Lost 0-2
MoM: Arthur Aikin
With thanks to team sponsor MMil http://www.batchelorcoop.co.uk
Game day five saw the Millers entertaining Gravesham & Wellcome on the show pitch at Polo, with the home side anticipating a tough day at the office. The Millers often draw parallels with higher teams within the club, and it was in this vein that they made their own international Aussie signing late this week: Shane ‘Shane-o’ Godwin signing on for a zero-hours, rolling match-day contract.
The home side had to weather a storm in the opening ten, defending a series of penalty corners, with Ben Beatty outstanding in goal. However, it was inevitable, given the sheer volume of attempts, that eventually one save would drop fortuitously to the opposition to whip over to the back post for a tap-in. This proved the catalyst for change and the Millers stepped-up and started to play some decent hockey: Arthur Aikin and Shane both instrumental in this. The home side forced a series of short corners and they were almost rewarded with a goal; Diego flicking low and left and the keeper making a fine save to deny him.
The second half saw the Millers continuing to compete well. After another Aikin run along the base-line, turning defenders inside out, a quick pull back to Paul at the edge of the D saw a ‘Sharratt-special’ unleashed but the Gravesham keeper somehow pulled off another ‘worldie’ to keep it out! The visitors scored a second late on in the half, again from a short corner, but the Millers persevered to the end and Arthur was very unlucky not to pull at least one back, following some more silky skills to get himself in on goal.
Not a bad result considering the age and training profiles of the two teams, but the Millers will still be ruing their missed opportunities at crucial points in the game. It’s still early in the season for the Batchelor-Coop Millers and the only imminent crisis talks revolve around the Friars and their repeated and excessive consumption of Gadd’s! Our thanks to Stu and Brad for umpiring.