PNBHS NEWS

Junior XI Football v. Rongotai College - Wednesday 29 July

 
Picture of Ella Mitchell
Junior XI Football v. Rongotai College - Wednesday 29 July
by Ella Mitchell - Thursday, 30 July 2020, 6:37 PM
 

Junior XI Football v. Rongotai College - Wednesday 29 July

With lessons learnt from their last exchange, the PNBHS Junior XI looked to execute 80 minutes of well-constructed football against another Wellington school. 

The first moments of the game began unsettled, as both teams struggled to complete passes and hold possession.  This made for end-to-end running, with the scoreboard remaining unaffected.  At the eight-minute mark, the game settled into a steady pace of one-way traffic for PNBHS.  The boys began to switch on, implementing the game plan, making passes stick, and performing their individual player duties well.  This resulted in PNBHS dominating possession and the run of the game.  Opportunities came from penetrating runs in-behind the Rongotai defence and PNBHS went into the break with a healthy lead.  Halftime score: 6-0.

Both teams had something to prove coming into the second half.  Rongotai were set to stage a fightback and PNBHS players were asked to keep the intensity high.  A fired-up Rongotai team played the half well, shutting down the ball delivery to PNBHS outside attacking players.  Added pressure to make passes stick gave more possession to the Rongotai team, but neither team were able to add to the scoreboard.  Frustrations grew from this stalemate, resulting in Xavier Coleman being carried off the field with a nasty blow to the leg and the Rongotai player carded for his efforts.  Final score: 6-0. Special mention to Xavier Coleman who scored a hat-trick.

The Junior XI players will have a four-week break before taking part in the Napier Boys’ High School Exchange in Napier.  In the meantime, we look to build again; determination on and off the ball and being ‘stronger for longer’ the key player messages.  The players and coaching staff wish Xavier a speedy recovery.

A big thank you to Year 12 student Alex Christison for the photos!