NEW LOOK FIVES HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

With the Fives only pre-season friendly three weeks past, feet were itchy and the boys were chomping at the bit. It had been like staring at the Christmas presents under the tree but not being able to open them till after dinner!!!! With new boy Morton in goal and recently promoted Moore and Earnshaw plus no real match practice together tension was starting to creep in. This became total worry as we spied the opposition warming up a full half hour before push back. There were even some uncontrolled movements within our shorts!!! Luckily we were informed that they were the ones that were warming up on our pitch. Phew!! So the captain rallied the troops, building the self belief in the troops, pulling out his favourite saying “speed of mind, speed of body” Let’s do this!

The whistle blew and BBHC began our new season in Div one. They played 5 passes before Zac nipped in with a timely interception, laid back to Whitney, across to Earnshaw, smacked into the D, Ollie Payne receives, slips past a defender, shoots……..
OMG!!
The backboard rattles.
There is barely 30 seconds on the clock.
Fives take an amazing early lead.

BBHC could easily have crumbled at this point, but to be fair they kept their heads up and settled down and we had a game on our hands.
It was an exciting first half of hockey with chances at both ends, but with Blackheath have the greater portion of the play and more chances. Their short corner routines were slick, but our defending slicker including the mighty Morton between the sticks. They had another short corner. Out to the top man, slipped right, slipped back, we were stranded, a shot rocketed towards the bottom left corner, time slowed and the birds stopped chirping…………….
From nowhere he came,
A blur of black and orange,
Flying through the air like a Falcon,
Plucking the ball out of the air with his stick and guiding it round the post.
Incredible save Morton!!!
So the fives kept hold of their lead, and despite mounting a last flurry of attacks where we were often four or five against only two, went into the half time break only one goal to the good.

The second half began with BBHC turning up the pressure and keeping the fives on the back foot. For twenty minutes it was relentless pressure with the Fives unable to settle and keep possession. Time after time Jamie “The Rock” Cotgreave was on hand to mop up the mess and clear to safety. The one goal lead was still intact but looking precarious.
And then it happened.
The training ground practice and team talk words suddenly slipped into place and BBHC seemed to run out of steam and answers to our hockey.
The passing was swift and accurate.
It was switched from left to right.
Young Elliot (Neymar to his friends) started to run riot.
Ollie Payne, our very own Usain Bolt set fire to the side lines.
Andy Moore striking for glory belts one at the top corner, to be thwarted by the keeper.
Attack after attack rained down on BBHC and they had no response. Still trying to attack to get a goal back they were exposed, and when we went, we went at it!
Crash – Ainley buries one in the backboard
Bang – left slip from a short and Neymar slots home
Wallop – Ainley gets his second and some of the crowd are on the pitch………
But it’s not over yet.
BBHC get a final short corner on the final whistle and eventually bundle it in to the net to get a consolation goal.

What a magnificent start to the season and promising for the future.
The whole team was superb. The young guns outstanding and it was a four horse race to man of the match. Young Ainley, Elliot and newbie Morton pipped at the post by “The Rock” Cotgreave. Well done Jamie.