M6s lost 4-0 to Ealing M1s
Report by James Rushton
On our first trip to Ealing this was a game we needed to win. After briefly not having a team midweek we managed to pull together 11 thanks in part to guest appearances from Elliot Poplar and Oscar Prior. After some minor difficulties getting to the pitch, it is behind the school….. we lined up in our favourite 4-4-2 formation with Elliot (base) and Oscar (top) of the diamond. Things started well with Southgate having the majority of the possession and passing the ball around nicely and Ealing threatening on the counter with a young and mobile midfield pressing forward. Unfortunately Ealing broke the deadlock from a mistake from our sweeper i.e. Me! Failing to stop the ball cleanly allowing the attacker to pick up the ball and have an unchallenged shot to score! I promise it won’t happen again!
The game continued in a similar vain with Southgate largely controlling the game but Ealing looking threatening on the break. Their second game from such an attack with easily 2 men over they were able to pass round the defence. They scored a third late in the half with a well taken flick from a short corner which I almost stopped…..We therefore went into half time 3-0 down.
After a positive half time chat where we discussed that in many ways we were playing the better hockey but the difference being that Ealing were taking their chances…. we went out for the second half — This was a game we could win! For the first 20 minutes or more we dominated the play …. Generating many chances. Shots were put left … right and over the goal ….I think we would have put it under the goal if that was possible! The few shots on target were saved by their goalie but I think more were off target rather than on and it began to feel we would never score as would be the case. In the final ten minutes we began to tire with the minimum 11 and their substitutions began to tell with Ealing scoring a fourth goal from a counter again where they had men over in attack.
This was a game where we played well for long periods… it did not feel like a 4-0 loss and we must have generated double digit chances …but we just couldn’t score…this was a game we should have won!