Men's 1st Team Vs Wednesbury

YARDLEY   3       WEDNESBURY   4

After the traumas of recent week’s Yardley were on the losing end again albeit after  a seven-goal thriller in the Warwick Printing MRHA Hockey League, West Midlands Division 1.

Yardley got off to the perfect start, pressurising the ten-man Wednesbury, and were rewarded when Noor Zaman finished off some good work to grab the lead in the first couple of minutes. The visitors began to settle into their game and both teams probed forward to create opportunities. Yardley tried hard to press home their advantage, setting up Kyle Francis on the right wing on frequent occasions. Wednesbury persistence with their own attacking play eventually pulled level. A hit into the D from some way out was met with the merest of deflections to beat Yardley’s keeper. Yardley continued to press forward and a superb shot from skipper Zach Jarvis was well saved by the visitors’ keeper. In spite of forcing several short corners, Yardley were unable to add to their score. When Wednesbury’s eleventh player arrived, the team settled into a more purposeful pattern of play. Both teams were playing some attacking hockey, but at times things became a little feisty causing the umpires to have a word with both captains.  A draw at half time was a fair reflection of the balance of play.

Early in the second half, Yardley lost a player through injury. Wednesbury settled their nerves with an early goal. Yardley seemed to lose some of their impetus for a while, allowing Wednesbury to score two more goals to build a surely match winning lead. However, Yardley were not finished and gradually forced their way back into the game giving Wednesbury’s defence plenty to do.  Following  more heated exchanges, the umpires called the captains together again for a second time in the game, followed by a time-out to settle both team, seemed to partially do the trick. Yardley scored a second with a well taken short corner, drilled home by James Livingston. Shortly afterwards another short corner shot, on its way towards goal, was finished off by Jeevan Chagger. This late surge from the home side seemed to rattle their opponents who were glad to hear the final whistle.

It’s a long time since Yardley scored one goal in a game let alone three, so this proved to be  a welcome  confidence boost if nothing else. This week Yardley travel to Pershore.

Report sent in by Peter Brainch (Yardley Club Secretary and Publicity Officer)