ILLAWARRA HOCKEY
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The sight of seasoned Kookaburra Kieran Govers suiting up for Albion Park was never going to go unnoticed by Robertson before their round 12 hit-out.
"There were only a few of us who have played against him before so in the warm-up there was a bit of 'oh, there he is over there'. They took a lot of him being there," Robertson skipper Nathan Wright admitted.
The recently selected Commonwealth Games representative made a rare visit to his former club on Sunday, just a week after he claimed gold with the Kookaburras at the World Cup.
He scored twice for the defending champions in an 8-3 win over Robertson, which also included a five-goal haul from brother Blake.
"It was good to see him running around and I reckon he might have been just as nervous playing there in front of Albion Park folk rather than over there," Wright said.
"There was a good crowd over there."
For all their pre-game jitters, Robertson didn't make Govers's return to Croome Road a walk in the park.
The underdogs twice took the lead in the first half and were good value for their advantage.
They trailed 4-2 at the break and went down 8-3 but were by no means embarrassed.
"They were one of the strongest Albion Park teams I have come up against as long as we have been going down there," Wright said.
"We stuck it to them for the first 20 minutes or so but probably didn't have the strike power in the end.
"It was one of the best games I have been a part of. The spirit of the game was good and it was a really tough game."
While their stoush against Park will stay long in the mind, Wright was adamant it will be straight back to business when his side clash with Dapto in round 13.
"We just have to get our head back on the job," Wright said.
"We have to beat Dapto and we have to beat Mittagong and keep the pressure on Wests.
"Hopefully we can hang on for fourth spot."
In other matches, University defeated Mittagong 6-1 while Wests decimated Dapto 9-1.
The Students face off with Park on the weekend for the third instalment of their epic rivalry.
Uni hold a two-point lead over last season's champions on the competition ladder. Elsewhere, Mittagong take on Wests.
In the women's competition, Albion Park kept their unbeaten record intact with a 6-2 win over Wests Illawarra, Avondale beat Figtree Unanderra 3-1, Gerringong defeated Jamberoo 4-2 and Fairy Meadow beat Railway Greys 3-2.
ROUND 13
SUNDAY
Mittagong v Wests, Welby Field (2.50pm)
Dapto v Robertson, Illawarra Hockey Centre (3.15pm)
Albion Park v University, Croome Rd (3.15pm)
WOMEN, FRIDAY
Jamberoo v Albion Park, Croome Rd (6pm)
Gerringong v Railway Greys, Croome Rd (7.15pm)
Wests Illawarra v Avondale, Illawarra Hockey Centre (6pm)
University v Fairy Meadow, Illawarra Hockey Centre (7.15pm)
SATURDAY
Fairy Meadow v Avondale, Illawarra Hockey Centre (4pm)
University v Figtree, Illawarra Hockey Centre (5.15pm)