Hat trick helps 3rd's to win over Chichester
With storm Dennis disrupting the 3’s day trip to the Isle of Wight last weekend the team re-grouped, re-energized after an extended rest. Captain Ollie Britt arrived looking like he might have been on the ferry last week in the storm however it turned out to be a nasty stomach bug, our latest opponents Chichester 3’s arrived and the preparations began. We all applied the customary Tiger Balm, with the smell in the air Cal decided it reminded him of Christmas and burst into a Christmas classic ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ whilst the rest of us discussed how Chichester were a well drilled team, one of only 2 to beat us in the first half of the season.
With the game underway, normal service resumed, the back line of Eddie Hottubs, Gabbler, Hodfield and Britt moving the ball seamlessly across the pitch, with space opening up all over the park. A fast paced attack resulted in Francis (not from Deadpool) finding a foot and the first Winchester short corner, accurately dispatched by Gabbler 1-0 Winch. A quick restart and some slick passing saw Round feed Cardy who rifled the ball passed the keepers midriff 2-0. Restart underway Sammy runs through the majority of the Chi defense, reaches the baseline sends in a pin point cross to Tim who taps in at the back post - goal awarded, well for about 30 seconds. Chichester protest, umpires confer and decided there was a foot on the way through, turns out there was as ‘Honest Toby’ confirmed after the game it did actually clip his trotter – right decision.
16 restart and Chichester decide rather than try go through the 3’s they would go over the top, a nice aerial to their forward line saw the 3’s concede a short corner which was clinically dispatched 2-1. This appeared to spur the visitors on and before we knew it the ball pinged around our D, short corner number 2 awarded, smooth routine clinically executed it was 2-2 and we’d only played about 15 minutes!
With a lot of confused and frustrated faces, we were struggling to cope with what initially appeared to be a game within our control. Misplaced passes, bad decision making and failing to hold onto the ball saw Chichester again breach the Winchester D, in fact they had been in it so much they may have well laid claim to it as their own. Again ping pong resumed with some great last ditch tackles from the defense, but the result was the same their striker sent a pile driver Cal’s way from close range, which he got glove and stick too with result it being deflected into the roof of the net. 2-3. This wasn’t how we envisaged the game 10 minutes ago.
These types of game always prove a challenge to the 3’s, normal service involves score a couple and control the game. Reminding each other that when it gets into a proper scrap we stick together and adopt the Brazilian style of hockey – we’ll just score more then you. So off we went taking back control of the game, ball moved with precision, Strongman’s relentless running saw him lay the ball off to Loverider who sent in a cross for Tim to deflect into the goal off the post 3-3. Rinse and replay, ball moved around nicely, Toby did some dribbling, play entering the 23 and then played back out and around through the Hodfield and Gabblar, down the line, cross from Francis and who pops up on the end of the deflection – Tim 4-3 things were looking up and the sun had come out!
If readers are wondering where half time is, well it’s on its way but not before some more excitement, another cross into the Chichester D sees Tim appear from somewhere for his third deflection of the afternoon and HATTRICK!!! 5-3. Leaving the Chichester goalkeeper banging his posts, removing Tim from his Christmas card list and wondering if he would ever stop a deflection this afternoon.
As the seconds ticked by Chichester re-focused and became re-accustomed with our D and their shooting accuracy and we would have gone in at half time 5-4 if it hadn’t been for Eddie Hottubs picking the ball out of the air right on the goal line, it was a bit like a ‘Matrix’ moment nobody knew how he did it but we were all grateful. Half time finally arrives.
Lots of voices in the half time team talk, all positive even some apologies and back patting to make up for some negative comments in the first half.
If you have got tired of reading this report as its only half time the second half was a bit like Season 2 of a Box Set, the first season was action packed but the second just doesn’t quite live up to it – this is it.
Nothing really happened, both teams played some really good hard competitive hockey but couldn’t quite find a break through. At some point Gabbler wanted to aerial the ball, but Hodfield politely requested he didn’t and 10 minutes before the end Chichester won their 3rd short corner of the day, Ed took a 10 minute break for an enthusiastic outburst against the reason the short corner was given. Corner taken, Loverider stepped outside the post, Cal got a stick to it but not enough to stop it creeping through the gap left by the former - 5-4. Oh one more thing, in the final seconds a Winchester aerial put Tim through 1 on 1 with the keeper only for the final whistle to blow as was about to dispatch his shot.
Next week the 3’s are away vs Alton 1’s.