Weekly Hockey Roundup – Mens’ Teams (7th of March)
Last Week’s Results
Team | Opposition | Location | Result |
Mens 1st Team | Grimsby 1 | Home | Draw 1 – 1 |
Mens 2nd Team | University of Leeds 4 | Home | Won 3 – 2 |
Mens 3rd Team | Slazenger 4 | Away | Won 6 – 3 |
2nd Team Match Report
Last Saturday Leeds University 4s came round to the Lindum for a spot of hockey. In truth it was a little more than that; this was “the. big. game” of the season so far in a battle royale for the second spot on the table in the division with the top two currently set to go up. We’d met Leeds Uni earlier in the season when we, as a team Matt Kandt, managed to literally talk ourselves out of a goal and therefore a win and three points. Not that they’d be really handy right now or anything … but, hey I’m over it; I’ve moved on!
From the first whistle Leeds University were right on it and put us under immediate pressure. Brigg gave us a good game the week before but this was another step in performance altogether. The defence, myself both included and especially, weren’t getting the ball out beyond …. well, the defence which really didn’t help us. Once we got into it, we started to get the odd ball above the half-way line a couple of times and a goal from Ben Nicholson gave a real contrast to the sustained attacks provided by the visitors. Leeds Uni came back once again and were unlucky not to equalise from a pass around keeper Matt Ward that only narrowly avoided being chipped into the back of the net. Leeds’ forward, on seeing the miss, suddenly changed direction and gave Alex Cooper – still running towards the goal – a bit of a knock to the head. His resulting dazed state makes him wholly unsuitable to write this match report… Ben Nicholson came back to the back to replace the brain-bashed captain and the game continued.
What seemed like a huge amount of short corners were awarded against us and the pressure from Leeds continued until an equaliser was scored. The scoreline remained at 1-1 at half time. Seeing double and apparently now talking about himself in the third person, Cooper returned to the pitch after offering what he at least thought was an encouraging half-time team talk, and we kept on moving the ball well around the pitch. Will Wright and his work rate were hugely impressive, as were Louie Sadler and the composure of Mighty Max at the back. A second goal duly arrived courtesy of Kristian Nelson and again Leeds didn’t take long to equalise … courtesy of a penalty flick.
After our third goal (great timing Harry Middleton!) we took the decision to batten down the hatches and go defensive by pulling a player from the forward line back to the defence. Ben Nicholson, obviously feeling that we didn’t need the spare man back, duly got himself sent off despite my request before the game that, even though this was a team of students we were up against, I’d like him to make the full 70 minutes. Incredibly with only 10 men, and with continuous pressure and again a large number of short corners awarded against us, Leeds University ran out of time and the final whistle put a hugely valuable three (net, if you go on the maximum available) points between us in the table.
Not one of our finest performances, that’s for sure. Much like me it wasn’t very pretty but did what was required of it. A generally very composed and hard-fought team performance from Lincoln 2s, and an absolutely whopping great result for us.
3rd Team Match Report
Wednesday and the text comes, yes available for Saturday, but will there be anyone else?? Then the newsletter and all is revealed – 6 players and 5 ghosts ( we seems to get these a lot on the 3rds team sheet of late) who can be recognised by the question marks. Here we go again. Playing away on the night shift – that’s 4.30 or later for delays – which means getting back some time after 9.30 which gives deep joy. Then, late calls tells us that Darren and Lewis are available plus some extra last minute recruits gives us 12 players. Spirits rise as we have a team which gives us a chance.
The game starts late because of trouble on the pitch during the previous game when the goalkeeper was sent off and then a yellow converted to a red for another player. The word goes out, do not even look at the umpire. Fortunately its a really warm evening, even at Wakefield’s Slazengers ground. Our game starts and Lincoln have reasonable control before a breakaway allows the opposition first blood. However, within a minute of the restart we are level with the help of a rebound off the post for the follow up player to slot home. We then went two up then three before Slazengers fought back to equalise by half time with some help from the man in the yellow shirt who could not see obvious back sticks and who believes he is more important than the game.
The second half starts evenly matched until a fine shot goal bound shot is stopped by a defenders body. No PF but after an aside from a Lincoln player to their goalkeeper he becomes highly agitated and mouths off to all and sundry until he is given a yellow by the umpire. Goalkeeper keeps going on at his own players and takes the hump so will not return to the game. He is replaced by a young player so our strategy changes to shoot on sight. Lincoln start to dominate and slot home three more goals, one from a rebound off the post, how often does that happen twice in a game. The defenders keep a clean sheet including a couple of good saves by Tom. A good win.
Chris Topham claimed the DofTD for his aerial squarial over the fence ( second time in the last few games) just beating Chris Lendon’s PC injection to the opposition on the half way line and Lewis’ very late arrival. A tired but happy team returned to Lincoln in the dark. A very good win for the thirds. I wonder who will be on the team sheet next?
Next Week
Mens 1st Team vs. Kingston upon Hull 2
- Location: Kingston upon Hull
- Meet: 11:45am at the Lindum Sports Association, Lincoln
- Push Back: 1:45pm
Mens 3rd Team vs. Brigg
- Location: Yarborough Leisure Centre, Lincoln
- Meet: 11:15am at Yarborough Leisure Centre, Lincoln
- Push Back: 12pm
Mens 4th Team vs. Rotherham 4
- Location: Lindum Sports Association, Lincoln
- Meet: 3:45pm at the Lindum Sports Association, Lincoln
- Push Back: 4:30pm
Sunday
Mens 1st Team vs. Sheffield University Bankers 4
- Location: Sheffield
- Meet: 10:30am at the Lindum Sports Association, Lincoln
- Push Back: 1:00pm
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