News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
Match Report: 27th Oct Mens 2nd XI

Match Report: 27th Oct Mens 2nd XI

Philippa Messenger4 Nov 2018 - 18:43
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.yateleyhockeyclub.

Top of the table clash!

Yateley 2-3 Swanage

Yateley Men’s 2XI started the day battling to stay top against league title contenders Swanage. Yateley applied the pressure on Swanage and carved a few early chances. However, Swanage were here with the intent on ruining Yateley’s unbeaten record, bring a strong 14-man squad. With both teams battling hard to draw first blood the game became intense. It was end to end with both teams having some great chances but none seemed to find the back of the net.
Swanage finally managed to create an overload and a good ball into the D found an open striker to deflect the ball past the centre back turned goalkeeper Thomas Pask. Mens 2s October player of the month, Jake Morgan, was not settling for that! He carved his way through, weaving his run like an angry cheetah chasing a vulnerable baby gazelle. Too hot to handle, Swanage felt their only option was to scythe Jake down. Unfortunately for them he had just about made his way inside the D and won us a short corner. The ball was injected to Craig Pearcy at the top who swept it beautifully towards the back post, where flying Jim boffin Deflected the ball into the back of the net.
After some incredible hockey from both sides, Yateley were hanging on with super keeper Pask and rock-solid defenders blocking as many chances as they can. Swanage’s talisman eventually dribbled his way past them and rocketed a reverse strike past Pask, who could only but watch this incredible strike ripple the back of his net. Heads focussed and more determined than ever Yateley then began fighting back, turning the screw with a bombardment of hard and fast attacks of their own. Keeping to the tactics and high intensity from the previous weeks, we began to dominate the game for 10 minutes. Jake Morgan collected a loose ball and ran like a freight train at their goalkeeper. However, the train derailed and with a last gasp save the goalkeeper denied him the equalizer. With some quick passes an overload did emerge and Yateley’s young gun Matt Swinyard swept the ball into the net for his second goal in as many games. Yateley were level and would have to keep working hard to keep their unbeaten record alive.
Some dangerous waves came hard at Yateley who were clinging on for what seemed like an eternity. Swanage cut it round the back and the ball was sent spinning in front of the Yatley goal like a pinball machine, the defenders could only block and the attackers kept pinging the ball around. Chaos emerged and when the ball finally was struck goal bound, Pask dove beautifully to block it. The ball squirmed free across the goal line towards 2 free Swanage players whose eyes lit up to pounce of the certain goal. Much to their dismay, Captain Cundy had other ideas, diving heroically over his own keeper and clearing the ball off the line to keep Yateley’s hopes of a point alive!
However, the Yateley heroes couldn’t hold out, tiredness making them all have legs of cement, it was only a matter of time before Swanage snatched a winner with only minutes left to play! Again, Swanage’s talisman used his skill to float into the D and beat the defenders only to secure a short corner. Playing it wider than usual, the defenders tried closing down the ball only to see it find an open striker to calmly slot it in and ultimately dash Yateley’s dreams.
Despite the defeat the men played amazing and it was an incredible show of effort just no reward. We go again against mid-table Romsey next weekend.
Congratulations to Thomas Pask who earnt man of the match for his incredible performance in goal.
Further reading