Stourport Hockey Club - match report
To conclude the first half of their season, the men's 1st Xi travelled to take on Nottingham University 1st Xi in their Midlands Men's Conference league match, which they drew 1-1, on Saturday (November 29).
With four of their key players missing, Stourport had the chance to give 13-year-old Harrison*, a product of the club's youth system, his debut. After beating them in the reverse fixture, Stourport knew that Nottingham would be out for revenge and had to weather a storm of pressure for long periods of the first half.
The visitors playing in a chaotic manner nullified the threat of the University students, knowing that the longer the match went on, the more frustrated the students would become. At the break, the scores were level at 0-0 with the first goal arriving in the third quarter when Stourport's captain, Andy Cavendish, converted a penalty corner. The visitors' lead was short-lived lived though, as Nottingham equalised two minutes later. The home side increased the pressure from then on as they pressured the visitor's goal and could've secured the three points if it hadn't been for key clearances by Cavendish and Will Oakley.
The ladies' 1st XI went into their weekend's fixture, in the Women's Midland Conference league, full of confidence and played some good hockey for large periods of the match, but they were unfortunate to lose 0-2 to their hosts, Leicester City 1st XI, when a chaotic fourth quarter saw Stourport unravel under pressure.
The opening quarter set out the challenging tone for Stourport as Leicester dominated possession from the push back. The host's pressure was relentless, and they repeatedly cut out Stourport's attempts to build up play, intercepting passes and forcing the visitors to defend deep for long stretches. Stourport were forced to react rather than dictate the play. The second quarter opened more as the home side began to show their fitness, especially in midfield, but forced to track back more, Stourport's defensive unit stayed disciplined and dealt with the pressure well. The match then began to open up into an end-to-end affair with the ball turning over repeatedly as it was worked back and forth from D to D. As the half closed, it was Stourport who were creating some promising chances, but they couldn't quite find the final touch into goal, leaving the scores at 0-0 going into the half-time break.
The final quarter of the match was the deciding factor, which put simply got away from Stourport. After the home side went ahead in the forty-sixth minute, the visitors found themselves chasing the match, as they started to rush passes, forcing plays and losing the composure that had kept them competitive earlier in the match. Leicester, by contrast, stayed calm, slowed the game down and picked their moments, adding a second goal three minutes before the end. Stourport will view this as an unfortunate result as they head into the Christmas break, and will look to build on their ninth place in the Women's Midland Conference after the break.
* Donates Junior players.
