HARPENDEN III: 3
POTTERS BAR: 1
11.03.06

Harpy Potter And the Half Blood Display

Harpenden 3s entertained Potters Bar last Saturday and finally got back to winning ways after two straight defeats and a missed game had put a serious dent in both their confidence and promotion aspirations. The latter remain just about in tact, as skipper Ali Keith pointed in his team talk the equation is simple, if the 3s win all their remaining matches then they will go up. However, the former may well have been fatally eroded as The Blues were almost embarrassed by a side containing at least 3 hockey debutants, including the goalkeeper and a number of players on game number two of their hockey careers.

The visitors started as brightly as Harpenden were sluggish, realising they had little to lose in the face of such long odds. The home side's slightly arrogant demeanour cost them dear after just five minutes. Potters Bar broke down the left, assisted by a series of mistakes in the Harpenden rearguard; the eventual shot lacked real venom but still did enough to end up in the bottom corner. At 1-0 down the Blues needed to raise their game and shake themselves out of their torpor.

A full revitalisation never really came, although the Blues did improve to the extent of beginning to dominate the game. There were some plus points, not least the form of the Evans family. Dad Pete had another fine game in midfield and his son James was a constant threat up front. Ali Holland was also able to show some of the skills that make him such a rare phenomenon in Division 6 SW, he linked well and often down the right with James Bird who put in a whole hearted display at full back. However, what Harpenden really needed was a goal. One duly came from a short corner as Tom Preest found the bottom corner with a straight strike.

The game lacked any real flow and chances for both sides were few and far between. The Blues were thus fortunate to be gifted the lead before half time, when the visitors keeper was unable to deal with an innocuous ball played into the D succeeding only in presenting Preest with a open goal, which not even the veteran striker could miss.

In the second half Harpenden did establish a measure of solidity, the returning Geoff Gould and James Rodwell both performing well in defence. The 3 points were never really in doubt but goals still refused to come. Potters Bar must take much of the credit for this, as they never gave up and defended with tenacity through out. Harpenden's hockey eventually improved. One beautiful passing move set Ryan Ely free in the D, although the young striker was uncharacteristically let down by his finish. More understandably, fullback Bird failed to find the requisite skill when a Preest though ball had found him in space after he'd made a beautiful forward run into the D. The loud protestations that he had been fouled permeated fruitlessly around the Brache arena. When the snow started falling it was as if a literal and metaphorical veil had been drawn across the proceedings.

There was still time for a further goal, Andy Lunn completing a composed finish following a well-worked short corner. But both sides were relieved to hear the final whistle. Skipper Keith did not require his philosophers stone after the game and made no musical or literary allusions in analyzing the task that faces his side, saying

"We have to take 9 points from our remaining games, we're playing Berkhampstead, Bishops Stortford and Welwyn Garden City, and we'll need to play better then we did today".

Match Report by Tom Preest

Andy Lunn: Neat finish