knockout quarter final in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday 24 January at 10pm AEDT.
“It feels good to get that top spot and have maximum time to get ready for a quarter final,” said Govers.
“It was a good start to the game. When you get an easy touch like that for the first goal it kind of flowed on from there. I probably should have got a few more but will have to settle on four.”
“Reflecting on the performance, I think we can take out how quickly we can be dominant and maintain it. Then when do we keep going and when do we stop and start holding onto possession a bit more to make it a bit easier on our legs.”
Match Details
Kookaburras 9 (Govers 4’/15’19’/20’, Craig 10’, Harvie 22’, Beale 28’, Hayward 32’, Brand 47’)
South Africa 2 (Ntuli 8’, Kok 58’)
@ Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, Rourkela
Kookaburras: 1.Lachlan Sharp, 2.Tom Craig, 4.Jake Harvie, 5.Tom Wickham, 6.Matthew Dawson, 7.Nathan Ephraums, 8.Johan Durst (gk), 10.Josh Beltz, 11.Eddie Ockenden, 12.Jake Whetton, 13.Blake Govers, 16.Tim Howard, 17.Aran Zalewski, 22.Flynn Ogilvie, 23.Daniel Beale, 29.Tim Brand, 30.Andrew Charter (gk), 32.Jeremy Hayward
