23rd Feb 2019 Mens 4th v Mirfield 1(Home) 5 - 2 win
The Mighty Fourths are gelling into a good hockey-playing team this season, feeling that they can compete in every game.
Based around a core of National's winning veterans and colts who are growing (I blame the parents, what are they feeding them?) with every game, our �keeper Sam seemed to be a foot taller this week, we were looking forward to getting more than a draw with Mirfield.
In our second largest crowd of the season it was good to see Dave Habin mingling with the parents and the team photographer. Dave�s been upgraded with a couple of titanium plates after the Tadcaster incident which, unfortunately, leave him re-considering his hockey playing career.
Ewan and his driver were both back this week after being dropped to the Thirds, an experience neither of them wish to repeat and about which both remained tight-lipped. Ewan�s driver anchored the defence alongside Blocker and Neill with Zak bringing creativity to right-back.
It�s fair to say that our display lacked intensity with even Will looking blunt in front of goal, that is until he struck two sharply taken goals to put the game beyond doubt and remind us all what he is there to do and what we rely on Will to do every week.
The midfield had space but managed to make time disappear in a way that would have puzzled Stephen Hawking, too many turnovers made a straightforward game difficult. Bray was heard extolling the virtues of simple hockey whilst the youngsters used their verve and skills to generate 3 goals (and 35 anxiety-inducing turnovers) between them during the game.
Mirfield kept trying to come back into the game and with 2 goals scored they could have threatened. A masterstroke was needed, the key tactical move was to play to Westy�s strengths as perhaps our most natural striker. We�d already scored 5 goals, the majority with glorious reverse stick strikes (I blame the parents, can�t they buy their kids sticks that can do forehand shots too?), but it was this point that Mirfield knew they were really in trouble. In a ten minute period Westy had a deflection saved, manufactured a short corner from a melee and executed an Oscar-worthy dive that, if the crowd had erupted and brought the umpire�s attention to it, would have been a penalty flick.
The game finished 5-2 to the Mighty Fourths.
And why didn�t we score 6? Well, I blame the parents . . . .