Mens 1st vs Norwich City 3

Saturday 23rd September. The first home game of the season for the Men’s 1st team, very exciting. The Men’s 4th team were on before so gave the 1’s the chance to watch some thrilling hockey prior to their clash with Norwich City 3’s. The 4’s showed ages was just a number as they came out victorious 6-1 with some lovely finishes including a sublime goal from the legend Geoff Gardiner, I wonder if the 1’s could equal what they had just witnessed.

Coin toss went to the away side, first battle lost for Hodgson which he was desperate to rectify later on. Sudbury started strong pressing City all the way up the pitch eager to get ahead early on in the fixture and open the game up. Sudbury we’re on their toes ready to take any chance that came, Especially Andy who was looking to put last weeks open goal miss behind him, the ball fell to him and he calmly slotted the first one away. 1-0. The 2nd also came from Andy after Freddie dribbled between two or three city players, it was just a blur so I’m not really sure how he found him but Andy slotted home the 2nd. 2-0. The City keeper made some great saves stopping all kinds of bullets from Johnny, Chrystal and Freddie keeping his side in it until Clarky played a defence splitting ball into the path of Chrystal who turned the last defender and placed the ball near post to make it 3-0. There was one more goal to be had for Sudbury before halftime and nobody saw as Zach made a darting run up the left as the city defenders were occupied by the ball on the right, Chrystal claims to of seen Zach on the far post but we all know he scuffed it for Zach to slap into the backboard to make it 4-0.

Second half resumes Sudbury playing 4 at the back to try and see the game out and put themselves under less pressure, which didn’t really work because if it wasn’t for excellent defending from the back line and some strong diving saves from Dan in goal Sudbury didn’t look like the same team they did 1st half. With the game drawing to a close and the city keeper making more excellent saves to deny the front line it looked certain to be 4-0. Up steps the captain, two short corners two goals, neither of which were taken by him but he was on his toes and in their first. The first one took 2/3 attempts to put over the line after the keeper stopped the initial shot but they couldn’t keep Dean out, city proclaimed back stick but no chance. The second fell to him after the keeper stopped Chrystal’s strike from the top, rebound came out and he summoned his best impersonation of a Clarky slap hit, near post the aim, thanks to one of the runners it found its way there clattering the backboard. 

The 1’s travel away to IES this coming weekend in what they anticipate to be an earlier indicator to who could finish top dog this season.