WHAT A GAME!
BOE were pinned in their half for most of the first 35 mins, defending resolutely and Nathan Bullens making a fine point blank save to keep
us at 0-0. To be fair we should've been down with the way we were playing and shortly after we were. T Wells were first to the breakdown on a penalty corner and the deadlock had been broken.

At half time we were happy to be still in the game at only 1-0. BOE just weren't clicking or firing on all cylinders. We started the second half brightly with Stephen Roche and Sam Djavit combining well to create a shot on goal, that was kicked out of the way from going in. Our first penalty corner of the match followed. Michael Lawrence put the ball hard into the corner but the huge T Wells goalkeeper plucked it out of the air with his stick, great save.

Then, all of a sudden, we were 3-0 down...how did that happen? Making very silly errors to gift two goals.....that's how! Quite rightly the Men's 2s WhatsApp group was advising not to come out in the cold from the Clubhouse to watch the first team, as we were playing awfully. They had a point.
But this is the '1st XI Class of 2015' and it's not a team to be written off.
What followed was a goal of such quality that would make any team wobble. A David Lawrence deflection to Stephen Roche. Roche plays a bounce pass with Michael Lawrence who dispatches a reverse stick shot sweetly into the bottom corner. A consolation goal it is not. The COMEBACK is on and the oppositions legs are going. 20 mins to go.
Step up 'goal machine' Chris Harden who launches a penalty corner drag flick with vicious pace & precision: 3-2. Michael Lawrence enters the fray and is on a mission. He wobbles past three players and executes a reverse stick cross that Chris Harden gets on the end of with an amazing pick up and cooly slots it home. 3-3. Triple Boom! Surely not a winner can come?
Michael Lawrence once again drives forward and puts in another sublime cross that Chris Harden controls but puts his shot inches wide. We begin to think it's not our day and it's a bridge too far. But no way. Not today. This team has grit and character and bags of talent. T Wells break and go up the other end with menace. They have a shot from the penalty spot, Sam Djavit dives valiantly to block the shot. It falls to a second T Wells striker but Nathan Bullens saves his effort excellently. But the ball loops towards the open goal. Step up Tom Harden who unbelievably clears the ball off the line. Heroic stuff.

The atmosphere at the match was special and you could feel something extraordinary was going to happen. BOE put together a string of slick and precise passes. A beautiful pass puts Tom Mayfield 1v1 with the T Wells keeper who closes him down quickly but the effervescent Mayfield nutmegs him neatly and the ball nestles in the Opposition goal. It's the winner! 4-3 and the whistle is blown.

I'm exhausted writing about it. The last 20 mins were breathtaking. Team spirit and belief got us the three points. Not to mention amazing skills and tekkers.

Top Of the Table clash with Ashford next week, very excited about that.

MOTM. Tom 'Sheepie' Harden.