Badgers Vs Berkswell & BC

Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) 0 v 1 Yardley Badgers

Goal scorer:   Zak Dean

Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) hosted the Yardley Badgers final game of the season at Bablake playing fields Astro.  The Yardley Badgers unusually had a bare eleven with no substitutes.  The skipper this season has had the luxury of three or four substitutes for the majority of the season but alas not on this occasion.  The team was warned just before the push back whistle that they would have to work hard for the full 70 minutes to compensate for no spare players but also to enjoy a whole game without rotation.

This game started positively for the visitors with the midfield tackling and winning possession many times over. The Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) players struggled for the first ten minutes to hold onto possession and Yardley looked the stronger team. With every turn of possession Yardley attempted an attack, but alas the home team defence thwarted the advances and Yardley never tested the keeper.

Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) soon settled into the game and the Yardley defence began to get involved, blocking the runs from midfield with telling tackles outside the ”D”. Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) began to have more and more attacks, but the defence held strong protecting the keeper. The visitors soon relied on fast counter attacks down the wings, with both flanks making runs into dangerous positions and getting crosses into the “D”.  The home keeper was tested on two or three occasions but it went into half time 0-0. Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) probably had the better of the half with more possession in the midfield but the visiting keeper only had to make three kicking clearances.

The hosts sportingly delayed the second half push back due to an enforced toilet break by our keeper. Holding the game 5 minutes was a very kind gesture and Yardley thanked the Umpires and home team Captain.

When the whistle blew Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) attacked strongly for long periods. Yardley’s midfield had to drop deep to support the defence and keeper. The home team made more inroads into dangerous areas by making good solo runs past the visitors’ defenders.  The home strikers got good shots away at the Yardley keeper and he had to make three critical saves. At one point the three defenders heard a whistle and stopped, wondering what foul had occurred in the “D” but the home team’s strikers noticed it was the neighbouring pitche’s whistle and charged at goal, slow to react the defence was flat footed and it took lightening reactions from Anthony in goal to charge the striker saving the shot and the defences blushes.

 Yardley lost a little of their shape discipline and the defence struggled to find passes to players in midfield. The Yardley coach John Ballard from the side-line spotted this and quickly roasted our defenders “stop tickling the ball and hit it”.  He was basically asking the back three to power the ball through the highline attack and find our midfield. “Stop tickling the ball” came across many times then finally the instruction sunk in and both Jack and Edan found brilliant long ball options with powerful pushes and hits. The Yardley midfield worked hard to battle the early pressure in the second half and when they started to look tired John Ballard again gave encouragement from the side and at different times different players heard and got a boost of resurgent energy.

The Yardley midfield began to settle and soon got some attacks with good inter-passing through the congested home side’s midfield. This gave a respite for the under pressure defence and helped the team get their shape back. With ten minutes to go Yardley again won a tackle in midfield and Zak was released near the edge of the Berkswell and Balsall Common Hockey Club (BBCHC) “D”. He dribbled his way past two defenders and struck a powerful low hit into the goal.  The home team frantically tried hard to get an equaliser but the whole of the Yardley team worked their socks off denying any chance of an equaliser. Near the end, the visitors had a chance to finish the game off, but the shot went wide.

The Badgers this season are mixture of players who will be moving up, players coming in new to the sport, alongside a group of central core of experienced youth who help and support each other throughout the game whether win lose or draw.