Match Report: Yateley Mens 1st XI versus Trojans Mens 2nd XI

Yateley Men's 1st XI hosted a young Trojans 2s side on Saturday in Hants Div 1. Being a 16.30 start, there was a substantial home crowd in attendance cheering on the Red Army. Yateley boasted a full strength first XI for the first time this season, welcoming back last year's top scorer Chris Hedges.

The opening exchanges of the game were reasonably even, with both teams moving the ball well through midfield. Soon however, Yateley's superior intensity and fitness started to create holes in the visitors' defence. An early penalty corner for Yateley was upgraded to a penalty stroke when Paul Bockett-Pugh's drag flick hit the post man's knee on the line. Bockett-Pugh stepped up to take the stroke, but missed wide of the right post, taking his recent record of penalties against Trojans sides to 3 misses from his last 3 attempts. The cheer that went up from the home crowd (who thought the ball had gone in) might have knocked Yateley's top scorer's confidence, but Bockett-Pugh was not to be subdued. He made amends for his miss later in the half after a well-worked penalty corner routine allowed him space in the circle to finish low from close range. Yateley then doubled their lead within 30 seconds. From the restart, Craig Wylie intercepted a Trojans pass and sparked a flowing move that found James Sealey, whose hard cross was touched home by Doug Joyce at the back post.

In the second half, Yateley stepped their game up another gear and dominated possession and territory. Bockett-Pugh showed bravery to take another stroke in the second half, this time awarded after Sealey's close range shot hit a defender on the line. This time the ball found the bottom corner and the lead became three. More exciting attacking hockey from the home side created a number of further chances, and Chris Hedges made it 4-0 as he made sure Joyce's goal-bound deflection crossed the line. Trojans were offered a consolation goal when Danny Rayner in the Yateley goal, who had put in a good display to this point, was penalised for a deliberate obstruction in the circle after a speculative long ball was chased down by Trojans young centre forward. Rayner was handed a 2 minute suspension, so Stephen Maskell donned the helmet to face down the resultant short corner. Trojans converted easily to make the score 4-1, but Yateley were not finished. With minutes left on the clock, Wylie again won the ball high up the pitch on the right wing. His early infield pass to Chris Hogg was laid off first time into the path of Bockett-Pugh, who rounded the keeper and finished into the top corner to complete his hat trick.

Bockett-Pugh's tally for the season is now 8 league goals in the three games, taking him to the top of the goal scoring charts for the South League. The three points for Yateley take them to third place in the Hants Div 1 table, with the best goal scoring record and the joint best goal difference in the division. Yateley will make the long trip to Weymouth next week, looking to secure back to back wins for the first time this term. Man of the match Bockett-Pugh quipped, "I've actually got 12 including friendlies and I've scored loads in training too. Do those count?"

Yateley: Rayner; Morley (c); Collins; Maskell; Beetham; Woolner; Bockett-Pugh; Dale-Heaps; Laskey; Sealey; Joyce; Hogg; Wylie; Hedges.

Scorers: Bockett-Pugh 3; Joyce; Hedges.