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Sat 24 Sep 2022 ·  Men's Division 5 Invicta
Gore Court 4
GWHC 2nd XI
2
4
GW overcome the GC!
Navtej Tung25 Sep 2022 - 13:15
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GWHC 2nd XI start the season victorious over Gore Court
Tick...tick... The sound of the seconds passing by, one after another. Fifteen and a half million of the, each long and excruciating second - the time since our last league game against Marden Russets. The glorious British summer which marks the off-season. This is how long Captain Elliott has been plotting to arrive at this moment. Living, feeling and waiting each slow and laborious second, as they tick past one by one till the start of the new season, and it arrived.... finally.
A summer of optimism, merging a promising crop of young blood with exciting talent, alongside wise and seasoned heads with aging legs, blended together like a premium winter coffee brewed with notes of strength, craft and flair. As the opening week rolled in, months of visioning and planning were strained, as an absence list began to grow. The team would be tested from the outset as players meticulously planned for their roles and positions in the newly adopted formation would have to be moved around. Yet Captain Elliott kept his calm, planning for all eventualities. Everyone advised of their new role and warned of the road closure with precautions to leave early. Friday night, with the team fully briefed, the captain retires to sleep ready for the test ahead. The last few thousand seconds ticking by. Bing! 8.09am - as ever on the ball, Captain Elliott is tested further - the A2 is closed coast-bound - a message out to all the squad. The morning rolls on, and as planned everyone arrives at the announced time. Well, not everyone...But, as luck would have it, the squad are joined by guest appearances to help bolster the team.
Fifteen and a half million seconds gone, and as the whistle blows, we're finally off. Tick...tick..just sixty pass by and Bang! Stuart Marnham beats his men, edge of the D, pulls the ball to his left, and with a sweet strick on his reverse, nestles the ball into the left hand corner of the backboard. The playing 11 ecstatic, the substitute bench bewildered by what had happened and by whom. A minute into the season and 1-0 up, the team are buoyant. The opposition try to push back, but everything is snuffled out by the back 5. However as much as Gravesham and Wellcome press, they can't break through, until Martin Lett jnr takes things in to his own hands, and drives a rapid ball from the 23 towards the back post, where who else other than Captain Elliott, who has meticulously planned for years to arrive at this position, guides it into the goal on the far post. As the end of the half rapidly approachs, GW are awarded a penalty corner, followed immediately by the half time whistle. Up steps everyone for this final play of the first half. Played to Lett jnr, his ferocious strike beats everyone, always rising from the ground. The question is, how high? Lett jnr and GWHC think it crosses at a legal height, but the umpire disagrees. Unmoved in his belief, he offers to consult his partner, but the decision remains as is, the game will pause at 2-0.
Into the second half, GW continue to dominate, when up pops Joe McCann to score his first goal of the season to extend the lead to 3-0. Amid the cheers of celebration, a small tremor could be felt and a rumble in the air heard, as a sleeping giant is awoken. Finally Gore Court are coming for us. They attack smarter, and put pressure on that secure GW back unit. Perhaps they won't beat us through open play, but there's more than one way to skin a cat. Penalty corners are the call. And plenty of them did come for the hosts. They strike a goal back to bring the score to 3-1. However, they say you are at your weakest when you have just scored, and GW marched back up the field, a lovely bit of team play, with Captain Elliott striking to beat the keeper, but not the goal line, the ball bouncing from the post, for Andy Franklin to pounce and tap it safely into the goal. At 4-1 Gore Court became relentless in their pursuit, their most skillful player - "7" influencing and dominating the play. More penalty corners come their way. Finally one is scored - "7" beating the rush and flicking the ball at pace into the goal. Now GW are tested heavily, but hold on to secure victory, 4-2 the final result. As a unit victorious, and celebrated together at the oppositions clubhouse with a drink and a high quality Chili con carne with rice. Man of the Match awarded to James Mills, kindly stepping into the squad earlier in the week to play fullback, and a grand job he did too. DotD jointly awarded to Kyle Rowe for not having the foresight to advise his brother not to hold a wedding during hockey season, and Navtej Tung for having the termity of taking his daughter to dance class, and thus casually arriving to the game well beyond the alloted time.
A victory well deserved, and a great boost to the squad. Captain Elliott and the squad also pass a special thanks to Jordan Jenkins, Martin Lett jnr, James Mills and Matt Osbourne for supporting us in this battle for victory. Next week, GW welcome Marden Russets to Gravesend for an 11.45 push back, followed by a squad night out at Sultan Sofrasi.
A summer of optimism, merging a promising crop of young blood with exciting talent, alongside wise and seasoned heads with aging legs, blended together like a premium winter coffee brewed with notes of strength, craft and flair. As the opening week rolled in, months of visioning and planning were strained, as an absence list began to grow. The team would be tested from the outset as players meticulously planned for their roles and positions in the newly adopted formation would have to be moved around. Yet Captain Elliott kept his calm, planning for all eventualities. Everyone advised of their new role and warned of the road closure with precautions to leave early. Friday night, with the team fully briefed, the captain retires to sleep ready for the test ahead. The last few thousand seconds ticking by. Bing! 8.09am - as ever on the ball, Captain Elliott is tested further - the A2 is closed coast-bound - a message out to all the squad. The morning rolls on, and as planned everyone arrives at the announced time. Well, not everyone...But, as luck would have it, the squad are joined by guest appearances to help bolster the team.
Fifteen and a half million seconds gone, and as the whistle blows, we're finally off. Tick...tick..just sixty pass by and Bang! Stuart Marnham beats his men, edge of the D, pulls the ball to his left, and with a sweet strick on his reverse, nestles the ball into the left hand corner of the backboard. The playing 11 ecstatic, the substitute bench bewildered by what had happened and by whom. A minute into the season and 1-0 up, the team are buoyant. The opposition try to push back, but everything is snuffled out by the back 5. However as much as Gravesham and Wellcome press, they can't break through, until Martin Lett jnr takes things in to his own hands, and drives a rapid ball from the 23 towards the back post, where who else other than Captain Elliott, who has meticulously planned for years to arrive at this position, guides it into the goal on the far post. As the end of the half rapidly approachs, GW are awarded a penalty corner, followed immediately by the half time whistle. Up steps everyone for this final play of the first half. Played to Lett jnr, his ferocious strike beats everyone, always rising from the ground. The question is, how high? Lett jnr and GWHC think it crosses at a legal height, but the umpire disagrees. Unmoved in his belief, he offers to consult his partner, but the decision remains as is, the game will pause at 2-0.
Into the second half, GW continue to dominate, when up pops Joe McCann to score his first goal of the season to extend the lead to 3-0. Amid the cheers of celebration, a small tremor could be felt and a rumble in the air heard, as a sleeping giant is awoken. Finally Gore Court are coming for us. They attack smarter, and put pressure on that secure GW back unit. Perhaps they won't beat us through open play, but there's more than one way to skin a cat. Penalty corners are the call. And plenty of them did come for the hosts. They strike a goal back to bring the score to 3-1. However, they say you are at your weakest when you have just scored, and GW marched back up the field, a lovely bit of team play, with Captain Elliott striking to beat the keeper, but not the goal line, the ball bouncing from the post, for Andy Franklin to pounce and tap it safely into the goal. At 4-1 Gore Court became relentless in their pursuit, their most skillful player - "7" influencing and dominating the play. More penalty corners come their way. Finally one is scored - "7" beating the rush and flicking the ball at pace into the goal. Now GW are tested heavily, but hold on to secure victory, 4-2 the final result. As a unit victorious, and celebrated together at the oppositions clubhouse with a drink and a high quality Chili con carne with rice. Man of the Match awarded to James Mills, kindly stepping into the squad earlier in the week to play fullback, and a grand job he did too. DotD jointly awarded to Kyle Rowe for not having the foresight to advise his brother not to hold a wedding during hockey season, and Navtej Tung for having the termity of taking his daughter to dance class, and thus casually arriving to the game well beyond the alloted time.
A victory well deserved, and a great boost to the squad. Captain Elliott and the squad also pass a special thanks to Jordan Jenkins, Martin Lett jnr, James Mills and Matt Osbourne for supporting us in this battle for victory. Next week, GW welcome Marden Russets to Gravesend for an 11.45 push back, followed by a squad night out at Sultan Sofrasi.
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