HIGHWAYMEN HIGH FIVE AT THE HILL

BEHC Highwaymen 5 Burnt Ash Men's 5s 0

The score looks like the customary walkover result awarded due to a non-appearing opponent, but this was anything but the case against a very resilient and hard-working Burnt Ash team, who were only trailing by a single goal as the game was about to head into the final quarter.  The cunning plan of wearing away kit (thanks to an administrative error at the BEHC end) definitely fooled the visitors from Burnt Ash into believing they were playing the German national team, where the guesting Jade Bloomfield gave a more than passable imitation of "der Kaiser", Franz Beckenbauer, at the heart of defence.

There is, in fact, little to say about one of team's best performances in years.  It was the consummate coach's dream: five goals, five different scorers, and a clean sheet to boot, but what was most impressive was the fantastic on-field spirit and ability to not panic when the second goal simply would not come for over half-an-hour.  The defence were yet again rock-solid, with keeper Conway seldom troubled, but as always on hand to make a vital save when it really mattered before half-time.  And with three men up front and Rose orchestrating things from the centre of midfield, the team created numerous melodic scores and spent 70 minutes in perfect harmony with one another.

It was great to see striker Gainey back to his usual marauding self leading the line, and when he opened the scoring with a thump into the backboard on 14 minutes, it appeared that more would surely follow. But it was still 1-0 at the break, always a precarious score in any game, as the England football team had found out to their cost the night before.  A number of good chances went begging before the game was finally made all but safe following a close-range effort from the ever more prolific Chana, inevitably set up after another mazy run from the impressive Mitchell.  It was only then, however, that the game stretched, the home team grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and the floodgates opened, as the scoring was completed in quick succession through fine efforts from Wickramasuriya, Bloomfield and Mitchell.

All in all, a very good day at the office, although far sterner tests await in the weeks ahead, starting with Marden Russets next week-end.

Team:
Tom Conway (G), Ed Smyth, Richard Cleall, Phil Kinch, Andy Rose, Sammy Chana, Phil Bunker, Chris Bernard, Jade Bloomfield, Ravi Wickramasuriya, Greg Dowse, Pat Gainey and Tony Mitchell.

 Man-of-the-match:
Tony Mitchell - there were a number of valid candidates, but Tony edged it for his all-round attacking play and general terrorisation of the visiting defence, despite one "should've gone to Specsavers" moment in front of an empty net, where even the Scribe would have scored ..... or maybe not!

 Umpires:
Joni Coleman and a visiting umpire officiated brilliantly in probably the most mild-mannered Burnt Ash derby match of all time, in no small part thanks to their sympathetic handling of all on-field matters.