Match Report for Team: Mixed Side

02/05/2010 vs Tulse Hill & Dulwich: 1 - 3 Loss
Blandford & Sturminster Mixed XI - 1 Tulse Hill & Dulwich Mixed XI - 3 BSNHC bowed out of the England Hockey National Mixed Plate on Sunday with their heads held high following a spirited performance. Having already reached the last 16 and playing a much larger club, who field sides as far up as South Premier League standard, BSNHC will ultimately feel they could and maybe should have got more reward from the game. A series of squandered chances late in the game and some well taken goals by the visitors left BSNHC to ponder what might have been. However BSNHC will be safe in the knowledge that they more than held their own during their first ever foray into such a high caliber competition. Playing on a near perfect Bryanston pitch BSNHC soon new they were in for a tough afternoon as the visitors had the better of the early possession. Having steadied the ship it was BSNHC who took the lead with a move of such beauty it is a shame club hockey does not have video replays. Ken Nelson launched a monstrous aerial from deep in the defence towards the half way line. Andy Young summoned every available piece of pace he had in his body to gain the vital touch and set of past the covering defender for goal. With the visitors trying to recover quicker than Gordon Brown on a day trip to Rochdale, Young drew the final defender before slipping left to a marauding Campbell Reeman who swept the ball home at the first attempt. Sheer beauty, sheer quality and sheer brilliance. One end of the pitch to the other faster than Usain Bolt on a good day, BRING IT ON!! Unfortunately and back in the real world there was still 55 minutes to play and the visitors weren’t done yet. They eqaulised with nearly their next attack, hit the bar shortly after that and even spurned a penalty stroke just prior to half time after young keeper Freddie Everett had brutally savaged an attacker as he entered the D! ‘It is a game of two halves’ as the old saying goes and this proved correct once again as the second half got underway. ‘At the end of the day’ and ‘with all credit to the players’ BSNHC ‘worked their socks off’. They were playing as though ‘each game was a cup final’ asking ‘lots of the right questions’ and ‘keeping the ball in the park’. Unfortunately they ‘didn’t get the rub of the green’ possibly ‘lost their way a bit’ and definitely ‘didn’t get any help from the officials’!! I’m only joking on that last bit David and Ginette, I personally think umpires are wonderful people, hehe. So all in all (no more clichés I promise) BSNHC put in a valiant performance which by conceding two well taken late goals will be their last for this season. Failing to score a few of their own when they really should have within the last 5 minutes didn’t help but the team should not feel too down about this. A lot of fun has been had along the way and the club should feel rightfully proud of what has been a really good cup run by this small, friendly and successful Dorset Club. Feel the love people, feel the love. Team (all of who played bloody fantastically) Freddie Everett (GK) Sam Hinsley, Jo Strange, Justine Turnbull, Ken Nelson, Rich Druce, Susan Bovenizer, Andy Young, Rachel Ring, Kerry Shimmin, Campbell Reeman, Justin Perry, Alana Brunning, Ed Neale, Hugh Freese, Robyn Green.