East League Hockey

Premier B Division

FOR the second week running it was a game of two halves as Colchester let a three goal half time advantage slip. The visitors had come to play hockey and started the game brightly playing the ball around. However Colchester pressed early on and forced the away side into making mistakes.

Tim Wright got in quickly to dispossess a Cambridge midfielder, Wright laid the ball forward and it was then squared to Joe Rich who made no mistake from close range. Colchester then doubled their advantage after once again pressing the Cambridge defence. Jack Devitt picked up a loose pass and drove at the ‘D’, where a Cambridge defender came out to tackle him.

Devitt showed great composure in taking the ball to the left and letting fly with a reverse stick effort which fired into the backboard. Colchester’s third goal came in similar fashion to their first.

Tim Wright broke up play in midfield and passed the ball forward to Vince Moore; Moore took the ball into the ‘D’ and shifted the ball past the Cambridge keeper before firing a reverse stick effort into the goal.

The visiting side had the ball in the net before half-time, however after the umpires discussed the goal was disallowed as the ball into the ‘D’ was deemed illegal as from the free hit just outside the ‘D’, it had not travelled five metres before being played into the ‘D’.

Colchester were dealt a blow shortly before half-time when Captain, Mark Kennedy, took a raised ball on the thumb, shattering the tip and forcing him in to a trip to casualty.

The away side came out from half-time with a renewed vigour and put pressure on the Colchester defence. Colchester’s defence had remained solid until midway through the half when a drag-flick from a Penalty Corner went high past Jack Gardner and Matt Brown and into the net. This lead to a good spell of pressure and the visitors had soon doubled their tally. A shot from the edge of the ‘D’ was saved by Colchester keeper Jack Gardner, but he could only block the ball out to another forward, who slapped the ball into the goal.

The University’s comeback was complete when the Colchester defence allowed a Cambridge player to drive down the Colchester right and along the baseline and cut the ball back for another forward to deflect the ball in. Cambridge continued to look dangerous, but some resolute defending and some good saves from Jack Gardner, kept the visitors out.

On the stroke of full time, Colchester almost nicked the three points, but Matt Brown’s low drag flick, was cleared off the line.

Colchester were once again pleased by their first-half performance, but were disappointed to let a three goal lead slip. They will be hoping that they can put in a performance for the whole match when they travel to table topping Peterborough next week. Ellisons Solicitors Man of The Match was Michael Pearce for his strong and committed defending.

Colchester Round-Up

The second elevens recent run of good results came to an end as they went down 6-2 to Southend in division 3SE. The third eleven were narrow losers as they were edged out 2-1 by Old Southendian third eleven in division 5SE. The fourth eleven though ran out 3-2 victors against Phoenix third eleven in division 8SE.