Drew 3-3
Scorers: Chris Upton, Ollie Neal (2)
MoM: Ollie Neal
With thanks to team sponsor MMil http://www.batchelorcoop.co.uk
A lethargic start for the Batchelor-Coop Millers this week, the match broadly comparable to the children’s story: ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’.
Conceding early to a Sevenoaks team who were faster out of the blocks, the home side were soon on the back foot. However, adversity conjures creativity in Sharrat’s Millers. Within minutes Reef Upton had thrown an aerial to his dad, unmarked in the opposition D. Chris, with both his arm and stick at a full vertical stretch, made a well-timed jump and with the deftest of touches, lifted the ball over the oncoming keeper with elan and style!
The match was slightly disjointed for the home side, as a number of ‘on-loan’ players returned from the Medway towns, midway through the first half, to bolster the starting eleven and steady the ship until the half time break (1-1). The second half, again, saw a better start for the visitors and this time they scored twice in an effort to silence a buoyant, if slightly raucous, home crowd at the Stad-de-Polo.
However, slow and steady often ‘draws’ the day and the green-and-white tortoise was starting to gain momentum. Ollie Neal, had the opportunity to pull one back from the penalty spot. However, with a reputation for building tension in a match (and a prescient approach to jug-avoidance) the keeper saved his effort. It was clear that only a further set-back could help propel the home-side to glory: this took the form of a temporary reduction in personnel (to nine players). The game was truly afoot!
Having lulled the opposition into a false sense of security, the home side now zealously over-committed forward. A series of penalty corners ensued and Ollie Neal found redemption with a powerful strike after the breakdown of one of these. With less than two to go, it was Ollie Neal, again, who managed to strike home, with a precise penalty corner, to level the match. Phew!
Many thanks to Becks and Charlie for carrying out umpiring duties, very much appreciated.