Lost 5-1
Scorers: Matthew Carney
With thanks to team sponsor M1 http://www.canterburyhockeyclub.co.uk/patrons
Canterbury Men’s 1st Team suffered a 5-1 defeat on the road against Old Cranleighans in Men’s Conference East on Saturday, although the final score line did not fully reflect what was a tightly contested encounter for much of the match.
The hosts made an early breakthrough from a short corner, taking a 1-0 lead and putting Canterbury on the back foot. Despite the setback, Canterbury responded well and were competitive throughout a hard-fought first half. Both sides moved the ball effectively and created opportunities in the circle, with chances coming at both ends in an evenly balanced contest.
Old Cranleighans took their slender 1-0 advantage into the break, leaving the game finely poised heading into the second half.
The match turned during the third quarter as the home side found their rhythm and capitalized on their chances. Three goals in a 15-minute spell gave Old Cranleighans control of the contest and left Canterbury with a significant deficit to overcome, and then furthering the deficit with a 5th goal at the end of the third quarter.
Canterbury continued to battle and were rewarded early in the fourth quarter when Matt Carney found the back of the net to get the boys in green and white on the scoresheet. However, any hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Old Cranleighans maintained their advantage saw out their lead to take the victory
While the result was disappointing, Canterbury can take positives from a competitive first-half display and will look to build on those periods of strong play as they prepare for their next fixture.