THREES GO DOWN FIGHTING

It's with a heavy heart that I write this week. This was a must win home match for the 3s, and unfortunately they didn't quite deliver, despite putting up a good fight.

Every week, we seem to improve. We're a long way from the 8-1 drubbing at Old Boards, but still have a bit of a way to go it seems despite the improvements.

The 3s were fired up, but that wouldn't be enough, and sure enough the 3s would find themselves clinging on at times in the first 10 minutes as Herne Bay started the fresher. It was a matter of time before the first goal went in, and sure enough the 3s would be two down before 20 minutes had clocked on. A well crafted first goal, followed by a short conversion.

However, the 3s are made of sterner stuff these days and what looked like could be a drubbing changed when Jake Lamplough would grab a goal back to make it 2-1 from a short corner deflection (he is very good at those), which came fully against the run of play. 2-1 and back in it. Unfortunately however, the defence couldn't cope with the constant pressure being exerted by the HB forward line, who were all particularly strong players, and they would score a third just before the break after a smart counter.

At 3-1 at half time the 3s felt a little lost, so the group decision was made to "chuck the kitchen sink" in the 2nd half, and go for the jugular! A move towards an attacking 4-3-3 with a view to go down fighting.

And that certainly happened. For the first 10 minutes of the second half Herne Bay didn't know what to do, and their weak defensive line was found painfully exposed. Within 5 minutes of the re-start, a penalty stroke for the 3s, after the goalkeeper deliberately dived on the ball on his own goal line preventing a Browner tap in. But no! Nick S missing the flick. We continued to press however, and a few minutes later the goal came, Browner expertly drilling one into the bottom left hand corner from the short. 3-2 and the game was afoot.

Chances followed, and it looked for all the world that the 3s would do this. But despite heavy pressure for 10 minutes, it would be Herne Bay that scored next from a short of their own, rather against the run of play. 4-2! Grrrr! And, in the classic head drop moment it would be 5-2 a minute or so later. Double Grrrr. So so so unfair on 3s after the fight that they had put up after the restart.

It would be 5-3 shortly after however, and with all the credit in the world, the 3s didn't give up the fight. Nick Surry making amends for his flick miss with a lovely conversion after a nice attacking move. Despite 3s pressure till the end, 5-3 it would finish and a very difficult one to take.

David Collington had a great match, and deservedly won MoM. We had some people out this week, and that didn't help us, availability will be key going into the next few games and particularly after Christmas. Please try to make room for hockey, because we were exposed a bit on Sat because of this.

Again - we worked hard, and we put up a brave fight. But a brave fight isn't enough in this league. We just need that result to turn the corner, but I've been saying it for two weeks now. We're not a bad side. We can compete, and more importantly we can win. We just need that bit of luck, and we need to keep that togetherness. Win and Lose as a team, positivity, constructive feedback and all that jazz. Let's get up for another one next week! It's a game we can win for sure!

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