JOSHUA Pace was the driving force behind Werribee’s 3-1 disposal of cellar dweller Monash University in the Hockey Victoria men’s Vic League 1 on Saturday.
Pace assisted on two goals and was impossible to curtail in the middle en route to a best-afield performance.
Tigers coach Cam Whyatt told the Weekly that Pace was unlucky not to have added to his 10 goals for the season.
“He was the one that basically dribbled the ball to set up both of the opening two goals,” Whyatt said.
“The first one, he intercepted the ball from the defensive 25, eliminated five or six defenders and put the ball goalward.
“One of the other boys [Peter Nalder] touched it on the line, which Pacey was a bit non-pleased about.”
Nalder had the first goal set up on a platter.
Then Pace served up the final pass for Darren Wale to score.
The third goal, scored from a penalty corner by Sean Gardner, fittingly came through an assist from Joshua McDonald.
McDonald has formed a dynamic duo with Pace since the mid-season break.
Known for his run-with roles in the past, McDonald has been off the leash in recent weeks and relishing the freedom.
“Normally his job is to mark the oppositions attacking forward,”
Whyatt said.
“We changed that in the last few weeks where we’ve released him to the midfield so he can push up and overlap and give us some drive from defence, which he’s done really well.
“He played one of the best games he’s played all year.”
Gardner was a hard worker in attack, while Sam Huxtable offered the counter-punch from defence.
The Tigers were content to claim the victory, taking them to within four points of the top four.
By no means was Whyatt happy with the winning margin.
“It was a good result, but they were sitting on the bottom of the table, so it should’ve been a lot better,” he said.
“We didn’t quite make the most of our opportunities.
“We had all of the attack and should’ve score a heck of a lot more goals, to be honest.”
The Tigers face Yarra Valley at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in the first of three do-or-die games in their chase for a finals berth.
