Herne bay 4s v Blackheath 5s

Bay had an early start this week of an 8.30 meet ready to push back in London for 10.30, so as we accumulated in the car park our first task for the day set by the captain to sharpen our minds was to solve the puzzle of how to get 11 players in 10 seats of 2 cars.
Bay started the game and started well with some good passing which included the youngsters that had come up from the 5s, but despite this good start soon came under pressure from the oppo weathering the pressure Bay had a break and with the skills of McVey were 1-0 up. This didn’t last long as the oppos next attack saw them break down the left, with Jay trying to cover two players on the pass they chose the right one and equalised.
The next attack was a different story, they had broken through again got GK Jake out of position and with a player at the top of the D he flicked it goalward. But Jay was on the line covering the keeper seeing the ball goal bound swung his stick through the air missing the ball skimming it off the top of hoshead and over the crossbar. As Jay went off, play resumed with a long corner (was expecting a flick) and with more pressure Bay conceded a second.

A half time pep talk seemed to do the trick the youngsters stepped up listening to the advice they were given. Bay tighter marked worked harder and kept them out, Bay conceded another from a direct shot from a short but never gave up the fight. With a well-worked period of play managed to get a second from Owen. And then in a bizarre moment of play, the oppo passed to McVey on the top of the D from their sixteen and allowed him to equalise.
With a draw on the line and Jake and Jay bossing the D with another clearance in the air by Jay again (stick this time), there seemed to be no way pass for the oppo. Unfortunately though with minutes to play, they managed to break through and get the winner 4-3, at the end of the game the umpires came up to us and thanked us for having a good game to umpire and how good-tempered we were.

Mom Jake for some brilliant keeping
DotD Alfie Meek