Harleston Magpies Men's 1st XI vs Holcombe (Away) 2.00pm 25th March 2012

"The end of a tough season"


Harleston Magpies men's 1st XI went in to their final game knowing that they were already relegation from National League hockey. They went into the game missing several players due to work commitments but still with a team that could compete if they all played well. Holcombe had a full strength team out to exact revenge for the first game of the season where Harleston beat the big spending team 3-2

The game started in brilliant sunshine and at a furious pace with both teams playing free flowing attacking hockey. After an attack by Harleston was stopped Holcombe broke down the left committing numbers to the attack, with a attack being seemingly being dealt with the ball was crossed into the 'D' somehow avoiding all of the Harleston defenders who were marking players and arrived on an unmarked Vehrle-Smith at the back post to tap the ball home.

Magpies did not drop there heads at all and continued to good hockey for the rest of the half matching Holcombe for speed and skill. Harleston won a couple of penalty corners thanks to good work by Will Blythe and Mark Wheelhouse, Baynes worked the keeper with a drag flick only for it to be scrambled away by the Holcombe defenders with the first one and a miss trap by Wheelhouse on the second sore the end of the second.

Harleston went into half time with belief that they could still get something out of the game if they continued to play as they had done in the first half.

Unfortunately like with the start of too many second halves Harleston did not start as they finished the first half. A goal came after 2 minutes via James Stedman after a cheap turnover in the middle of the park by Harleston.

Miss communication between the defence lead to the 2nd goal for Stedman 5 minutes later after Harleston had played some very nice attacking hockey since conceding the 2nd goal. Harleston conceded a penalty corner soon afterward with Gill being green carded but some good fortune of the ball striking the cross bar and the next corner being saved by Leonard kept the score down.

With Harleston returning to 11 players the went on the attack and secured a penalty corner which Baynes flicked low for a deflection which forced a fine save the keeper to deny Fanger a goal. Good play by Hipwell and Furlong secured Harleston another corner with Baynes having his drag flick saved off the line with the keeper beaten.

Holcombe continued to look dangerous whilst attacking and some fantastic skill by Jawanda beating 3 players and calmly slotting past Leonard despite the hassling from Ling who was lucky Holcombe scored otherwise he might have been sent to the sin bin.

The score line does not reflect favourable on the performance put in by the Harleston players but they completed all game long and scared the host on occasions.

The team would like to thank all of the people who have come to support throughout the year and for all of those people who have done some much work to help in the background. Be assured that the team have already started master planning their rise back into National League for the 2013-14 season.

MOM Furlong