CARNAGE AT THE COLLEGE IN 9-GOAL THRILLER

Burnt Ash Men's 6s 3 BEHC Highwaymen 6

This was a truly wonderful affair and a huge credit to the 30 players and officials who took part.  Sport in general and hockey in particular were the big winners on the day after a thrilling derby match played in both the right way, and - most importantly - in the right spirit.  Boxing may have brought us the "Thrilla from Manila" and the "Rumble in the Jungle", but the "Carnage at the College" in Dartford was just as magical, and without the remotest sign of any pugilistic intent.

In the corresponding fixture back in October the Highwaymen had dominated but were still only a single goal up on 55 minutes, before hitting the late afterburners and winning 5-0.  This was a bit different. The visitors were already one up before the minute hand had reached "1" through a goal that defied description, principally because the match correspondent did not see it.  Most sports journalists come up with the excuse of "still taking their seats" when they miss an early doors opener, but the rather more prosaic reason on this occasion was that the man with the pen was giving super-fan Hector Rose a leg up over the pitch perimeter fence at the time, and was simply facing the wrong way.  That the team found itself three up inside 11 minutes was mainly due to his dad, Andy Rose, who was orchestrating things like a true virtuoso, stringing together some electric passing movements and directing proceedings from a re-vamped five-man midfield formation.  And on this occasion the finishing was ruthless too, with Matt Robinson grabbing a first-half brace and the man who has made a real difference to the team, Tony Mitchell getting in on the act as well, as usual.  It got even better at 4-0, courtesy of Sammy Chana, before the rampant overture was brought to a close by the enforced, albeit temporary, sidelining of both defensive linchpin, Steve Miller and the returning Richard Cleall, thanks to injuries, both immediate and historic.

As for the remaining three-quarters of the game, Burnt Ash actually won them statistically, scoring three well-taken goals, and keeping out any number of efforts from the men in white through brave defending and excellent goalkeeping. Although always at least three goals in arrears, the hosts never gave up and were at no point out of the game, despite the shell-shock of the early four-goal barrage when they had not done anything wrong at all.  The move of the match down the visitor's right saw some stunning interplay before Tony Mitchell's shot cannoned off the left-hand post, but he did eventually grab a second which was not quite enough to requisition a post-match jug - smart move.

The final word for the visitors was eloquently delivered by Matt Robinson's hat-trick-securing goal following a run from half-way and a crashing shot into the roof of the net from an acute angle on the left.  He is now deservedly the Highwaymen's leading goalscorer of all time, and with the most hat-tricks to boot as well.  Here's to you, Mr. Robinson.

Unlike twelve months ago when the Highwaymen experienced a disastrous, and win-less January, the 2020 vintage has been far more palatable, yielding two friendly wins and a pair of successive away league victories.  But the month has also suggested there will be no easy matches in the second half of the season.  A top-three finish looks a tall order indeed, but there is still plenty to play for, and if the team can field its best players on a regular basis and get the mercurial Ed Smyth back from injury next month, who knows?  At least the Highwaymen's two-month exile is now at an end as the team looks forward to three consecutive games on home soil, including a tough-looking derby against the Dynamos in two weeks' time.

Team:
Rupert Greaves (GK), Tim Walters, Phil Kinch, Steve Miller, Richard Cleall, Stephen Gilbert, Ravi Wickramasuriya, Phil Bunker, Andy Rose, Tony Mitchell, Sammy Chana, Pat Gainey, Tony D'Cruz and Matt Robinson.

Man-of-the-match:
Andy Rose - rolled back the years with a classic performance of the play-maker's role from the central mid pocket.  His early control of proceedings effectively decided the match in the first quarter

Umpires:
Ed Smyth and the home umpire did a marvellous job.  They were so good and controlled the match so well that both of them were totally inconspicuous.  There was not a cross word spoken, nor a card in sight all afternoon, which is fair testimony to their sterling efforts.