Won 3-1
Scorers: B.Thomas (2), O.Boswell
MoM: Kyle Gurubatham-Kanny
DoD: Not needed
HM Government published “Build Back Better: our plan for growth” in March 2021, a publication which painted a bright vision of future prosperity and recovery upon the blank canvas of despair. In a similar vein, and with under a week to prepare from the previous weeks battering, mercurial Millers supremo Paul Sharratt had to envision, and strategize, an equally optimistic plan for the Millers recovery and future success.
With the minimum eleven players travelling to Holcombe, it was fair to say that government investment in the road network around junction 3 of the M2 was creating a somewhat ‘less than bright’ immediate future for the travelling team. However, the match did start with eleven players on the pitch and, in stark contrast to the previous two weeks, all eleven players managed to stay on the pitch for the full duration of the game: objective one of Sharratt’s master-plan achieved.
Possession and movement was exceptionally good from the visitors, with young Kyle Gurubatham impressing with some silky skills and deft touches. Weathering the occasional fast-break from the home side, it was Canterbury that deservedly took the lead, midway through the half, thanks to a fine Barry Thomas conversion (under the bar rather than over). Having only two short corners to defend in the first half, a notable achievement in itself, the visitors went into the half-time break comfortably on top of things: objective two of the master-plan achieved.
The second half saw Canterbury maintain their composure and winning short corners, rather than conceding them; proving that the Millers truly did have a master tactician on the sidelines. Olly Boswell was able to turn one of these opportunities into a well-taken second goal for the visitors. Thus the visitors entered uncharted territory and, having the benefit of a two goal cushion, rose to their flamboyant best. Feeling as though they were playing downhill with a tail-wind, it was only a matter of time before the third goal came and, again, it was Thomas with a well-taken shot from open play who increased the lead to three.
Playing the kind of expansive and high-octane game, more readily associated with the great Brazil teams of the past, periodically left the Miller’s with the odd bit of ‘sprint-back’ defending to do. However, they were equal to it and with Elliot in goal, marshalling a well-chastened defensive line, it was generally plain-sailing. The only slight blot on the copybook was a (literal) last minute goal for the home side. Happily though, there was just enough time to restart the match only for the final whistle to blow mere seconds later and, therefore, little danger of capitulation. Objective three achieved.
A much needed win for the Millers and one that was well taken with some enjoyable hockey. It is inevitable that with such a reversal in fortunes, and in such a short space of time, that there have been calls from some corners of Polo farm for Sharratt to go one step further and run for Premier should the (Kronenburg) 1664 committee call into question the fate of the current incumbent. However, the Millers will be hoping that he sticks around for the last game, before the Christmas break, to continue a longer-term transformation of the team and ensure that this was not an outlier result.