Sutton Valence 1
Matches
Sat 19 Oct 2019  ·  Kent Area - Division 2
Sutton Valence Hockey Club
Sutton Valence 1
3
3
Holcombe [5] 3
1st Xl rue missed chances

1st Xl rue missed chances

Paul Linaker21 Oct 2019 - 08:14
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Draw loses them League leadership

Fielding a bigger side than the crowds outside Westminster, and playing against a lower table team, Valence went into the game with confidence. Unfortunately, this confidence didn’t translate into their finest ‘brand’ of hockey. (This word was possibly overused at half time) Well the first 20 minutes were ok but after that Valence looked pretty average as Holcombe won three short corners. Their first was a non-event, the second, a good drag-flick needing a sublime deflection away from keeper Young, and the third clinically directed in by a Valence defender! Some stability was regained when Kevin Kirkham got the equaliser from open play. By half time the teams were drawing 1-1.
Despite an imposed 1 minute silence (which actually lasted approximately 23 seconds) to reflect on the brand of hockey they were actually producing they came out into the second half ready to produce the right brand of hockey. There was some good stuff in places, but not before Holcombe took the lead again from another drag flick short-corner, but again Kevin Kirkham came to the rescue with an equally well taken short. A skillfully crafted finish from Stampy to convert another short corner with a record-breaking length of time for the ball to reach the backboard from the moment of impact bamboozled both teams, but it was celebrated none the less! Holcombe got their revenge later in the game to do the same to Valence with a bobbling ball from open play, to make it 3-3 with five minutes left on the clock.
However, the hands of fate shone on Valence once again, or so they thought... as with two minutes left they were awarded a stroke after a shot was saved near the line by a defender’s foot. A wheezing old veteran, Wilcher, recently pulled out of retirement, was selected for the job. Probably not their finest decision as he promptly shonked the flick narrowly wide of the post, despite consuming some of the skipper’s performance enhancing juice only minutes before. Never mind. The team seemed to take it well and settled for a 3-3 draw.
Overall, a good effort from all, lots of missed chances. Standard. And a pretty enjoyable game. However, Johnson would probably disagree due to suffering internal injuries from an excitable teenager who viciously assaulted him from the rear consequently leading Johnson to not ‘celebrate’ his near two year wedding anniversary that night and instead romantically spend it at A&E.

Goals: Kirkham 2, Stamp
MOM: Tim Wilcher
DOD: Lewis ‘Brand’ Mitchell

Team: Stewart Young, Russell Blanchard, Ryan Robinson, Tim Wilcher, Angus McVarish, Chris Johnson, Rob Bray, Louis Robinson, Fred McVarish, Lewis Mitchell, Brett Angel, Alex Stamp, Kevin Kirkham, Andy Turnill.
Umpire: Andrew Wishart

Next Fixture: Saturday 26th October vs Bromley & Beckenham away.

Match Report by Tim Wilcher.

Match details

Match date

Sat 19 Oct 2019

Kickoff

11:15

Meet time

10:30

Instructions

Main school pitch. Village Hall parking

Competition

Kent Area - Division 2

League position

2
Sutton Valence 1
8
Holcombe [5] 3
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Senior Teams Sponsor - Ainsworth Civils Engineering Limited