05/11/22 : Mens 2 vs Amersham & Chalfont 1
Away - Amersham & Chalfont HC
League
Lost 1 - 3
Two in two dampens Havant fightback
After a drive of considerable length to the opposing sides hockey ground, Amersham was graced with the presence of Havant Men’s 2s. It was a drab day weather-wise, but thankfully Gabe lightened the mood for us all, after realising his socks were left at home.
The previous game finished and in quick succession the squad got on the pitch. With not long till push back, some small five a side games and shooting practice underwent before the whistle blew for two minutes left. Dan let us know our positions with Timmo in goal, just in front was Andy Richards (AR), Ben Miles and Ben Blackmore in defence. Jude Richards, Connnor Blackmore and Tristan Farrar were our wing backs with Warren Gilmore, Joe Price and Tom Steer in midfield. Sam and Luke Watson in attacking midfield and Gabe Carvalho and James Healey heading up the attacking force; the squad was ready.
The game set off and it was an even battle. The stifling father/son - ‘Richards’ - duo was a force to be reckoned with in defence and the Amersham attackers couldn't break through. Our forwards found their footing which led to a lot of chances up top. However, in time Amersham received a short corner and despite Timmo’s best efforts, they managed to slot the ball into our goal : 1-0 Amersham. Nonetheless, Havant bounced back, with the goal not affecting our mindset to win. Warren and Tom gracefully exchanged the balls in and out of the defence, converting it forward to our attackers. The Watson brothers were an audacious threat and we knew it was not long before a goal was coming.
Consequently it was Sam Watson, after receiving a clear-cut pass from his elder brother Luke, who skillfully carried the ball towards the opposition's goal and reverse-hit it straight into the Amersham net: 1-1. Havant were looking on top before the first half came to a close and the opposing side were restless. Ben Miles made some brilliant efforts in defence and was also inches away from scoring a short corner. This made up for his green card 5 minutes before. Tristan, Connor and Jude were making cogent runs down the wings, playing balls into the D. On the other end Timmo made some effortless saves which stopped Amersham getting ahead.
The half time whistle blew and the team gathered in. Dan pointed out the significance of keeping the ball and passing it off in quick succession; not always driving through Amersham sticks. With this in mind the second half took off and the game, much like the first half, was evenly matched. The weather decided to turn against us however, with the rain pouring down onto the pitch. Both teams had many chances with Gabe and Ben Miles’s short corner flicks only just being stopped by the opposition's keeper. Ben Blackmore and AR also made crunching tackles to keep Amershams forwards at bay.
Despite settling nicely into the game and playing some brilliant hockey, the Amersham attackers managed to intercept a ball being passed around our back line. The result was an unfortunate goal : 2-1 Amersham. Havant’s head was still held high and we were in full force. The pressure of our attacking force left Healy narrowly missing the top corner after an interception from the Amersham backline. Gabe blissfully skilled through the defence but again, his shot was unfortunately saved by the keeper. It did seem like a goal was in our midst. However it was not to be, as the Amersham team received another short which they slotted into the net.
Lamentably, despite twenty minutes of vicious attacking on Havant’s behalf, we were unable to grab a decisive goal. This can be partially blamed on the fact that Amersham moved the squad to an almost entirely defensive formation which we could not quite break down. The Havant 2s knew they fought well and were told to take the positives from the match.
The ref blew for the end of the game which ended 3-1 Amersham.
Match Report by Joe Price
MoM - Joe Price (midfield)
CM - AR for an incredible deflection into his own goal.
DoD - Ben Miles for receiving a green card
