OLD CANBERRANS have finished the ACT Capital League 1 season in second spot, but ''ordinary'' form has their coach concerned heading into the first week of finals.
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The Checks escaped from their last game with a 3-3 draw against bottom-placed ANU at the National Hockey Centre yesterday.
''The things we've been talking about, the things we've been practising, we just weren't executing today. That's the most disappointing thing - not the result. The result doesn't mean anything to us,'' Checks coach Peter Morgan said.
''[We had] too many turnovers, too many missed traps, bad options in the circle, poor marking - you name it.''
ANU set the intensity level, putting plenty of pressure on the Checks from the start, with the result leaving the students disappointed to not finish their season off with a win.
''It was a pretty hard-fought game, we were in it for the best part and it may be a biased opinion but I felt like we could have got up,'' captain-coach Angus Allan said.
''We knew that we could beat these guys, so we were aiming for a win. Coming out with a draw is disappointing, but what can you do?''
Despite pressure from ANU in the opening 10 minutes, it was Old Canberrans which scored first, quickly transferring play from an ANU short corner to convert a one-on-one in the circle.
ANU responded a minute later from anther short corner, but the Checks got up again with a contender for goal of the year, Dan Borrett directing a lob pass in from shoulder height.
ANU drew level again, two minutes before half-time.
In other games, Wests will go into the finals on the back of a 3-3 draw with St Patricks, the red and whites scoring the equaliser from a short corner in the final minute of the game. They were without Glenn Turner this week, but the Kookaburra will return for their elimination final against United next week. Minor premier Central completed a sweep of 3-3 results against United.
