Kieran Govers was the hero of Albion Park when he scored five goals in the club's 7-1 grand final win over Wests Illawarra to win the Illawarra men's hockey premiership at Unanderra on Sunday afternoon.
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What a win for the minor premiers as they rattled the Devils in every department. Govers' drag flick power was too much for Wests goalkeeper Matt Perry. Wests went into the game confident of success but were worried about penalty corners and how to defend them. The penalty corners came and the former Kookaburra confidently converted them, winning the game for the Park much to the delight of their fans.
Govers had a triple celebration for himself having had his first born, a baby boy two days earlier, the Sydney hockey premiership for Sutherland on Saturday night and the historic win for Park on Sunday.
“It's all happening. Haven't had much sleep in the last few days. First with the birth of Leo and then the hockey finals coming home late on Saturday night and finally getting the job done on Sunday,” Govers said after the match.
A number of players on Sunday were backing up from the Sydney grand final at Homebush where Sutherland beat Moorebank 3-2.
There was Govers, captain Jack Hayes and Brady Anderson from the Park playing for Sutherland and Troy Sutherland from Wests playing for Moorebank.
On Sunday, Govers scored from his first penalty corner awarded in the 12th minute after he was brought down when set to score. Brady Anderson made it 2-0 ten minutes later when he finished a move from midfield to take the game to halftime.
In the second half Park came back with a vengeance earning two penalty corners which were nullified by the Wests defence.
At the other end, Park defender Josh Mayo was dispossessed on the ball by Wests' Peter Cowan who went into the circle but was not successful with his effort. Nine minutes into the second half, Govers struck again with his second penalty corner, and his third goal five minutes later, when Anderson was fouled taking the score to 4-0.
Wests came back briefly after this, earning a penalty stroke which Cody Tribe converted after Cowan was brought down, reducing the deficit to 4-1. But Park pressed on and with 15 minutes to go went further ahead 5-1 when Govers converted another penalty corner.
After this Wests hit back with two penalty corners but the Park boys piled on the pressure with Govers again hitting another penalty corner in the final minute of the game and young Zac Nyrhinen scoring from a brilliant back stick shot in the dying seconds. Final score: 7-1.
