A win is a win

Apologies for the late arrival of last Saturday’s match report. But it’s a bit like one or two of the goals we have given away this season, in that, we all knew what needed to done, but somehow it slipped between the cracks ! Anyway here goes....

In summary, Marlborough won 1-0 in a hard fought game. 1-0 win. 3 points. Solid defence. Loads of commitment. Passion. Good hockey. 3rd in the league and maintaining a winning streak – bring on next week against Chippenham (revenge is required for our 1-0 loss in the last game of last season).

However, all the talk during and after the game was about the key action that took place away from the ball ! Our two renowned and charismatic umpires, Alex and George, certainly had plenty to deal with throughout the game. Not least George throwing his clothes around - more on that later...

Anyway, back to the game. It was always going to be a close game and both sides cancelled each other out for most of the first half. Both sides play a very high tempo pressing game and Devizes found a way to break up the fluid passing game that Marlborough had developed over the last few games. Justin Metcalfe, had a great cameo role making several incisive runs, before succumbing to his alarm and rushing off to take a Marlborough College team down to Millfield. Nick Jephson had a strong first half before rushing off at half time to Twickenham to watch England v South Africa.

During the game, Marlborough had most of the possession, Devizes had most of the cards! In amongst all of this, Marlborough eventually turned the pressure into a lead. A good passage of passing and switch play saw the ball smashed into the D, it which point it all got a bit scrappy, and whilst everyone else was napping, Nat Clarke pounced like poised poacher and nicked the ball and shot home. 1-0 up, and nothing less that Marlborough deserved. At that point, we genuinely believed that our possession and play would lead to further chances, but it was not to be.

Marlborough went into half time 1-0 up and we never felt that Devizes had any chance in the game, but as long as it remained 1-0 anything could happen.

Either side of half time, two highly comical moments occurred that I have never seen on a pitch before.

Firstly, a defensive passage of play in the Marlborough D resulted in the Devizes goal keeper (their best player and man of the match), who was stood on the edge of his D, some 80 yds away, spending a little time at the umpire's pleasure due to some exuberant protestation. Suddenly both sides were seriously fired up, and as often happens, the side that went down to 10 men played the best hockey of the whole game. Devizes kept possession with short sharp inter-passing, pushing up the flanks and looked threatening for the first time in the game. All that said, the Marlborough defence held out throughout this passage of play and throughout the whole of the game.

The second memorable incident (again) indirectly involved Alex, but this time the focus was on George. At half time the umpires, Alex and George, decided that they would “mike up” so that they could talk to each other and retain close control on the game – very sensible indeed. Unless off course you are George and you have reached a point, whereby the incessant irritating noise in your ear becomes too much too bear!. One minute George gave a signal for a sideline ball and the next moment he was ripping off his jacket and ripping off his “microphone” shouting “I can’t take any more of this, I have had enough!!” Several of us thought George had gone mad and was storming off (what had we done, who would umpire, is he OK, does he need a drink!?) Nothing cold have been further from the truth, it turns out that George had just had enough of the “advice and noise” he was receiving in his ear !!

The game continued, players came on and off the pitch at an alarming rate (cards and subs) and I don’t recall Rich Newton having to make a single save all game, such was the dominance of the defence. That said, a short corner was given against us in the dying seconds. We held our breath as Ollie Davies sprinted out number 1 runner, Devizes failed to convert the short and we held our nerve to grind out a classic 1-0 win.

Marlborough News Online Man of the Match - Defence (From the front to the back) – Many candidates in with a shout – but for consistency, hard running, cover and tackling – Ollie Davies.