Wanderers M1 2- Southgate M4 2
Captain Tom Davies led by example in a game that proved that early mornings don’t always need the early bird to catch the worm. Arriving bushy tailed for a 09:30 meet in South London the Southgate M4 assembled welcoming Joe Soper and Will Roughton to their ranks – Mitch Read even managed to get away from fighting fires in north London to make up the 13th player in a side that was small but perfectly formed.
Wanderers M1 sat top of the league and show a physical and robust style of hockey that led to immediate pressure from the push back with the home side dominating the early exchanges. Keeper Scott Ellis began as he went on with a series of superb saves from a flurry of shots and PCs.
Yet thanks to some stubborn resistance, a bit of luck and a lot of leading- Southgate clawed their way back into the contest. Wanderers scored with a decently worked goal from open play in the 20th minute which was immediately parried by an inspired Tom Davies who ran route one down the length of the pitch before entering the D and finding Mitch Read to his right who expertly turned and with a cool, clam prevision slotted the ball home.
Tom Nafis and Ben Berndes Cade showed great resolve in the midfield and began progressing play well with Alex Prior always looking threatening, even when on the floor.
Alastair Whatley almost put the Gate ahead on the cusp of half time with a 2nd phase reverse shot which managed to do everything but go in the goal teasinglyl hitting the inside of the post before sitting spinning on the goal line with a stubborn refusal to travel the additional 15 centimetres.
The second half started positively with Whatley and Zech Mengrani pinning their forwards into the corner with their press, Whatley wining the ball and putting the ball across the P spot for Alex Prior to slot it home with a vibrant musicality of purpose. Yet from this heady position of being 1-2 up against the odds, Wanderers wandered their way back in- and starting bombing the Southgate D with shots and chances which the defensive unit of Davies, James, Soper and Roughton did well at repelling. Meanwhile Freddie Shiret working off the excess of the previous night put in the daring shift at centre midfield and that does’t mention the sides former senior player Alex Christie impressing on his return to the club with a dogged display of attritional defensive grit and steel- with the odd pass to their CF thrown in for good measure.
Southgate suffered from a green and yellow card in the latter stages of the game which allowed Wanderers to equalise in the 55th minute yet the last 5 minutes saw Wanderers at one point down to 9 men with Southgate driving up the the pitch in a 3 v 1 as Read put Mengrani through on goal – the Wanderers keeper working overtime to deny the late winner.
The whistle blew on a hard fought, physical and exciting contest which saw the side well represented in the local pub after the game. The team move on this week to a home game against Wanderers.
MVP was Scott Ellis who just saw off Tom Davies – both out in herculean performances.