Sonning smash and grab 3 points at the death

This match report is sponsored by Jonty Rider, your DoD for this game.

The home support gathered for the final match of the day under the flood lights, anticipating a competitive match for the 2s against Marlow. With both teams have a strong number of subs on the sideline, the crowd knew they'd be in for a fast and intense game, but that was due to Marlow's significant number of youth and nothing to do with Sonning's aging legs.

During the warmup keeper Ali was feeling in a good place but a wayward clearance from the shooting drill caught Matt Lappin perfectly between the shoulder blades. Not a single concern was given from the team, it was only Matt that was worried for his health but he managed to get over the initial shock and start the match.

The start of the match did not go to plan. Marlow started the game with high intensity and Sonning played into trouble with almost every pass, allowing Marlow to get into the game easily and apply early pressure. The entire defence switched off and began ball watching to allow Marlow to gain easy possession down the left side, drive to the base line and pull the ball back for a first time slap 6 yards out from the Marlow centre forward. The ball flew past Ali's body and into the back of the net #firstshortfirstgoal. 0-1 Marlow. Nathan "backstabbing" Toms (I'll explain later why) immediately apologised to his keeper for leaving him with no chance to save it.

Sonning had to reset and go again, finding their feet in the game. The remaining 25 minutes of the first half was mostly Sonning ball. Plenty of attacks down both the left and right side with lots of pressure onto the Marlow back 5 created more and more chances. The penalty corner count continued to rise and finally Jonathan Sharp put the ball goal bound off a well worked left slip to find the gap and level the score. Sadly his goal was pinched off the line by the Dick Dastardly lookalike, Patzi. 1-1.

Sonning's pressure continued to build on Marlow through our forward line and midfield. Turnovers were becoming more frequent as a result in the middle of the pitch, allowing Sonning to create chances. One turnover from Midfield allowed our upfront speedster Jack to set off in pursuit of the D, with a few well worked passes around the Marlow defense it created the scoring opportunity for Jack to place the ball nicely around the diving keeper for Sonning to take the lead. 2-1.

Captain Patrick was pleased with the overall performance at half time but the team knew that Marlow were still very much in the game and only needed one opportunity to bring the scoreline back to a draw.

The DoD moment for the game was sealed when a youthful Marlow midfielder stepped across the line of Jonty at pace who caught the slightest of touches of Marlow's heel to send the young lad to the ground. The umpires thought nothing more of it that than a complete accident, rightly so, which is really how the rest of the team should have seen it to. But to the untrained eye it looked worse that it would have ever been..

Marlow themselves had a moment of madness with a player on the ground decided to try and cut Soli's stick in half with a challenge from the floor, directly underneath the umpire. It was only going to ever result in a further sanction, with the umpiring showing the young forward a yellow card. Sadly Sonning could not capitalise with Marlow playing with 10 men for 5 minutes.

Chances came and went for Sonning in the second half, both from open play and penalty corners, with Marlow's keeper doing a good job at keeping them in the game. Marlow's youthful forward continued to play through Sonning's gaps in midfield allowing them to create more and more opportunities in front of the Sonning goal. A couple of penalty corners later they found the bottom right corner of the Sonning goal from a drag flick, a shot that keeper Ali would have expected himself to save, so he'd only got himself to blame having told his right post man to move out and cover off the injector. 2-2. Game on.

It was in the final few minutes of the game that the magic happened. With both teams starting to tire and pushing for the winning goal, gaps were appearing in the midfield which is all Sonning needed. A lovely through ball from midfield found Pete Young towards the top of the D, round a defender to place the ball with utmost precision into the bottom corner past the rushing keeper to clinch the game 3-2. Having scored the winner, Pete's smile was akin to Dick Dastardly's trusty sidekick, Muttley.

After match teas the usual votes were placed to determine our MoM and DoD for the day. Most people who play hockey will know of the two Unions, the Defenders Union and Strikers Union, where the defenders look out for each other and the strikers look out for each other too. I hate to name names, but Nathan "backstabbing" Toms and Gaz "backstabbing" Lappin both broke the Union code, something that is never done, to vote Jonty for DoD for "flooring" the Marlow youth. There were plenty of other far more justified options on offer... then again I did vote for Gaz having passed the ball to Marlow's centre forward in the first 10 minutes, so perhaps it was justified from him. Nathan even voted Jonty for MoM which made it even more painful to take a DoD vote! It will make Jonty think twice now for offering to dig the team out of problem having lost Bosely to illness!

MoM - Jack Evans for being everywhere and a sublime finish
DoD - Jonty for "flooring" a child

#COTN #firstshotfirstgoal #GBH #DiscoDrJack