HEATHENS START STRONG

The first game of this season saw the Mighty Heathens heading down to Sevenoaks to cross sticks with the Acorns. The Hs are hoping to grow into a quality team this season and this was its first test.

Great news during the week with a large number of excellent players joining the club across the entire set of teams one of them being the newly baptised Heathen Mr Richard Mills. With all these new players’ selection has been extremely difficult for Captains having to separate themselves from various players and friends who may have figured last season but also welcoming new ones. What a season this could be for the Oldest Club in the World. The club shuffle led to the appearance of the old school Legends Ders and Gobbler (although not quite as old as the club!) in the team and the return of the mighty Raf and Will (although Will did not truly return as he had a few, shall we say ‘complications’ - story only to be told around few beers)

We had an amazing line up and subs-

GK: Seb in goal

Defence : Fenno, Goldsmith Jr, Jonny 6X and Tino

Midfields - Chris H, Ders, Steve and Rich

Forwards - Snatch, Raf, Gobbler, Andrew

The pitch was described by some as a Beach Holiday in an East German Prison Camp... it was sandy (we will get back to that later) and the buildings surrounding the pitch now derelict, no power or water! Probably due to the massive demolition / conversion work taking place by the side of the pitch (it will be a great facility for Sevenoaks once complete), for now though it is an intimidating place to play! Nevertheless the sun was there (so was the rain, so was the wind, so was the rain again) and there was a great atmosphere - Rich was returning to the source of his hockey youth meeting up with long time not seen acquaintances from his good old days in Sevenoaks (when he had more hair!).

Time to start the game - Blackheath had the ball. Despite the pre-season games the new formation (4-3-3) still needs time for players to adjust and find its feet, the skipper with his wealth of new talent is working out the best positions for the players. The ball was moved around nicely by BOE but often the mighty Heathens are too impatient and try to rush forward which leads to extra unnecessary running and poor chance creation in the final third. Through using a hard press in the first 12 minutes they managed to win a few shorts but none of them got converted... just after that Sevenoaks get one of their players hit in the head by a bouncing ball in the D (this time the head wins and the game can progress* reference to the game in 2015 where one of the Acorns had to be brought to AE after similar head injury, luckily the poor lad was ok). Sevenoaks are awarded a short corned despite the ball being lifted from the players own stick (and admitting it). They fail to score but win a second one (all regular) and against the run of play ….noooooooooo despair! It gets converted there was nothing Seb could have done, low and in the corner, good strike. 1-0 for the Acorns. BOE lost their heads for a bit, but began a fight back in earnest, but were unable to score, hitting the post, hitting the keeper, having some near misses and one short corner nicely delivered but hit just above the backboard. Best effort though went to Raf ‘Buzz to infinity and beyond’ Castello, who not for the first time in his BOE career, hit a nice rocket reverse shot, aiming for the right corner but executed a la Raf (Buzz),
over the keeper, over the goal, over the back fence, over the castle and into orbit, it's probably still going (maybe it was a hockey ball that hit that comet, not Rosetta after all!) We think he made it look much more like a fantastic as superb a rugby kick as you can only see during the 6th Nations

Half time is there - Captain Andy pumps up the troops and remind us about simple hockey, play as a team and deliver in the D. Pass move, work for each other, and be more clinical!

Second Half - Heavens open and the sun starts playing hide and seek, it was wetter than an otters pocket. Through better ball circulation starting from the back the Heathens rebuilt their game and maintained the high pressure on the Acorns. Unfortunately due to the Sandy beach we lose one of our key assets at the back. Suffering from a nasty sand-storm flicked to his head, 6X loses the use of his eyes and ears (some said even his neatly combed, fantastic hairs suffered from the sanding, some ladies started crying by the pitch at that time). Team reorganisation 1 is required Ders drops to hold the backs and Steve in the more defensive Midfields. Snatch enters the pitch (the 7oaks Goalie starts shivering). The Heathens win another Short Corner and following that second phase Tino passes to Rich Mills who picks out Chris H, he composes himself and flicks it over the keeper (he was logging)…. and booooooom scores what a relief (all of that without his shin pads - very common, none the less silly, first game of the season oversight).
The Heathens and Acorns are now 1-1 but with an attacking mind another reorganisation to 3 at the back, the results could not remain. BOE push up but wary of the counter... Great joint effort from Dave to Steve (bang in the D) to Snatch who goes for the deflection, flicks to the keeper and Captain Andy soft touch, bang bang second goal In whooooooooooooooooooooop!! The Acorns are devastated. The mighty Heathens start feeling the lack of fitness and with that the discipline starts lacking. The umpiring being what it was (same for both teams), more tension can be felt and the air is getting heavier. After about 3 zillions of stick tackles (not many called), hands in the back, obstruction not blew, frustration got the best of our players and BOE ends the game with 10, Steve taking a yellow, leading to a tense finish. The rest of the team dug deep and played keep ball, which led to a few more chance, Sevenoaks also countered a few times but... fortunately Seb and his defence did well. 10 men reminded BOE taking it slower (not forcing it) they can circulate the ball much better and produce better hockey and more opportunities to score, winning a short at the death. Slip left called and executed to Gobbler with time pushed it wide! Final whistle and 2-1 a good away result vs the always well trained Sevenoaks unit.

End of the game.

MoM: Ders
DOD: Steve (hon mentions Chris (forgot shinpads), Will (‘complications’), Raf (superb reverse stick up to the moon and back!)
Goals: Chris Hall, Andrew Moore

I am sure things have been forgotten such as -
Tino making incredible run, Goldsmith Jr being able to sing a few octaves higher, Chris forgetting his Shinpads (really...), Andy being pushed over by some young kids, Fenno not being passed the ball despite being the obvious right pass and people shouting it from the side line, Rich making a great performance for his first official Blackheath game, and of course did I mention Raf superb reverse stick up to the moon and back...Thanks to Rhys for umping!

A great tea!

A great return to hockey…

Yours duly,

The Double awarded D of the day combo yellow card man from Belgium (Steve). Apologies for the poor English grammer & spellingz.