HEATH CONQUERS THE HILL

A huge weekend awaited the 1st team as they got up for an early than usual start on Saturday morning. The league leaders, and local rivals Tulse Hill and Dulwich on Saturday followed by their EH Trophy nemesis and the current holders, Guernsey on the Sunday.

A 9am meet at JAGS in Dulwich for an early game to ensure the team could make their flight approached and a strong squad of 16 turned up to find they couldn’t get onto the pitch until 5 mins before push back for this huge league game. The boys didn’t let this affect them and quickly focused themselves. The game started at a very high tempo with both teams pinging the ball around nice on a quick but bouncy pitch. THD started the stronger but BOE held firm with some great pressing from the front 5 and strong defending from the back 5 keeping the score tightly balanced 0-0 at half time. Club GK Nathan Bullens was always barking orders from his goal & made a few important saves throughout the match but most importantly marshalled the team incredibly from the back.

A motivating and energised team talk along with a tactical change to the press meant BOE started the second half feeling good and playing well. This eventually lead to a ball being fired through towards goal where a bounding James 'Vardy' Logan was on hand to get a touch on the ball to take it past the keeper and make it a deserved 1-0 to BOE. This goal increased BOE’s confidence and from here they really started to click, all 16 lads were playing well, and passing the ball around so well that THD could hardly get a touch on it. From another break Jake Owen, who the THD had trouble catching all day, ghosted gracefully past numerous THD midfielders and then impishly past several defenders before firing a reverse stick rocket shot into the far side of the goal from a tight angle. The word “Worldie” was gasped from the sideline. Next up was the inspirational and talismanic Captain and the leagues top scorer - Chris Harden. Only four days earlier he had been on crutches with a black and blue ankle after being clobbered in last weeks game by a brutal Winchester tackle. However, nothing was stopping him playing this weekend and he took excellent advice and treatment prior to the match. Throughout the game he played very sensibly, holding the ball up well while still getting into his usual great positions. At 2-0 up and the Club playing some of their best hockey of the season Chris, as he has done all year, bagged another 2 sublime goals to add to his tally and put BOE into a very commanding 4 goal lead. Both goals were from open play and finished with aplomb. Demonstrating once again that Chris is the complete centre forward and not just a Drag Flick machine.

The one blemish was to follow as a rare THD foray into the BOE led to an unfortunate deflection taking the ball past the so far impenetrable Bullens from a tight angle - nothing anyone could do about it. With 6 mins to go 4-1 up it could have been some squeaky bum time if the oppo grabbed another but the BOE defence and midfield were supremely confident on the ball all day and this never wavered in the final minutes. With a couple of mins to go David Lawrence was neatly put through on goal but a late, swing of the stick to impede his progress was made by the last THD defender and one of the easiest decisions an umpire will make was given as a penalty stroke was awarded. Despite his older brothers protestations and the denial of a hat-trick opportunity for the Skipper the fouled man stepped up and superbly rifled the ball into the top right hand corner with great aplomb. 5-1 winners.

A very, very good team performance against an excellent side led the boys confidently onto Gatwick airport for their trip to Guernsey.

Sadly not everything made it out of JAGS as Mike Lawrence’s Dad’s car got locked in the wrong car park and is reported to still be there today!!! An easy winner of DOTD. MOM is a hard one after such a strong team performance…. so its shared by all. Top mornings work.