Match Reports - March 2, 2013

The 1st XI clinched promotion with four matches remaining with a 6-1 win at Epsom, the only side to have taken a point off them all season. The Ladies' lingering hopes of promotion ended when they went down 0-2 to likely champions Tulse Hill but the 2nd XI's 6-0 drubbing of London Edwardians put them on the edge of a promotion slot. The 3rd XI beat Wanderers 2-1 but the Barnstormers lost 1-2 to Maidenhead.

Epsom 1-6 1st XI
Last Saturday we headed to Epsom for a top of the table clash where victory would guarantee winning the division with four matches to spare. Preparation could have been better, and although we only had eleven men we were quietly confident it was strong enough to get the crucial win.

The match started edgily with OCs getting the best chances, but the Epsom goalkeeper made a few strong saves to keep the score at 0-0. However, it was the home side that managed to take the lead much to the shock of the OC players. Sam Carne, jitterish after a traumatic week at the doctor’s, had the ball taken off of him in the 25 and Epsom duly took the resulting opportunity with a tidy reverse stick finish over Goalie. It was a rare blip in what proved to be a solid defensive performance from the OC’s.

We then piled on the pressure, Chris Wiseman having a deflected shot well saved by the Epsom keeper. Then an effective counter attack started by Wisey fell short at the final hurdle after Jay Harman gave Chris Gray an open goal which normally the forward would bundle in. However, the defenders rushing back and the impossibly tight angle meant the OCs forward smashed his shot against the post and the ball agonizingly rebounded away.

It began to increasingly look like it might not have been the our day, as minutes later team top scorer Jay Harman was bundled over in the D and had to limp off to be replaced by team wild card Jock. However, the OC’s fortunes changed for the better after Wisey put Chris Gray in with a one on one with the keeper. The struggling forward made a hash again of the guilt edged chance as the Epsom keeper made a brave tackle at his feet to clear the ball away. However, the OC forward’s persistence paid off as he immediately regained possession of the Epsom defender and slotted his reverse stick shot into the far corner. Jay sensing further goals came back on after a rapid recovery, and the momentum had fully swung in our favour.

Half-time came and we  knew we were 35 minutes away from having promotion settled. Gary gave a rousing speech and the players went into the second half eager to put the match to bed.

The breakthrough came about five minutes after the re-start, as the match had already been marred by stoppages from a combination of pedantic officiating and clumsy stick tackles. An Epsom player was sinbinned and moments later Jay Harman made a run along the base line and won a short corner. Despite another delay on the short corner due to Ceige encroaching into the D too early, an infraction he strenuously denied. Despite this unwarranted delay, the OC’s season-long habit of scoring from short corners continued as Wisey bundled one in from the team’s trademark move.

We added to the lead soon after as Epsom failed to recover. Chris Gray got a second goal as he was left unmarked at the far post from a cross which he bundled in. We then found a fourth as Jay deflected a short corner strike from Nick Ripley into the far corner. Epsom then found themselves down to nine men from another yellow and George Cover earned himself a break in the sin bin for a clumsy tackle on the half way line.

The game was well and truly out of Epsom’s grasp by this point, and their disputes with the officials only compounded the misery of this increasingly damaging defeat. They made forays into the OC half but they barely troubled the full back pairing of Sammy Carne and Cato.

We added two more with Wisey doing well to find space in the D to crash in a low shot against the backboard. Whilst Chris Gray completed his first hat-trick of the season thanks to a cross from Jay Harman which he swept in. We came close to a final flourish as Ceige played in Nick Ripley, but he opted to charitably toy with the scrambling defenders and allowed the keeper to get back and make a save.

Moments later the final whistle went and our position as winners of Hampshire / Surrey Division 1 was finally confirmed. It had also proved to be a triumphant success for debut captain Justin LT who stood in for our holidaying captain Dan.

The victorious team ventured back to TD were they were welcomed by their adoring fans with scenes of pure jubilation. Rumours are rife of an open top bus parade travelling between TD and Cranleigh, but first the remaining four matches of the season must be taken care of to preserve the impressive unbeaten record.

Ladies XI 0-2 Tulse Hill & Dulwich
The penultimate game of the season and all points mattered in the bid for promotion for both teams. We came out strong with high hopes and we seemed to have good communication and support as a team however we landed ourselves in trouble by giving away possession and this turned out to be our downfall. We had several attempts on goal and it was passed under the nose of their goalkeeper a bunch of times however none managed to find their way to the back of the net. Even when one of their players was given a yellow taking them down to 10 men for a period the goals were elusive. Michele made some great saves including one with her stick however the oppo slipped two past us. Final score 2-0 to Tulse Hill. This saw them leaping for joy and forgetting our outstretched hands of congratulations…apologies were made later I’ll add… Lucy had a stormer and was voted man of the match with other nominations also going to Helen Hawes, Jax, Toshky and Tux.

2nd XI 6-0 London Edwardians

No report


3rd XI 2-1 Wanderers VI
No report


Barnstormers 1-2 Maidenhead
No report