DRAW LEAVES PERMANENT STAIN ON WEEKEND

We travelled to Staines hopeful of continuing on from the win last week. Everyone appeared full of confidence, enthusiasm and ready to start the game at a high tempo and with control.

Sadly, the heavens opened and this seemed to wash away this positive intent, despite coach Chris H specifically highlighting the need to start strongly.

Within 10mins and two defensive lapses Staines had scored two goals. One their first sortie into the D with a crash ball neatly deflected into goal. The second the result of intense pressure from a high press leading to a short corner that was rolled into the corner at an awkward pace that neither a defender or goalkeeper could stop.

The OED definition of stain is “1.1 A thing that damages or brings disgrace to someone or something's reputation”.

With our opportunity to rise up the league now seriously in doubt, everyone was ignited in to action playing with more purpose and intensity across the pitch. Several good opportunities to score went by, before another one presented itself to Mr Charles Spiller who charged in to the D to slot the ball into the goal after a well worked move.

There was continued dominant play and another goal to draw level came after a good ball played into the D was neatly guided into the goal by David Lawrence.

The fight back was complete and now to take the game on and try to find more goals to win.

Sadly, this was a fleeting thought as another long ball found a poorly marked Stains attacker in acres of space to attack the D and coolly score a reverse stick chip into the top corner over the GK. We not only lost all the initiative, but also Tom Archer who pulled up sharply with a torn hamstring.

The second half was equally frustrating with another defensive lapse allowing a Staines forward to receive the ball unchallenged and again reserve stick chip over the keeper.

Good dominant play was being continually undone by our own mistakes and lapses in concentration.

However, there was one sublime move, which saw Mr Charles Spiller drive out of our own half, pass to Captain Lewis Burham who then passed across goal only for David Lawrence to dive and narrowly miss what would have been goal of the season.

We never gave up and managed to draw level with well worked goals scored by Chris Harden and Mr Charles Spiller.

4-4 and about 8 minutes remaining, would we find that winning goal? Well a goal was scored and to many it was a thing of beauty. Michael Lawrence’s reverse stick hit into the D was deflected into the goal by Chris Harden. However, NO goal, disappointingly the umpires contentiously disallowed it on the ground that the ball was hit into the D dangerously (even though it’s flight was below knee height)!

The game ended everyone was deeply disappointed at another opportunity gone a begging.

The work continues, but this stained performance with another slow start must be removed permanently to prevent similar frustrating results.