Southgate vs Old Georgians

Match Report by Alastair Whatley
Mens Premier Division, Phase 2, 2nd March 2024
St George’s College

Southgate came within 2 minutes from one of the upsets of the season against league champions Old Georgians under the lights at St George’s college on Saturday. night. Kwan Browne and his side delivered the performance of the season before Tom Carson delivered two hammering blows from the top D to pour icy water on ‘Gate’s ambition.

It was a calm evening but the temperature pitch side at Old Georgian’s home venue was less than warm as the few visiting Southgate supporters gathered together like moths to the flame as their faint hopes of a 5th placed finish to the 2nd phase of the Premier Division rested on an unlikely win against the defending champions.

The previous meeting in mid November had resulted in a punishing 6-2 loss and despite some injuries to some of the key OG’s players, it was evident that the game was going to be a stiff challenge for a side still finding their feet in the top echelon of English Hockey.

Sam Paterson returned to the side and there were cheers for Harry Haynes who ran out to give his premier division debut after working his way up from the 3’s to the 1’s in a single season, otherwise the team remained unchanged from the sides defeat against Wimbledon the previous week.

The supporters soon felt an icy wind send chills down their red and black collars when James Carson executed a devastating reverse hit to the top corner leaving Southgate’s keeper Van Loggerenberg no chance as the ball ricocheted off the back netting with violent intent within the 3rd minute of play.

Yet slowly ‘Gate regained their composure and soon they started to really play. Rohan Bhuhi playing the screen had one of his best games of the season as he connected play with flair and precision whilst Matthew Ramshaw in the attacking line continued his form with a rambunctious and pugnacious performance that gave no quarter to a team that has barely lost a game on English soil in the past few years.

Yet it was Trinidadian International Teague Marcano who equalised in the 9th minute with an electric flick from the top D that left George Pinner wrong footed between the OG’s sticks as the ‘Gate support roared its approval into the Surrey night.

Ramshaw soon took down a Bhuhi aerial with skill and then drove hard into the Georgian D, he took Pinner right before just getting the better of the former GB international keeper and slotted the ball home with clinical precision. Southgate had their noses in front as the whistle ended a rip snorting first quarter.

Back home at The Southgate clubhouse, members gathered around smart phones as Mandy Feighery’s live updates came through thick and fast on twitter, and this small group grew in numbers in the centre of the club house as word got round that something was happening in Weybridge, the game was afoot!

Will Calnan continues to showcase his experience in his new red and black colours and was a continued threat to the OGs defence, his electric pace allowing him a critical edge over even over a such feted unit as this Georgian outfit and with Marcano and Ramshaw off after Harry Haynes helped engineer a PC, it was Calnan who delivered a superb flick that licked along with the pace of a speeding bullet past Pinner and puncturing the home support who were left quiet and silent as the whistle blew on a a first half that gave ‘Gate a clear advantage going into the second half.

The script was never going to write itself and OG’s came back hard in the third Quarter. Southgate had a chance within the first minute but took Tom Carson just five minutes to convert a PC in the 40th minute and an equaliser 3 minutes later that sent ‘Gate onto the back foot and the supporters at the club house in Trent Park back to the bar for fortification.

Captain John Sterlini marshalled his forces from his midfield position and Robbie Gill dug in with player/coach coach Browne running down corners and showing no quarter to a side not used to not getting their own way. James Albery, GB international and FB delivered a series of outrageous passes that highlighted the quality that ran deep in the white and famous maroon shirts of this Old Georgian side.

The whistle for the 3rd quarter ended at 3-3 and the game sat on a knife edge, the supporters from both sides found their voices as both sensed a rare game was on the cards and so the 4th quarter duly delivered with an almost unbelievable finish to a game that offered almost everything.

Tom Carson secured his hat trick after 5 minutes of tug and war with another well taken PC and as OG’s looked to cement their lead ‘Gate won a corner from the edge of the home D and on the rebound Jack Middleton- playing a superb game, polished the ball home with a strong finish that equalised and sent cheers all the way back up Snakes Lane as Southgate re-entered the ring and looked to press for an unlikely victory.

3 minutes later that promise looked to be fulfilled as 5 minutes from final whistle Teague Marcano converted his brace with a brilliant finish from open play- Southgate were 4-5 up with 5 to play.

Credit at this point must roll down to players like Karan Sofat, Charles Hamilton, Simon Walker and Richmond Lum to name just a few, all threw themselves at the games like lions. As 5 minutes became 2 minutes it made what was about to follow all the more unbearable from a Southgate perspective. Tension was palpable on the sidelines and the air thick.

However Tom Carson not content with his hat-trick showed his class with a well executed drag from the top of the circle to equalise and then the hammer blow as in the final seconds the home side won a PC which somehow found its way home to break Southgate hearts and send Old Georgians back to Europe as they secured their European status for next season.

In some ways it didn’t matter. At this stage in phase 2 due to the quirks in the league system Southgate have nothing to lose, on the other the chance to earn a well earned victory against the league champions may just have ignited a spark that has been threatening to light up over the past few weeks.

In the aftermath, amidst the disappointment came the gnawing sensation of a great game having been played in a crucible atmosphere. Southgate were once again competing and more than competing, pushing for victory against the champions of English Hockey and doing it with style and panache.

That sleeping Giant, long dormant, has recovered its strength and it won’t be long before that giant roars again.