WA Diamonds Defeated by Last Minute Strike
The WA Diamonds’ Australian Hockey League Finals Week campaign has got off to a difficult start after the 2010 champions suffered a 3-2 defeat against the Southern Suns in Darwin.
Despite welcoming back some influential senior stars into the starting line-up, the Diamonds were unable to snare a much needed win in the Pool A clash, with the reigning champions now needing to win both of their remaining clashes to stand any chance of progressing to the medal rounds.
The Suns made a blistering start against a WA side that has won five of the last six AHL crowns, and they made that pressure count, taking a 27th minute lead through a Georgie Parker field goal.
With the score remaining 1-0 to the Southern Suns at half-time, WA was hoping for a strong start in the second period, but fell further behind on 47 minutes, after Parker scored her second for the match to put the Suns in firm control.
The Diamonds however, produced a stirring fight back through goals to Olympian Hope Munro (64th min) and WAIS athlete Katy Symons (67th min), to set up a grand stand finish.
But with the match in the balance and time wearing thin, Tess Reynolds popped up to break WA hearts with a last minute strike that resigned the Diamonds to third place in Pool A, needing maximum points from its next clash against competition favourites Victorian Vipers to keep title hopes alive.
