Dick Turpin Rides Again!!!

It was a long christmas break.

A very long Christmas break.

The celebrities got out of there, X-factor winners became famous, appeared in the tabloids then lost it all and Celebrity Big Brother aired series 274, 275 and 276 and still there was no hockey!!!

Then finally it was upon us.

Our new second home, Avery Hill, fizzed with the excitement, waiting for the fives to hit the Astro.

But the excitement fizzled out.

Did we play badly?? NO. But something was missing. Rust was in the cogs and the normal spark was not quite evident. The Fives had the majority of the play with most of the ball in the BBHC half, but we just could not deal the coup de gras! BBHC had some good players but we controlled them easily and they relied more on the hit and hope option, which got them just rewards as they slotted home from 2 short corners leaving the Fives lagging behind. In fact I don't think that Logan had to make one serious save throughout the game. He just stood in the cold probably dreaming of the hot homeland that he left behind!!!

Unfazed the Fives kept pressing and Harry Southgate flicked in from a short and the motor began to rumble.

The Fives heaped on the pressure, but who was that masked horseman on the sidelines ??

A short corner to the Fives.

First shot stopped, rebound picked up, slipped left, shot on goal, defenders foot on the line, flick, lovely!

Goalie ready, flick taker ready, both teams huddled on the sidelines - but wait, Dick Turpin is in full gallop. Overuled! We encroached on the circle too early!!! Re-take the short surely, no, 16 given. Turpin snatches the points, pops them in his bag and canters to the side.

We press again.

Constant pressure.

Josh is on the move, jigging and dancing his way into the D, he rides tackle after tackle, slips the ball and Ollie bangs it home.

Sgt Whitney leaps into the air and hurtles back to the halfway line making Chelsea's Conte look like a librarian!!!

But wait, is that Dick Turpin's hooves we hear, galloping towards the goal??!!

Overuled

Foot in the D!!!!!

Turpin once again slips off into the distance with the points in his pouch!!!

And so it ends with BBHC taking the points.

But I jest.

Umpiring is a tough job. They cannot see everything and make their decisions on what they can see. I for one cannot even begin to imagine doing it. The game was played hard and fair and was officiated well by both guys.

There are 35 mins in each half for us to score goals. We had the pressure but were not clinical enough. We live and learn.

The lesson - score more goals and win the match before the dying minutes !!!

Congratulations to young Louis Brown who had an exceptional game and justly was awarded Man of the Match.

It is still all to play for. So we travel next to Folkestone with intent.