LGSHA 2024: Spencer Park pushed all the way by Redbacks as they secure men’s A-grade premiership three-peat

A clutch last-quarter field goal secured a premiership hat-trick for Spencer Park on Saturday as their dominance of the Lower Great Southern Hockey Association men’s A-grade competition continues. Park have won the last three men’s grand finals and the hard-fought 3-2 result over North Albany marked the club’s fourth title in the past five years. Captain and WA country star Darren Parkes netted the winner, his solo effort with less than 10 minutes to play sinking a gallant Redbacks outfit. The Redbacks trailed by a goal at three-quarter-time but they rallied hard and an early penalty corner helped them equalise. Hamish Wilkes scrambled the ball over the line after an initial save from the penalty corner just three minutes into the fourth quarter. The Redbacks were pressing hard and earned a third penalty corner, but that seemed to jolt Park into another gear. Parkes stepped up when his side needed it most with a classy field goal as they went ahead with just over nine minutes to play. The Redbacks lost Reuben Law-Davis to a green card late in the game but they mustered one last opportunity as Wilkes stole the ball inside his attacking half and then beat Park goalkeeper Simon Whitfort. However, as he cracked the ball towards goal, Park’s desperate efforts on the last line saved a certain goal as their defenders stood firm to prevent another equaliser. Park’s grand final win in 2020 was their first since 2007 in the men’s competition but Parkes said their ability to keep a stable team in recent years had led to their success. “Trying to keep the same group together is key,” he said. “The young ones go to Perth every year but this season we have focused on our juniors. “North really pushed us and it could have gone either way. “We had to change a few things because it wasn’t working so we shortened up the game and used our younger players to move the ball around.” Parkes was named player of the final for his classy performance, scoring the winner and setting up his side’s second major as James Leiper scored inside the first two minutes of the third. The Redbacks’ bid for an upset result was dealt a blow when star Simon Philpott copped a nasty blow to the face, sending him to hospital for stitches, and he played no further part in the game. Jack Carlson opened the scoring via a penalty stroke awarded seconds before quarter-time, after Park’s Josh Dallimore slid in to tackle an opponent outside the attacking circle that was deemed too rash by the umpires. Dallimore made up for the tackle early in the second with a penalty corner conversion for Park to level the scores. Fergus Sandilands and Brodie Sarre were standouts through midfield for Park, Joe Robinson was influential, and the experience of Andre Gabriel and Parkes was telling. For Redbacks, goalie Reagan Watson saved a several of Park’s penalty corner attempts, Carlson and Wilkes were lively, and youngster Sorren Humphries was outstanding on the big stage.