Mens 2's
Matches
Sat 19 Oct 2019  ·  DIV 3SW
Harpenden 2
1
6
Broxbourne Hockey Club
Mens 2's
Captains rare goal inspires 2nd XI victory

Captains rare goal inspires 2nd XI victory

Jamie O'sullivan20 Oct 2019 - 10:54
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Broxbourne 6 Harpenden 1

The badgers 2nd XI headed to Harpenden in high spirits after the previous weeks convincing win over table toppers WGC. However with a warm weather training camp in Spain having depleted both 1st and 2nd teams, Captain Alex Satwick was forced to use all of his tactical genius to select a team and formation. Ultimately he chose to bring legendary clubman “H” Adams into the fold as well as starting with a veteran back line of Gav, Panners, AJ and Fresh.
The selection of H proved to be genius as few in the team could remember him making a single mistake.

The badgers started at a canter and pulling the opposition from side to side as the veteran back line expertly transferred the ball. This resulted in a darting run from Baller down the right beating several players with exquisite skill before squaring the ball across goal. Capt Satwick needed no second invitation and calmly slotted the ball to score his first goal of the season, his lack of experience in this area showed itself when he had to seek advice from browny on how to celebrate a goal.

This indecision seemed to filter to the rest of the team and for the next 10 minutes the level of the badgers play dropped significantly. Just as heads began to drop good work up front resulted in a first short corner. With Baller taking a deserved break, drag flicking duty fell to AJ. His pathetic effort barely reached the keeper who palmed it away casually to one of his defenders thinking the danger had passed. Desperate to make up for an embarrassing fall in the warm up as well as the powder puff flick AJ, robbed the defender reverse stick before showing determination and surprising pace to beat the keeper to the ball and place in under him to take the lead to two goals.

Then followed a period of concerted pressure from Harpenden resulting in a flurry of short corners. Veterans Gav, Panners and Fresh showed that they all have a future as umpires demonstrating their great understanding of the rule book to the umpires. Fortunately they also showed expertise at keeping the ball out of the net to take the game to half time.

An inspirational talk from Satwick and a surprisingly intellectual explanation of the full press from baller led to the Badgers taking control in the second half.

Ed house scored to open the lead to 3 0 demonstrating an ability to stike the ball open stick that his more illustrious cousins in the 1st XI could learn from. Shortly afterwards Alex Brown rolled back the years and unleashed a strike for goal 4 that would have graced his many many years in the first team.

Just when it looked plain sailing and Joe in goal was thinking of celebrating a week without his brother bothering him by keeping a clean sheet disaster struck. It highlighted a small tactical error from Captain Satwick, selecting a midfield made up of entirely Alex’s made calling slightly random. This resulted in a Harpenden overload that despite the best efforts of Joe, Gav and AJ resulted in a well taken consolation goal.

Satwick made amends for his trio of Alex’s mistake shuffled his pack bringing on the pace of Henry at right back. This payed immediate dividends with good play leading to a PF. After a quick discussion and a game of rock, paper, scissors between Satwick and AJ the later calmly placed the ball past the keeper who had fallen for Crawley’s Jedi mind tricks to notch his second.

There was still time for a moment of comedy as after a howitzer of a flick from AJ, Browny and Baller did a good impression of the chuckle brothers demonstrating the difficulties of inter-generational communication wasting a good opportunity and letting the ball run off the back line. The final act of the game was a Broxbourne short corner won after great work from the tireless Alex O’Sullivan in midfield. The whole team and Hertford 6th team watching expected AJ to go for the hat trick. They like the harpenden defence were bambozled when browny stopped and struck himself, just as he was about to celebrate his second goal “H” ghosted in to take a final touch to make it 6 - 1 to Broxbourne. Leaving browny shaking his head in surprise as no one in the team had even noticed “H” on the pitch.

Silky smooth skills from Baller and non stop running from human dynamo Sully resulted in them sharing the MOM award while Crawley took his 3rd DOD award for the embarrassing sniper in the stand fall in the warm up.

The team return to badger field next week hoping to continue their good run against porter bar.

Match details

Match date

Sat 19 Oct 2019

Kickoff

12:00

Meet time

11:15

Competition

DIV 3SW

League position

4
Broxbourne 2
12
Harpenden 2
Team overview
Further reading