Given that the M7s started the day knowing that they only had three specialist defenders, and then having to call up a new player two hours before pushback, I think any pessimism about the match could have been forgiven for once. However, the sun was shining, so it was hard to be too mad about it, even if we did have to go all the way to Langley Park.
Having won the toss, Captain Sean opted to take pushback, figuring that if we were going to play with an arguably stupid formation (3-4-3), we might as well have the ball to start with. Surprisingly, this worked out, with some beautiful running up the right-hand side from debutant Fin Woodcock (Junior BU14 Player) ending with the ball smacking off a Brom Beck foot right on the line with the keeper nowhere to be seen. Having pointed out to the umpire that this was a stonewall penalty stroke and not the penalty corner he was attempting to give, the stroke was duly dispatched into the backboard.
5 minutes in, 0-1 THD.
The next 15-20 minutes continued in a similar fashion, with THD piling on the pressure but not quite managing to put away any solid chances. At this point, Brom Beck did manage to build some pressure up and forced us to move into a back four, albeit without three-quarters of the defence realising this. No goals were conceded, and we went into halftime still 1 up.
The second half started much as the first half did, THD dominated, with some lovely play from Adam Mitchell and debutant Mickey Kelleher seeing multiple penalty corners being won. After several of these without a goal being scored, some wise words of advice were offered from the captain to his no.2 goal scorer - “Just go up there and score one, yeah?”, with Henry Gilmour then immediately scoring his 6th goal of the season with a straight strike PC.
0-2 THD.
This was then followed by an unfortunate episode in which the temporary centre-back was reminded by Oli Tipton not to dive in and leave his man unmarked. He immediately did so, giving Brom Beck their first and only real shot on goal, not the captain’s finest moment. 1-2 THD due to GK Anthony’s new glove clearly having a hole in it.
At this point, the runs from the midfield and forwards were beginning to open up more gaps, with Jonny and Andrew both having multiple shots on goal, albeit all of them straight at the keeper. With five minutes left they clearly eventually took on the goalscoring advice being shouted from both the THD goal, and the juniors’ parents watching on, and both finally scored. Adam then finally got his just reward with a goal slotted comfortably into the corner, giving the keeper no chance.
From 1-2 up to 1-5 in the space of 3 minutes. At this point, the only saving Brom Beck from conceding another 5 was the full-time whistle.
Full Time: 1-5 THD
MoM: Adam for running the show and creating innumerable chances for the forwards, special mention to Fin for doing similar.
DoD: Jonny for wasting those chances, and also finally getting a haircut
Goals: Sean, Henry, Jonny, Andrew, Adam