Ipswich 1 Cambridge University 0

Slazenger Men's EHL

South Division

Ipswich 1 Cambridge University 0

Ipswich started a weekend of mixed fortunes with a brilliant victory over University of Cambridge.

Producing a performance of maturity and intelligence that greatly impressed coach Iain Gall,

Ipswich's win came as a result of hard work, total commitment to the cause and sticking to the plan set out by the coach in the build up to the game.

The match started frenetically, with the students looking like a completely different outfit that Ipswich defeated in the league just two months ago, clearly boosted by a number of recent good results.

There was nothing between the two sides for the first 15 minutes, hwoever the game swung dramatically in the direction of Cambridge when Matt Stainthorpe was sin-binned for deliberately stopping the ball with the back of his stick.

Ipswich were pressed back by the students, but a stunning defensive effort by the entire team kept them at bay before Stainthorpe's return ten minutes later.

At half time Ipswich took on board all suggestions from coach Gall and applied them from the re-start by pressing Cambridge back into their own half.

Although Cambridge struggled to get the ball forward, they defended superbly until finally the pressure told in the 59th minute.

Ben Gallagher and Phil Messent combined well down the right to carve open the Cambridge defence, before Richard Stainthorpe nudged the ball on to Will Hearne at the top of the circle who guided his reverse stick shot into the bottom corner.

The deadlock broken, Cambridge could no longer play for a single point and had to press forward, which in turn created more space and opportunities for Ipswich.

Ivan Smith and Ben Gallagher both went close, while at the other end Ipswich goalkeeper Ned Martin never looked likely to concede.

With just 30 seconds to go, the classic combination of Ivan Smith, Richard Rutterford and Richard Stainthorpe combined to undo the Cambridge defence, but Stainthorpe's vicious shot was brilliantly saved by the University goalkeeper.