England Hockey League

Men’s Conference East

HARLESTON Magpies welcomed St Albans to Shotford Heath after a good away point last week at Wimbledon. St Albans came into the game following a defeat by Indian Gymkhana last week and sitting at the bottom of the league.

The game started brightly with both sides having their own periods of possession as the game quickly fell into a pattern of the home side attacking with St Alban sitting in their own half looking to catch Harleston on the break with quick counter attacking hockey.

Early in the half St Albans counter attack managed to find a route through the Harleston defence only for the Albans attacker to find his stick blocked by the Harleston goal keeper.

St Albans awarded a penalty flick which Richard Harms saved down to his left. This sounded as a wake up call to the home side, as the half went on they took more and more control of the game.

It soon lead to chances which came and went as St Alban defended manfully as their defenders helped out the goalkeeper on a number of occasions. Harleston working the St Albans defence knowing the first goal was all important but with neither side able to make a break through the score remained 0 -0 at half time.

The second half started with the home side on the back foot as they quickly found themselves 0 –1 down as poor defensive work allowed Albans to sweep the ball into the Magpies Dee and then again diverted low into the corner of the Harleston goal by the attacker.

This set the game up into a similar pattern as the first half as Harleston tried to break down the defence of St Albans once again.

Harleston again created more chances but once again were unable to take them. As the game went on they continued throwing men forward but with St Albans dangerous on the counter mainly via their areal balls out of defence they left gaps at the back.

However their second goal came from more sloppy defending by the home side as the St Albans attacker was presented with the ball at the top of the D. It was then well worked around the Harleston covering defenders and goal keeper as they extended the lead to 0-2. Again Harleston continued to attack but once again they left the back door open as again more poor defending lead to St Albans scoring a third making it 0-3 to the away side.