With 30 seconds to go S.Anselm's led 2-1. Coming from behind, we had, a few minutes earlier, taken the lead for the first time in the match - one we had deserved to win, without being near our best. The talented, strongly built, Pownall Hall central defender blasted a free hit from outside the 'D' which William W managed to save with very quick reactions (he ought to have left it well alone however!) only for the opposition forward to clean up to equalise at 2-2 … A long ball out to Freddie H on the right wing saw him blast the ball to Edward S who almost scored, but instead, won a short corner. The final whistle blew …, but the short corner still has to be taken … Freddie H to Jack M-M who planted the ball at pace inches inside the left hand post, no chance for the goalkeeper. It couldn't have been taken better and S.Anselm's, not for the first time, escaped against Pownall, be it 26-6 at cricket or in similar situations on the hockey field in recent years … surely their first win against us is just around the corner... Despite not having any other common opposition schools (perhaps, occasionally Beech Hall or Terra Nova) we always enjoy a close early season match. I knew their previous Director of Sport well, hence the contact.
"Our U11 boys hockey team won another match by a single goal away at Pownall Hall, but it was an astroturf match where we failed to play to our potential" (my opening sentence v. Pownall 2007), "We've played some remarkably good hockey this term in difficult conditions on grass, but this astro match didn't see us at our best" (my opening line v Pownall 2008). Well, ditto again in 2009! I'm so pleased with some of the quality you play in home practices on grass that really, I'd expect better in these super astro conditions.
We opened strongly and, I have to say, I expected a goal glut, but Pownall Hall caught us out unawares and scored first, which, remarkably, was the score after an all too brief first half. They threatened from time-to-time thereafter, usually due to our defensive duo having to cope with a four pronged attack as our midfield, Jack M-M excepted, didn't help out defensively enough. We looked tidy enough going forward and Freddie H put in many aggressive crosses across the opposition 'D', but they were hardly likely to be turned in at that pace: where's the cut in to the post and back to the penalty spot? Finally Charlie H tapped in from six inches(?!) and Edward S gave us the lead which takes us to where the opening paragraph started.
It's not easy to say what we didn't get right, except to say that an astro pitch is still an alien surface for us. Our defence couldn't have done more, William H was certainly in charge slapping the ball around at the back with much aplomb and Elliott W excelling too. Nothing more could've been asked from William W yet it took a wonder strike from Jack M-M to, finally, give us the win in the final second!
Our 'B' team comfortably overcame an inexperienced opposition team, 8-0. With 35 2nd and 3rd year boys to choose
from, they're fairly similar in number to ourselves. For those used to playing at a higher level, it was an anticlimax, for those in our own team who also haven't played much this was a match played in heaven!
(As ever, full report and statistics in the end of season booklet)
JMHF
Posted on
Wed, January 14, 2009
by admin