M4 vs Lansdown M3
Lost 5-1
MOM: Alex
DOD: Pete
This week…game of two halves!
The last game of the year and what a fixture, playing Lansdown M3 at Costa de la Brockworth – so teas would good, and as M4 were the away team we got to wear the new fancy black away tops – I did get a photo, and we don’t look to bad.
We had a full squad of 16 with loads of youngsters and family ties. Fin brought his Dad – it turned out a plan to make sure Fin was up and ready, as it was an early start 09:30 meet! And Fin has history regards waking up for games.
I bought my two boy’s and in addition we had Mash so the team looked like it could make the M3’s work for any result.
The team was coming off an excellent win against 4th the table, so why not 1st and the M3’s did warm-ups and that noisy group huddle thing and looked like they took us seriously, but it did take them 7 minutes to score and they showed why they are top of league. They did all the things we should be doing pass & movement and not always forward and scored 3 more answered goals, one being a cracker on the reverse from Tom Noble. That’s not to say we didn’t play some good hockey, the pace of the wide players caused many attacking moments but we faced junior Pinless (1st level keeper filling in this week) who is very good and would take something special to beat. One highlight was a rising ball feed into the D from Mash that Tobias, in something resembling a backhand pass down the line, put the ball passed Pinless, however no goal it as deemed dangerous!
The team talk was positive, as none of us felt like effort and application were lacking, so fuelled by tangfastics, jelly baby’s and oranges we started again.
We were better in the 2nd half and the early goal by M3 didn’t damper our spirits, we had a few attacking shorts that Junior Pinless had to save and the defensive line was keeping out shots somehow. Alex pulled-off a great save at shoulder level (although he claimed after wards that it’s was self-defense). It was also in the 2nd half that Pete – maybe confused by the change of coloured shirts crossed to M3 player, who lucky didn’t score (we don’t know how). Our goal in the 50th minute was a real team effort Ethan from wide right ran the baseline to cross to Raoul on the p-spot for easy finish, like a training move! It was a joy to watch Barney really boss the mid-field and a bit of paternal pride although both boys really do show me up now!
It finished 5-1, and we gave a good account of ourselves, we did draw the 1-1 in the 2nd half. It even showed, the appointed umpires for the M1’s game after us asked who was playing, the reply Lansdown M4 vs M3 and their response was M3 are in black right?
We counted 27 of us at teas from the combined teams, for fantastic pie and chips, good times!
And it was a bittersweet game for me as Barney (my eldest boy) who has been with Lansdown since he was 7yrs old, played for all the senior sites bar the 1’s, is moving out of the area for a fantastic job opportunity, so this was his last game for Lansdown (hopefully not forever). It was lovely moment and testament to our club as afterwards for the warmth of support for Barney from the combined M4 & M3 squads wishing well and offering advice on what hockey club to join in West London.
MOM: Alex – saved our bacon many times!
Honourable mentions: Ethan – putting a shift in mid-field, Barney – Mid-field class, Matt – solid defending & Joseph – running with intent
DOD: Pete – well that excellent cross to a yellow player in the D from a 16 – we were playing in Black and catching the ball that whistled past his ear, putting down and carrying on with the play.
Dis-honourable mentions: None – Pete got a unanimous vote, he took it well!