Hodges scores 2 Goals in 2 minutes to break Deal’s hopes

There’s nothing like easing your way into the first game of the season by having a 10:00am push back at Deal with only 11 not so fit players…. Well the youngsters were fit!!

With traffic delaying a number of players arriving just before push back, the first 10 minutes was always going to be a slow start, especially as most players hadn’t played since the end of last season. And a slow start it was, with Sutton Valence under pressure early on. The pressure eventually took its toll with Deal opening the scoring from open play, but Valence struck back immediately courtesy of Lewis who scored the hockey equivalent of a back heel at the front post! 10 minutes later Deal scored again, but almost immediately Sutton Valance equalised again, this time through Tom Bartlett tipping the ball inside the right post from a Chris Sheldon short corner. Just before half time Tom Bartlett score once again to take a 3-2 lead into half time.

The game was literally on a knife edge with valance feeling lucky to go into the break one up especially as Deal had a goal disallowed through the referee blowing a little prematurely awarding a short corner (which was then successfully defended!).

The first 20 minutes of the second half saw Sutton Valence pinned in their half, defending waves of attacking play from Deal, who looked dangerous in the build up, but lacked the cutting edge when they entered the valence D. Valence continued to absorb the pressure and then Alex Hodges broke down the right wing taking it past 3 or 4 players before entering Deal’s D, where he calmly put the ball in the back of the net. 2 Minutes later Alex struck again, which then took the game away from Deal with 15 minutes left in the game.
The rain then turned up….. and boy it rained…… with just 4 minutes of torrential rain the pitch became water logged to the point the umpires took players off the pitch. Not knowing if the game was going to be abandoned Valence hoped for the rain to stop. After 5 minutes it passed and within 10 minutes the water drained away, a real testament to Deal’s newly laid pitch. The last 10 minutes was largely uneventful and Sutton Valence kept possession to ensure they took all 3 points to start the new season with a win. 5-2 seemed too big a margin to finish the game on and didn’t really reflect how tight the play was for at least three quarters of the game.

Man of the match goes to Alex Hodges for his continued work rate through the game and the 2 excellent goals he scored to take the game away from Deal. Special mention also goes to Tom Bartlett who was just behind Alex in the man of the match stakes, Tom had an impressive first game back and will be one to watch this year.