Won 1-0
Scorers: John Aikin
MoM: Phil Dowling
DoD: not awarded
With thanks to team sponsor MFri
The Friars lined up a couple of team mates light on the sand pitch to face Old Williamsonians but given the desire to play for this team that never causes a problem and 14 still turned up! The sun was shining, but light rain was forecast for later in the match, so those being subbed were keen to get on the first shift!
The Friars started sort of OK, but performance improved markedly once traffic bound Will Pattinson arrived, proving a much needed injection of youthful energy and pace into the Friars front line which was not difficult as the combined years of their starting forwards exceeded 200 years (honest this is not made up!). A number of scoring opportunities were created resulting in some near misses and forcing some great saves from the Old Willies keeper. However OWs were always the more dangerous but despite 8 short corners could not score with Trigger pulling of a diving stick save in top left corner which made everyone blink with astonishment
The score at half time was 0-0. In the team talk Mike Barton and Trigger called for even more hard work while the Friars hungrily munched their jaffas. There was room for some quiet optimism as a younger side had been held at bay thus far whilst the opposition D had been penetrated a number of times.
The Friars secret weapon was then introduced. Trigger who had basically kept the Friars in the game was substituted for his 13 year old son Oly who was on his senior hockey debut. Cllr Ricketts appropriately announced he would be Oly’s minder and “if there was any bother he would sort it” – so that was ‘elf and safety dealt with!. The second half started well for the Friars with the midfield and the forward line making sustained pressure on the OW defence. The goal came within the first five minutes with Phil Dowling setting up John Aikin who thundered it home. 1-0 to the Friars – the jaffas had done their job. The Friars kept up the pressure, hitting the post and forcing more saves from the keeper. The defence responded well, dealing deftly with OW counter attacks and for an intensive spell young Oly was in the thick of it and sounded more vocal than his Dad! (see pic below)
The final score was a much needed 1-0 victory. The return to winning ways felt so good that nobody noticed the rain falling which otherwise might have dampened spirits. The Friars had played much better hockey than in recent weeks – a great all round team effort, with a notably strong performance from the Friars midfield marshalled by Ewan Hutchinson and Phil Dowling.
And congratulations to young Oly Triggs for keeping a clean sheet on his Friars debut!
Thanks to Phil and Lee for expertly umpiring.
Squad: Brian Hurlow, John Aikin, Arun Banarse, Mike Barton, Phil Dowling, Jamie Harris, Geordie Hayward, Ewan Hutchinson, Will Pattinson, Alex Ricketts, Simon Triggs(GK), Oly Triggs (GK), Chris Ward, Tony Jones (C)
