6-3 Away. Playfair scores four as 2's move top of the League !

2’s make hard work of it despite 4 from Playfair !

On a glorious sunny day, Marlborough 2’s played their best and worst hockey in the same game. We had a very young team (Debut for George Nicholson), only one recognised defender and lots of people playing in new positions. It was fair to say that chaos reigned for many periods in the game! What could never be questioned was the total commitment from everyone in the team – reflected in many individuals taking several periods of “enforced rest” to reflect on their misdemeanours!
Marlborough dominated the early stages, but too often found ourselves caught on the break – and with lots of players in unfamiliar positions, not sure who they were marking, moments of “mild panic” were never too far away. Reassuringly, this always countered by lots of green shirts rushing back to help out. We spent too much of the first half being busy fools, and not letting the ball do the work. When we did play well we scored three excellent goals in the first half.
1-0 Gareth Playfair scored form open play as he skipped passed several defenders, drifted to the right side of the D and smashed the ball high into net.
2-0 George Nicholson scored an amazing goal, with a smart assist from Harry Milton [and Andy Davidson – I did shout “SHOOT”!)]. George duly obliged ! He received it on the top of the D, took one touch to turn sharply left and with his second touch struck an absolute beauty high into the net. The keeper did not even move, he was taken by such surprise!
2-1, Awful goal - City of Bath score. We gave it away ! Never to be discussed again!
3-1 Gareth Playfair scored with a smart short corner strike from the top of the D. He received the injection from Dan Crossman (in between one of Dan’s many “enforced periods of reflections”), drifted ot he right to beat the onrushing runner and struck the ball low and past the keeper..
3-2 Another awful goal - City of Bath score. We gave it away again – not because we wanted to keep the game interesting – but just sometimes “s**t happens!” Another never to be discussed again.

HALF TIME (3-2) – As we gathered for the half time team talk, you could sense the commitment, hard work, and frustration at only being 3-2 up. We only discussed the positives, clarified some of our roles and positions, and came out fired up for the second half, and really started to play some good hockey.

4-2 Richard Shuttleworth scored the best team goal of the season so far with at least 6 players involved. The ball started from a 16 with Nick Jehpson, worked up the left, to the middle, back out left, Gareth drove towards the by line, turned and drove it across the D, for Rich Shuttleworth to turn it in – it was a great goal and our confidence to play simple passing hockey was lifted again. I am sure we would have scored up the right side, but Dan was taking another “moment of enforced reflection”!
The game was now end to end and wide open, as City of Bath really pushed hard and we had the sniff of more goals. At this point the result was never in doubt, and we (Gareth Playfair) then scored another two goals. This time there was some excellent interplay between Dan Crossman, Harry Milton, before Gareth scored. We would have scored up the left side – but Rich Shuttleworth was off having “some time to himself” and keeping the bench warm for Dan. To be fair, and not to be outdown, the City of Bath players also did their best to keep the “bench warm and moments of personal reflection” as high as possible.
5-2, 6-2, (Gareth Playfair scoring his 3rd & 4th goals and adding to his amazing goal tally !)
6-3 Another calamity. City of Bath score again.
On reflection (and after the umpires had exchanged Xmas cards with Dan), the result reflected the very best and worst of our game that day. For the record, the highlight of the day was the amazing “Curry and Chips” served up at the post Match Teas – City of Bath, you did yourselves proud !
AFTERNOTE: This result pushes the team to the top of the league. WELL DONE – it is a very long season and we will do well to stay there, but if we are not, it will not be for the want of trying.
WELL DONE TO EVERYONE – THE EFFORT WAS UNBELIEVABLE against a team with a full complement of substitutes and who threw everything at us.
Despite Gareth’s four goals (he did miss a few !) the…..
MAN OF THE MATCH – GEORGE NICHOLSON…for his overall contribution on debut – his pace, his hussle, his threat with the ball and an amazing goal on debut !