2XI Undone by a well Drilled Gillingham Side

After a good warm-up and team talk, the 2s, missing coach Jade Bloomfield, felt confident that they could get a result out of this weeks game and push on from the great result last week.

It was not to be as the first 15 minutes of the game were all GA and BEHC failed to settle into the game and were guilty of trying to force the ball through the defensive lines instead of playing the easy and patient buildup. After the first part stage of the game BEHC started to actually play Hockey, playing the ball around like we know we can and pressing high on the attack, wave after wave we tried to get the goal that would change the game, towards the end of the first half, we did just that. Winning a long corner, Chris Fowler neatly passed the ball back to an onrushing Robert Hughes who controlled well, before slicing the ball down the left foot of the defender towards the stick of Sam Little who with the deftest of touches deflected the ball towards the back post, a slight touch from the GA defender and the ball was in the goal. 2-1.
The GA Defender was beside himself after the part he played in the goal that he lost control and let out what can only be described as horrible language towards the umpire who duly sent him to the sidelines to cool off with a 5 minute yellow.

We went into halftime 2-1 down but everyone was confident, we all decided to stop forcing the ball and to play the easy pass to each other.

The second half started well for BEHC, continuing to press forward and we got what we deserved, an equaliser. After some great play from the midfield, the ball ending up on the end of Henry Baines stick who saw the marauding Gabe Downer heading towards the far post. With a precise ball, Henry slotted it into Gabe's path who finished with aplomb.

We continued to press to get the winner but we were guilty of reverting back to the first 15 minutes, starting to force the ball again.

GA had few chances in the second converting 2 of them to put us 4-2 down, we again started to play Hockey and we know what happens when we do that, we score, Prem Marwaha on the score sheet again, I didnt actually see the goal as I was tending to an injury but if I know Prem he will be talking about it for weeks to come and it will get better everytime he tells it and it will end up being a Mazy run from inside our half beating every man twice before running down the wing grabbing a drink from the side with one hand a dribbling past 4 defenders with the other and reverse tomawking it top corner.

Final Score 4-3 to GA lots of positives to take from the game but also a couple of things to work on and tighten up.

GA were by far the best team the boys have come up against.

Massive thanks goes to Ravi Wickramasuriya for umpiring our game. he let the game flow and enabled both teams to play.
Maybe a career in umpiring awaits when he hangs up his stick!?

MOM Oli Ivans
DOD Rob Hughes

By Rob Hughes