Super Seconds Thrill Supporters with Excellent Performance Against Ardvreck

Yesterday saw Belhaven Hill’s Super Seconds open their account in the first match of the season versus Ardvreck at Glenalmond. A strong team comprising stalwarts from last year’s XI and promising newcomers made the long and winding journey from East Lothian to Perthshire.

 

The new-look team was built upon the solid rock of Duncan Mackenzie in goal. His adamantine presence was immensely reassuring to the team ahead of him and he was soon called upon to make a series of sharp saves in the opening minutes as Ardvreck attacked the Belhaven Hill goal.

 

Ardrveck did not so much find a key to unlock the defence but knocked the very door from its hinges. Donald MacDonald, Alistair Prenter and Vice-Captain Theo Weir scrambled magnificently to sweep the ball away to the wings but could not find the pass required to clear sufficiently upfield. Despite their best efforts the ball was soon played to the top of the D by an errant pass and hammered past the diving Mackenzie to thwack the boards behind the outstretched keeper.

 

This goal was soon followed by a second as Ardvreck’s elusive blond striker found the ball at the top of the D and drove the ball through a knot of players into the Blue Hoops’ right corner.

 

With half-time fast approaching the midfield players began to assert themselves and Belhaven Hill came back into the match. Centre Halves Angus Robison, Alistair Gimlette and Rex Benson tracked back to help out the defence and ably supported strikers Hamish Venters and Captain Freddie Woodd in attack. They also passed well to provide Jack Glynn-Davies and Tom Brooke with quality ball on the Wings.

 

The pressure exerted by the midfield opened up space behind the Ardvreck defence and allowed Woodd and Venters to attack into the Ardvreck D for the first time. However, the expected goal did not materialise and Belhaven Hill trailed 2 – 0 at half-time.

 

HT Score Belhaven Hill 2^nd XI 0 – 2 Ardvreck 2^nd XI

 

The Belhaven Hill Coach delivered an inspirational team-talk at half-time and applied his tactical genius to replace the light-footed Gimlette with the more direct driving force of de Klee. The Perthshire Prodigy immediately delivered with a surging run into the D. Rather than shoot he laid the ball off beautifully to Captain Wood in the corner who swept the ball back to the gliding Glynn-Davies who had cunningly cut in from the left wing. Glynn-Davies controlled the ball beautifully and fired a perfect shot low and left past the floundering green goalie.

 

The enthusiastic touchline support offered their rapturous applause and rubbed their eyes in delighted surprise.

“Perhaps the Belhaven Hill Senior Boys  2^nd XI Hockey Team could be renamed the Dunbar Globetrotters?” Gimlette suggested.

 

The Coach mulled the idea over for a couple of minutes before another fierce Blue Hoops attack snapped him back to reality. This time some cracking midfield ferreting by de Klee freed the ball near the half-way line. De Klee found Captain Woodd on his own lurking in front of the Adrveck defence. Woodd’s strong drive to the by-line left the nearest defender hooking away at thin air and he was able to deliver the perfect cross to the far post. The predatory Venters was lurking there to pounce upon his prey and prod the proffered ball past the prostrate keeper.

 

“Sounds like a great idea, Gimmie!” The Coach replied. His enthusiasm for the idea was growing with every minute of the enthralling contest but a few misgivings were also beginning to form.

 

Sensitively and carefully he broached the subject:  

 

Gimlette replied earnestly.

 

With the scores tied at 2-2 with only five minutes to play the Belhaven Hill team pushed hard in attack. Unfortunately, this left the team somewhat exposed down their right flank in defence. As the second half wore on, Alistair Prenter was repeatedly pulled out of position to cover a big hole ahead of him left by the tiring midfield. He played superbly to snuff out attack after attack but was left isolated on occasion by his team-mates and was overrun by multiple attackers.

 

One such attack resulted in a dangerous ball swept into the D from the by-line. The Ardvreck striker picked it up on the edge of the D and hammered a rising shot above the boards to the right of the heroic Mackenzie.

 

Two minutes later a final goal finished the match as a contest but, to their immense credit, Belhaven Hill’s Super Seconds had the pluck and spirit to round off the game with a swooping end-to-end move that was unlucky not to result in a goal for the Blue Horde.

 

The score remained 4 – 2 in favour of Ardvreck but the game represented an immensely promising start for a strong group of players.

 

Well done to all involved!

 

Man of the Match – Duncan Mackenzie – outstanding throughout.

 

Coach’s notes for improvement: