Match report February 26 2011

An excellent win on the road for the 1st XI, returning from Oxted with a 2-1 win, while the 3rd XI came from two down to beat Reigate Cardinals 4-3 in a cracking game. The 2nd Xi squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Addiscombe, while the 4th XI had a lovely day out at the delightful venue that is Battersea, losing 6-0 and missing a chunk of the rugby as well. The Ladies and the Vets had the week off.

Oxted 1-2 1st XI
And so we went on the road for the second successive week this time down to Oxted and came back with 3 well deserved points but we made it slightly harder than it should have been. With the luxury of 12 players we lined up with a starting 11 that could have been pushing for promotion this year if it weren't for a set of rather bizarre post christmas results for us. Anyhow to the game... we started and dominated...a lot...unbelievably so..switching from side to side, pentrating runs, possesion, crosses, deflections, short corners, Gavin's sandwedge practise shots...we had it all...apart from the goal which someone must have moved. And then we changed things...and then it went a bit wrong...Oxted gained more confidence as their goal remained intact and suddenly they had a couple of short corners. The second of which was struck like a bullet came off Coops and hit Hunts...penalty stroke...which seemed a strange decision as it was going wide and that Hunts is never inside the post on short corners (we have photographic evidence from most games this season). Umpires conferred, there was some typical argument and counter argument as you'd expect from either team and the decision was changed to a long corner I think. Anyhow a few minutes later Oxted had another attack and a fairly lose, comfortable-to-deal-with-put-it-off-the-side ball was played into our D...only for Coops to engage in a bit of Arsenalesque defending taking the ball off Cookiey's stick and side footing it to the Oxted attacker at the top of the D who couldn't believe Christmas had come so early this year...1-0 Oxted at half time.

CB gave an inspiring talk at half time spouting the usual rubbish about more goals in this, we've had most the possession, don't panic, yadda yadda and we went back to the starting formation...and played no better. Well to be fair it was a bit better but the Oxted centre half decided he'd like to have a storming second half and started to make CB look like the old slow defender he is..luckily Hunts and Woody in midfield got to grips with this and started to take control again and a swift move up the left back to the right, back again left and the ball popped up at Danny's stick. He cut in beat 14 people, some of them twice (isn't that right Dan?) and unleashed the sweetest strike into the bottom corner.

And back we went again and again and eventually won a short corner...Now this is where Cookiey should be writing this report as he called a slip left failing to notice that Woody wasn't there to push out so Cookiey offered to do that and then also to do the slip left strike...now I know Cookiey's quick but it was an odd call and luckily one that the rest of the guys ignored. So up stepped Rippers and proceeded to hit possibly the worst reverse stick shot he's ever done but it completely dumbfounded the keeper who was quite possibly still laughing as the ball somehow went through him and into the goal. 2-1 and of course there were no nerves for the final few mintues...somehow we held on as Oxted threw everything forward. But to no avail and we took the points. One of those enjoyable games and Oxted were unlucky and not quite sure how they are where they are in the league. Great tea and post match beers back at Oxted although quite why there is a collection of owls and tea house tea pots is anyone's guess. Chris Brewer

2nd XI 2-2 Addiscombe
A scrappy game which we ought to have won, again creating enough chances to have buried Addiscombe long before the end but, to their credit, the visitors kept exploiting our midfield naivety and in the end were worth a point.

Torrential rain made for unpleasant playing conditions even if the surface was perfect, and the players and officials would admit they did not have their best days. We went two up but then lost our way as the yellow cards started being produced – or not in some instances – and our indiscipline meant one OC was lucky to escape without a red.

As has been the case several times, we created plenty of chances and at 2-0 ten minutes into the second half seemed set to win. But we paid for two sloppy lapses in concentration, and at the other end were twice denied one-on-one chances when the umpire blew without allowing for any advantage. At least we are going down fighting, although in some instances individuals need to rein in their tempers both during and after the game.

3rd XI 4-3 Reigate Cardinals
A cracking game full of flowing hockey which as half-time approached seemed to all Reigate’s only for our perseverance and a simple but effect short-corner routine to secure us all three points.

Reigate were a delightful blend of experience and youth and for 25 minutes ran our midfield and defence ragged. Two goals – the first a flick – could have been three had the umpire (Knapp D!) not blown as the striker rifled the ball past our keeper, and somehow we kept out a barrage of short corners. As half time approach we got a short and Alex Lewis stopped, shot and scored to give us hope going into the break.

Reigate took five minutes to wake after the re-start and in that time conceded two more shorts, and again Alex slammed home both, one inside either post. Thereafter Reigate pressed hard but our defence, marshalled by the wise if less mobile than of old Stu Steele, held firm, even if three times we went down to ten men, the final time for trying the old “let’s put 12 on and see if anyone notices” stunt.

Reigate equalised with the goal of the game, their forward running along the dead-ball before flicking over the keeper from an impossible angle. But their veteran midfielder who had brilliantly run their game finally headed off, exhausted, and they were never quite the same danger. Seven minutes from time Alex smashed home another short corner to earn us a win which seemed impossible 40 minutes earlier.

One thought. Reigate, who played lovely hockey in a creditable spirit throughout, had 21 short corners and converted none. As with many clubs and most of our sides, the old-fashioned stop and shot seemed to be deemed obsolete and so each corner was flicked or seen as the start for a series of switches and shimmies. At the other end Alex showed the value of the old way. Some of our other sides could learn from keeping things simple.

Spencer 6-0 4th XI
The secret diary of Nathan Glover, aged 24 and a half (AKA OC 4s vs Spencer, Battersea Park).

26th February 2011

Dear diary,

Today started well enough, as I removed the cake from the fridge. My mother had emailed me a great recipe for a chocolate biscuit cake, which I didn’t even have to bake! It just sets in the fridge!

As per usual I was a little late leaving for hockey, even though the match didn’t start until 3:30pm. It took about an hour to cycle to the pitch, which gave me a while to think up excuses as to why I was late.

Arriving at the pitch, I met a few new players; Omid was making his debut in the 4s, and Richard helpfully came to play from the vets, and Louis was back after being injured [thanks guys!].

The rain ended just before we set out onto the pitch and gave way to a bright, clear afternoon.

In the game itself, Spencer played with high tempo and breached our defences on a few occasions, and some goals slipped in to our net. Bish was very unlucky not to get an early goal with an excellent chip on Spencer’s goal. In general there was good composure from the 4s, with Dom and Smeer making good runs on the wings and looking dangerous, and we were awarded several short corners. Unfortunately we were unable to capitalise on these opportunities and were 4 – 0 down by half time.

Unphased by the score, we set out to play our best in the second half. Although we didn’t manage to score, and conceded two more goals, we played some great passing hockey, and looked very coordinated as a team. As Dom said, we are now playing the kind of hockey that we wouldn’t have been able to a couple of seasons ago. Nathan Glover