Men’s 2s 2 - 2 Hampstead & Westminster 2s (H)

M2s score four against ‘Ogunlana’ and still draw 2-2 with Hampstead & Westminster 2s...

The Sugden Road faithful were treated to a second consecutive 5pm home game for the M2s on Saturday evening. This  week’s visitors were Hampstead and Westminster 2s who, somehow, were bottom of the table on Saturday morning with only one win from their opening six games. We were all aware though that they would offer a much sterner test than their league position would suggest. The game also pitted Ore against his little brother Lekan who is also a keeper and plays in goal for H&W 2s.

Much like another sporting competition which kicked off this weekend, the players and the fans had to contend with the elements. Deaks was on the side line again, with Jamma helping to put the noisy neighbours of West London hockey in their place, and his team talk was centred around getting a grip on certain bits we could improve on from last week. It clearly worked as for the first time in many weeks, we started well and by the end of the first quarter were one nil up courtesy of a mishit shot from Billy Winter. The message was to keep going, keep being aggressive and stay sharp in the circle. 

Unfortunately by half time it was all square as Dylan had deflected a corner into our own net. As Hampstead started to tire, we started to show our class, putting phases of play together in their half and Mattie, Dan, Rory C and Nihal were terrorising their slowing defenders. This led to several opportunities and all we needed was one Surbiton player to show the others how to beat an Ogunlana.

Hampstead’s response was to resort to clearing their lines and hit the ball into the circle without any clear target, unfortunately I chose this moment to mis trap one along the baseline straight past Ore and somehow despite dominating the game and Hampstead not having had a shot of their own on target we were 2-1 down with ten minutes to go. We kept the pressure on and Bartram missed two opportunities that he would have easily finished had he had his usual eight pints the night before, so it was left to Dan Hunt to bring us level. Two U18 corner routines in the last five minutes drew good saves from Hampstead. Given the way we dominated much of the game, we were ultimately a bit disappointed to only come away with a point, but it was a good advert for hockey in the East Conference.

After the game the lads were all glad to have access to the main changing room once again, grateful for the teas but confused as to where the shower gel had gone. For some reason being the only one brave enough to ask the umpire if he had accidentally picked up our shower gel secured me DOD.

Lessons we have learnt this week:

• Bean’s new grip was obviously not very grippy
• Scotty is better without Rhys making him angry in midfield
• Billy can mishit a cracking goal with his new stick
• Rory enjoys cooking
• Goughy enjoys Rory’s cooking
• Hampstead can’t score goals themselves
• The club’s colts programme is very very good (Mattie, Dan, Dylan and Caspar are the current proof of that… Haspel and Hobkirk have a year or two to fulfil their undoubted potential. (Even the Hampstead coach commented these aren’t just youngsters, they’re ‘Surbiton youngsters’).
• And finally there is a shower gel thief on the loose in Sugden Road.