Men's 2nd Team Vs Bromsgrove 5

Bromsgrove 5ths 2 V 2 CoBHC 2nds

Goal scorers:  Ben Matthews and Noah Jarvis

The visitors started brightly with good positional hockey. Passing the ball around, using the wide players and finding good spaces to be a pass option. This soon led to chances on goal, with Anthony and Sean getting shots that went close. The team played an aggressive style of play pushing high and maintained lots of possession. Gradually the home team got a foothold in the game and after twenty minutes the game became more even with both teams getting good chances and the visitors’ defenders had to play hard to protect Jack in goal. Unfortunately, three or four breakaway attacks spilt the defence and the home team strikers found themselves one on one with Jack the keeper. On each occasion he rapidly pushed out to close the angles and saved some well taken shots. On the fifth breakaway the lone striker learned and tried to drift past the keeper, unfortunately, Jack caught him. Flick all day long.

The team grouped to the side and discussed the changes from the first twenty minutes that needed addressing. More composure and a return to good passes. We then all turned to watch a well taken flick powerful targeted for the roof of the net, but Jack’s reactions turned it over the bar and nearly out over the fenced off areas behind. In the final ten minutes both teams had close chances but the half finished 0-0.

Fatigue took effect for the visitors and errors began to creep in. But the team dug deep to keep the intensity in every area of the pitch. Jordan, Troy and Ben battled hard in the middle to keep the advantage for the CoBHC 2’s. Then after all the hard effort from the visitors a few defensive errors gave the home team a simple tap in on the back post. But not one of the players head dropped. They all reset and for a solid ten minutes the visitors set a high line of attack deep into Bromsgrove’s half. Every clearance Bromsgrove made was quickly turned over and the visitors got numerous shots that all went narrowly wide or hitting the post three or four times. Eventually the pressure was too much for the home team and with their shape in disarray a push into the “D” towards the keeper had Ben chasing down and knocking it under the diving keeper. Ben got clattered and wasn’t even sure he scored but CoBHC got the equaliser. The team dropped a little deeper with fifteen minutes to go to defend the point but this let the home team push hard at our back line and lots of short corners were won by Bromsgrove. Tactically the visitors lost momentum and the upper hand soon fell the to home team. They soon took a 2-1 lead from a short corner whose shot was hit high into the net. Unsure if the first shot was a pass or a shot, the umpires allowed the goal. The team again reset and scrapped the defensive tact and pushed high and were very aggressive (but fair) hounding players on the ball, winning many 50/50’s. This aggressive battling throughout midfield pushed the back line higher to support. But a tight balancing act was needed and John Ballard (on side coaching) kept the team sure footed and not allowing the home team any chance to extend their lead. But the forwards and midfield did enough to peg the home team back and as the ball fell to Noah. He calmly brought the ball into the “D” and took a reverse tomahawk shot low into the near side corner. Again, the umpires discussed how far the striker was in or outside the “D” but again they impartially picked their decision. 2-2 hours even.

With five minutes to go both teams tried to get all three points, CoBHC again hitting the post courtesy of Sean (apparently hitting the post four times this game!) The visitors still had to put a shift in to defend but luckily Ian and Edan were again having brilliant games and swept up many dangers. Tiredness was getting the better of the visitors but to everyone’s credit they used the rolling subs when needed, which certainly assisted in the dying minutes.

The team (even if they had lost) were playing very well and enjoying their hockey.

Man of the match was shared between Jack for his saves (including a flick) and Ben a midfield dynamo and scoring a brave goal.

A well-deserved week off for a league break for players to recharge their batteries and recover from many niggling injuries.