COWHC Men's 3s vs Sunbury & Walton Hawks Men's 4s - 28th January 2017

With last week's match getting frozen off, we were all grateful that the temperature was somewhat milder for the trip to Sunbury. It wasn't exactly holiday weather, we certainly weren't burning up, but the fact the top-of-the-table match would go ahead as scheduled was certainly a relief. Less pleasing was the 4pm pushback miles away from home, it almost felt like we needed a bedtime story before starting!

Sunbury came flying out of the blocks and it took a while for us to get into the groove of our usual play. The movement of their midfield and forward line causing a commotion, yet we rode the initial wave and began to keep it together. The match ebbed and flowed like the seas around La Isla Bonita, with both teams just missing that final touch in and around the opposition D that would have created a dangerous moment.

We had a number of short corners, but couldn't quite convert. Then Sunbury won one themselves. Initially it looked like we'd disrupted it sufficiently, yet somehow they got one more chance to cross the ball in and there, having ghosted into the back post, was one of their forwards to take a bow and slot the ball home.

Our head's didn't drop though, and we kept playing some good hockey in search of an equaliser. This duly arrived from a short, with Ray firing home from the top of the D. A Ray of light for us, it could be said!

Level pegging at half time, but nothing really matters until that final whistle goes.

The second half was another very even affair. Several half-chances again being created by both teams, but nothing quite coming off. And then yet another short for us. Sunbury's 'keeper and defence had done well to keep most of the previous one's out, Ray's strike being the one exception until Hutch followed his lead and drilled the ball home.

2 - 1 but still a very tough remainder of the game to play out.

And then, maybe 4 minutes after taking the lead, disaster...

I'm a bit unsure as to exactly what happened, but it seems someone may have had what has been termed a bit of a Steven Gerrard moment. There was mis-control of a pass, leading to a Sunbury player getting the ball, then the covering tackle was too weak, there was no-one to rescue me, allowing the opposition forward to be one-on-one with Phil and tuck away a composed finish.

I'll remember that moment for a while to come, but hopefully I won't get too hung up on it.

Back and forth the game went for the remainder of the half. Sunbury did have the ball in the net late on, but it was disallowed.

2 - 2 the final score, and probably a fair account at the end of the day.

POM went to Woj for an outstanding, tireless display against a ridiculously mobile forward line
DOD went to... well, not me actually. Dav saved me that added indignity by a) being late to pick Steve up because he was "drying his trousers" and b) trusting that Corny actually knew where the ground was.

Big thanks to Nicky W for umpiring.