Lost 0-1
Scorers: no-one (regrettably)
MoM: Simon Hurlow (graduate of the prodigious Brian Hurlow hockey academy)
With thanks to team sponsor MMil http://www.batchelorcoop.co.uk
The Batchelor-Coop Millers travelled to the south coast, to face top of the league Folkestone, in the days most hotly anticipated fixture in Kent Division 3. The visitors opened with pace and energy and were looking the most likely to score early on: Morgan Abbot coming close, from a Nick Gray cross, and Ben Lawford almost firing home after Simon Hurlow set him up with a Sharratt trademark under the arm reverse pass from the baseline. It was becoming increasingly apparent in the opening 20minutes that the aerial rule has many different interpretations; none of which favoured the green and white army.
Despite the pressure, the opposition were by no means on the ropes and created several chances of their own, mainly from short corners. Oly Triggs was proving equal to the opposition drag flicker though, and it took a well-practised ‘alternate routine’ to eventually put the home side ahead. Not for the first time this season, Pete Ratcliff took his (self-appointed) role as the captains’ hatchet man a little too literally and was shown green for the “ungentlemanly wielding of a stick”, mere seconds before the end of the half.
A goal and a man down, but half-time confidence remained high; although discussion centred around keeping the ball ‘less high’ and reducing the aerial threat (and contrary decisions) in the 2nd half!
The second half saw a green card for Folkestone early on, when Simon Hurlow was ‘man-handled’ twice, while demonstrating the adhesive-quality of his stick skills. Pressure continued to mount for the visitors but, alas, the home side were sitting deep, and tackling hard, and opportunities, other than from short corners, were few and far between. The closest effort came when Reef Upton played a lovely, quick ball in to Ollie Neal, who deflected narrowly wide of the post.
One nil the score remained at the final whistle as captain Sharratt was already turning his thoughts towards a more positive outcome on the north coast (Herne Bay) next weekend.