MID-Winter away games can sometimes be tumultuous affairs.
Get it right and it’s a fun day trip away from home.
Get it wrong and it’s a long day of driving, with nothing to show at the end.
Luckily, for Geographe ladies, the winding road to Collie led to success.
Not that it was an easy day out in the hills.
Maybe it was an omen, but half of the Geographe team failed to navigate their way through Collie’s streets as they searched for the ground.
When the game started, it was Collie that seemed to know the direction of goal and constantly probed for weaknesses.
Despite having the wind at their backs, Geographe were unable to use the advantage and allowed Collie easy access to the penalty area, where their striker slotted into the corner to take an early lead.
The Geographe girls were shaken awake and Dana Avery led the way with a tenacious period in midfield, resulting in a powerful low shot that the keeper could only parry away to the waiting boot of Bonny Berridge.
Jesse Avery and Sarah Molloy steadied the back line, allowing time for the midfield to create and Berridge was fed with a timely ball that gave her a one on one chance with the keeper, to make it 2-1 to Geographe just before half time.
Geographe’s backs were up against the wall at the start of the second half with Collie pressing hard and using the wind to their advantage.
But the Geographe keeper, Yvette Pradera was alert to all remaining shots, even the half volley which was finger tipped over the bar to keep the visitors in the game.
Her athletic heroics earned Yvette the Christian and Co Electrical Contractors player of the day.
Our thoughts on Sunday were not about the result of the game, but about Kim Hooft, who was a part of the Geographe Club and died suddenly this week.
Ninety minutes earlier, both teams stood in silence to remember Kim at the start of the match.
It was pleasing to see the game being played in a way that would have been fitting to such a well-respected husband, father and sportsman.
