Lost 0-2
MoM: Reef Upton
With thanks to team sponsor MMil http://www.batchelorcoop.co.uk
The Batchelor-Coop Millers entertained a recently resurgent Gore Court side this week, in the balmy sunshine of AW2.
Expecting a ‘physical’ encounter, the Millers weren’t disappointed. Having weathered the ‘standard-issue’ opening 5minutes of opposition pressure, the home side started playing some hockey and created a number of chances; all of which were either well-saved by the GC keeper or unable to make it through a deep-sitting ‘Mourinho-style’ defence (buses parked etc.). The visitors were playing to their strength; a nippy forward up front and a long ball over the top.
Some good saves by Trigger (the younger) kept them at bay for a long period; regrettably though, towards the end of the half, the rebound from one exceptional initial save fell kindly to GC and they popped it away to take the lead into half-time.
The opposition midfield and defence were, again, tightly packed in the second half and despite making some good progress into the opposition twenty-five, the home side were failing to convert chances once they entered the D and, also, from a series of short corners. A second, well-taken (grudgingly said), break-away goal with ten minutes to go, put the Millers two behind and although they battled to the very end, it wasn’t to be their day.
The post-match finger-pointing began immediately, with a certain team-member having used the ‘P’ word (promotion) last weekend, and thus deemed to have brought this result down upon the squad. However, Ollie Neal, summoning his ‘inner Russell Grant’, was in reflective mood while watching the 1’s later on (or rather the heavens: photo supplied courtesy of O.Neal); pointing out a low crescent moon, with Venus in the ascendancy, Ollie predicted better results to come in the final few weeks of the Millers’ season.
Man of the match goes to Reef for another battling display in the centre of midfield. Our thanks go to Stu and Lee for umpiring and, also, to the Friars, for leaving some Gadd’s.
Squad: Oly Triggs (GK), Nirpal Saraon, Neil Barnes, Dave Upton, Chris Upton, Paul Sharratt (C), Morgan Abbott, Reef Upton, Simon Hurlow, Ben Hancock, Arthur Aikin, Ben Lawford, Thomas Newell, Ollie Neal.
