BELHAVEN HILL U11 v Craigclowan 28/1/09

Another crisp Wednesday, another hockey game and another challenge. Belhaven U11B took their decent form in to a game down at The School Astro with a view to get some serious points on the board.
Captain fantastic (Wills) drafted in Courageous Christian to keep the Belhaven nets. A popular choice it turns out! The game started off with some early Craigclowan pressure in the Belhaven half, but it was nothing that was going to worry the backline. However, it wasn’t long before Craigclown drew first blood as a bobbled cross hit Theo’s feet. While he was surveying the scene a Craigclowan player smashed in the rebound through the crowd. 1-0 down, classic! Moving on, Belhaven decided it might be time to sort their game out. Harry and Jamie started to hook up well together, as well as some mazy runs down the wings from Rupert and Wills. Play was mostly locked in the midfield, as Theo and Harry stepped up distributing the ball left, right and sometimes centre. Jamie had arguably Belhaven’s best chance after picking his way into the oppositions D, sending a reverse stick boomer crashing wide. The first half was pretty frustrating for Reading as they forgot about close range hockey and tried to unlock the Craigclowan defence with long, searching balls from the back. Alistair Prenter, playing for Craigclowan in the first half, tried to unlock the Belhaven defence aerially with a long range undercut or two, but it wasn’t going to fly with the umpire (excuse the pun). Then, out of no where, a flash of lightening from a neighbouring phone box, out jumped our old friend Wills Younger! Or was it Superman? taking the ball from a Craigclowan player, eluding 2 others, and crashed his resulting strike from just inside the circle into the perimeter fence behind the Craigclowan goal. Half time, 0-1. The fresh, juicy taste of those orange quarters could not have come at a more opportune moment.
The second half looked to breathe a new air on to the Belhaven team with some tips from Mr. Wilson at half time. Belhaven stepped up and pitched up camp in the opposition half with a few chances being created early on. On the rare occasions Craigclowan did break out, Alistair Prenter (now playing for Belhaven) was at right back to quell any pressure. Anyway, Jamie and Harry in the centre, in no way being big headed, were pretty much heroic. Belhaven pinned back Craigclowan in their half and looked to find a way around, with Sam getting in behind a couple of times but Belhaven lacking the killer breakthrough. Belhaven won a number of free hits, and up stepped drag flick extraordinaire Harry Clough to test the keeper. Low and behold with a crafty sidestep of the runner, Sam Pooley he flicked past the keeper in the right side of the goal. 1-1.The game was about to end as Belhaven thought they had won, a hit on the edge of the Craigclowan Post. All in all, the 1-1 draw was a fair result.

Harry got MoM for being generally brilliant….
Christian was the find of the match…today only kickers…tomorrow a goal keeper is born…