3-2: M7s vs M8s (Friendly)

The 7s and 8s met yesterday for a friendly, just two weeks before I’m sure an equally friendly game that will kick-off both their respective WD4 seasons when they will meet once again.

The 7s, now captained by the indefatigable George Pickett, came up against a new, young 8s team captained by Michael Craig, 7s captain of last year. For 5 members of this team, it was their first introduction to adult hockey and all held their own in remarkable fashion.

At the end of the first two quarters, it was still 0-0. Chances were had at both ends but that first goal refused to arrive for either team, in large part due to good goalkeeping on both sides. Finally, in the 3rd quarter, the deadlock was broken as a rare foray forward by Michael Craig- who generally refuses to ever leave his own half - latched onto a lovely pass and, thanks to the 7s defence and GK colliding into one another, was able to slip the ball past and watch it trundle slowly into the goal.

But the lead for the 8s wasn’t to last long as a burst forward by Jonathan Miller from just shy of the halfway line and right into the opposition D saw him tuck away an equaliser right in the very corner of the goal, his trademark - if unorthodox - one hand on stick approach prevailing. The game had suddenly sprung to life in the 3rd quarter and there were no signs of it ending there. Chris Hamilton, returning to the hockey field after roughly two decades, put the 8s back in front by being on the end of a fast flowing counter attack from defence to attack.

Once again, the shrewd heads of the 7s refused to be knocked down and a lovely strike by Matthew Spurway very quickly followed right at the top of the D and powered its way through the legs of Edward Black in goal. The 3rd quarter had ended and the match was in the balance, 2-2, going into the last. But, it was the 7s who would ultimately prevail, a lovely penalty corner strike by Gordon MacIntrye-Kemp secured them the victory in the final quarter.

The man of the match for the game was Dave Collet, the former outfield player turned goalkeeper extraordinaire, who was responsible for several key saves and denied some of the younger 8s players their first taste of goal scoring glory.

Huge thanks to Alan Meikle and Sam Brett - assisted by Ross Wilson - for some excellent umpiring.