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13.10.07 - Shimmy’s soldiers Vs Old Mid Whitgiftians 2

I thought I would give myself the weekend before I tried putting something down on paper. However that has not seemed to help. I have looked for every excuse under the sun to try and justify why we lost a game we really should not have lost and believe me when I say the list came very quickly and started growing and growing. A slow and bouncy pitch, very bad umpires!!! Etc…But at the end of the day they had to play under the same conditions we did. So once I took a step back and looked at the game as if watching from the side it was clear. The finger of blame needed to point at Brownie and Mike for letting us down!! Only joking guys. Both sides took the first 15 to size each other up with both sides move the ball well from left to right. It was Old Mid Whitgiftians that broke the deadlock first. They moved the ball well and created a 2 vs 1 with Polo which they finished well. This left the score line 1 – 0 and Oxted desperate to level the score. We started moving the ball through the ranks nicely. With the ball going from left to right and right to left from the back four, which was made up of Charlie, Jonny, Kodak and Ben. With this movement the ball was fed wide to Steve T and Crouchy on the outside flanks with Stezza and Shimy putting in the legs in the midfield. We started wining some short corners, but did not capitalise on them.

I believe in giving credit where credit is due and the Old Mid Whitgiftians defence was solid. They gave us no room to move and/or allow us to create opportunities.  After the game I for one felt as if I just done the London to Brighton bike race without a saddle and before the banter starts for this statement maybe I like it like that!! The only problem was I am not too sure whether it was the defence or the umpires doing me over.

It was against the run of play that we conceded a short corner and this gave them a 2 – 0 lead. I think it was at this point the wheels started coming off. Oxted tried passing from one side of the field to the other, these where turned over and started creating wave after wave of counter attacks from the opposition.  It was from one of these counter attacks that they managed to score their 3rd taking us into half time 3 – 0 down.

The second half was not to bad, we where still making the same mistakes but seemed to really want to play and make a game of it, that was until they scored their fourth and this seemed to be the nail in the coffin. We then fell apart.

The score line stayed the same until the final whistle, and we where off to see the final stages of   England kicking Australia out of the Rugby World Cup. I must say it could of not happened to nicer bunch of boy’s.
 
Back to the game though and the fact of the matter is that we got frustrated by lots of things on Saturday. We where out scored and it is human nature that when one gets frustrated in a game like that, we start over compensating and trying to do to much. This showed in the score line. Having said all of that the reason I love playing the 3’s is cause I know we will return to winning ways this weekend. We have had our wake call now and we are at how to Chichester, a show down not to be missed.

Team: Polo, Ben, Jonny, Crouchy, Kodak, Shimy (C), Stezza, Charlie, Stevie T, Dobbo and Terry.

Shimmy’s soldiers Vs London Edwardians 2’s

Saturday the 29th September saw the start of the of the 3’s hockey season. Many team members where asking themselves “what would be different this season to that of yester year?” or “would Terry still shout at everyone?” These questions where almost put to rest. When the email went out and our meet time was 45 minutes before the game. I for one was not sure what to make of this. Did it mean that we would do a proper warm up? Or dare I say a team talk before the game? As I said before the all questions where put to rest when Terry arrived 10 minutes before the game with a board in hand. Even though he had the board he still decided to draw in the sand. Bless him at least he made the effort.

Terry then settled down into his usual routine of tell everyone how the game should be played, while our beloved captain used the time to do the Men’s first team administrative tasks or was it to find out which one of the first’s was not going to pitch in to do their club duties and umpire the game. Once all had been taken onboard that needed to be the game was under way.

Oxted seemed to take their time settling into the game, with London Ed’s moving the ball nicely. At this stage it look like London Ed’s where going to dominate the game, but a break down the right from Brownie found Dobbo one on one with a falling keeper, which he then managed to push straight into sprawled keeper, the ball did however manage to fall to Dobbo’s reverse stick which he managed to put onto the cross bar. Where these early signs of what was to come.

Possession was exchanged between the sides. Polo showed fine form in goal for Oxted clearing everything thrown his way, however it wasn’t until a desperate save on the line by Jonny Gates that Oxted woke up. Mike Hilder and Jonny Gates then took control of the game from the back. Moving the ball with speed from left to right giving Charlie and Brownie space on the outside flanks, while Shimy and Stezza made great runs infield to allow for free following hockey to be played by the 3rd team.

Another break done the right saw an early ball into the circle to Terry who managed to turn and put the ball low to the keeper’s right. In Terry’s words this elegant move by himself is something only witnessed in one of London’s finest of ballet performances. To the naked eye it was like the Titanic arching in the ocean.

After an inspirational half time chat Oxted took the field with a lot more confidence and wining drive.  Dobbo latched onto a defence error by London Ed’s and put the ball low and to the left of the keeper, not one of his better finishes but he will take any goal he gets.

Was it only me or did any one else noticed that Terry thought he was on the golf course, with a fresh air shot at a short corner (Which gave him dick of the day) and the stick changes every five minutes as if he was playing an approach shot to the green.

Oxted where playing some nice hockey at this stage and as the game worn on fitness started playing a big role with gaps opening everywhere. This gave the likes of Ben, Kodak and Stevie T the opportunity to attack. It was one of these attacks from the back that lead to an Oxted short corner. Terry took his usual place with the usual call and managed to deliver on this occasion with a deflection off the keeper’s pads.

Final whistle went and Oxted walked off 3 – 0 winners to top the new league. Special thanks and mention must go Stevie T, Crouchy and Ian for doing the often-thankless job of umpiring, as well as Ben, Charlie and Stezza for some good performances.

Team: Polo, Ben, Jonny, Mike, Kodak, Brownie, Shimy (C), Stezza, Charlie, Stevie T, Dobbo and Terry.