North Albany close in on grand final berth in men’s A-grade competition

North Albany have moved a step closer to securing a grand final berth, winning their top-of-the-table clash with Spencer Park in the Lower Great Southern Hockey Association men’s A-grade competition on Saturday. Eddie McQuade opened the scoring in the first quarter via a penalty corner for Redbacks and his side doubled their advantage later on through his brother Leander McQuade to complete their fifth win of the season. Leander McQuade was terrific in the 2-0 victory and he was well supported by experienced head Jamie Chester and Burger van Zyl. The round six result pushed Redbacks four points clear on top of the ladder with three games remaining in the regular season. Park were best served by Darren Parkes, Andre Gabriel and Liam Wesson but they were unable to pinch a goal back despite a number of chances after half-time. It was the second loss this season for Park, both coming at the hands of Redbacks, and they will now face a big task to jump above the ladder leaders. Top spot at the end of the normal season progresses directly through to the grand final while the second and third-placed teams face off in a preliminary final. Park face Manypeaks this Saturday to complete round seven. Manypeaks took a big step towards securing a finals place after thumping Mt Barker 5-0 in their clash on Sunday in Mt Barker. George Liddiard netted a brace as Peaks secured their second win of the season and now sit six points clear of the bottomed placed Mt Barker. Chris Metcalfe, Hayden Mills and Luke Morton were influential in the win while Joel Hitchcock and Ollie Ritchie played well for the home side. Round eight of the men’s competition begins on Sunday with Mt Barker hosting Redbacks. In the women’s A-grade competition, Mt Barker jumped to second spot after an impressive 2-0 victory against Manypeaks on Sunday. Playing at home Mt Barker scored goals through Laura Archer and Taya Pearson while the efforts of Shaydn Gardner and Amy Sandliands stood out. In Saturday’s fixture North Albany prevailed over Vikings, thanks to a goal from youngster MacKenzie Poulish.