Drew 2 – 2
Scorers: James Long / Adam Watkins
With thanks to team sponsor MSqu
Thankfully the rain stopped and for the most part this tough encounter was played in the dry! Sevenoaks were top of the league and buoyed by a 10 – nil thrashing of Holcombe in previous weeks. They came out at the start and scored two goals very quickly – with 15 minutes gone the Squires had to resort to the sort of hockey that has kept them well for the last two or three seasons; playing much of the game with hockey brains rather than legs! As we slowly exerted control in defence it became clear our opportunities would come from breakaways; Teddy played his part with his relentless running with enthusiasm and purpose, holding the ball up well for his older team-mates to catch up! A classic Squires move build up from the back with Nick finding Jimmy and David (I) on the wings saw us on the way to peg back one. A short corner could have broken down to nothing but the continued effort of Jo in central midfield ensured the ball was kept alive and James (L) able to calmly slot it into the open goal. Shortly after David (I) fired a pass into the D which the skipper swivelled on and catching everyone asleep fired it into the bottom right hand corner with the keeper barely moving.
The second half was a tight affair with Sevenoaks determined and expectant of scoring more but David (K) in goal, Graeme, David (L) and another David (S) managing all the runners and passes well. David (L), a new addition to the squad this year, had a storming game at the back keeping pace with and track of all those that entered the D. A nil all second half might sound slow and dull but the tension was palpable. Tony and James (B) played a massive part by ensuring breaks could be taken to keep us fresh, coming on to the pitch and slotting into the controlled and strong performance. A true reflection of team unity, spirit and determination ensured a point earned on the road which made our sandwich and pint at the cricket club taste far nicer than it must have been for the opposition, who clearly expected to win.