This match report is written by Patrick Wall, your DoD for the game

What a curtain raiser! Phoenix at home at 10.30am. There was no better way to start off the season.

In a fixture that has become Ainsley Harriott spicy in the past few years, it was vital that we kept our heads and played the strong, positive hockey that has really come on in pre-season. With a new fines system in place, the team set out to start the season with a bang.

In the drizzling rain, the game got underway with Sonning immediately putting P&R under pressure with a high press, it paid early dividends with a SC which was snuck in near post via a P&R player from a left sided slip by Wall. Nothing feels better than scoring against P&R and Sonning pressed the advantage. With Billy Oliver sweeping up like a wondermop at the back, and Colm Hanlon making his usual nuisance self known to the P&R backline, it resulted in another SC awarded which Hanlon fired home over a despairing keeper. 2-0 and happy days.

As the half progressed Sonning were firmly in control, despite green cards for our not-so gentle giants Andy Beasely and Alex Green, the umpire even having a moment almost yellow carding Greeny as he suffered a case of mistaken identity thinking it was Bease. What a throwback to card-gate in Arsenal vs Chelsea in 2014. Thankfully this time though, it was easily rectified. Not before some high pitched panic from Greeny.

P&R found themselves luckily back in it after a sustained period of Sonning dominance, where they bundled one in after a breakaway. However Doug Whittaker scored the greatest goal of his career to put it back at 3-1 just before half time. Wonderfully assisted by Billy (vomit....), Doug's deflection/push was so underpowered it sold everyone and trickled across the line at a speed of 0.8mph. They all count!

Half time and no complacency was the message. Unfortunately they struck back swiftly with their only real chance from a SC that Tim Greenbank was helpless to angle the deflection, producing a wonderful finish past Martin Beardmore in goal. P&R had a brief period of dominance which tested our nerve, but eventually, Sonning's greater quality and fitness shone through with forwards and midfielders creating chance after chance. Culminating in Nathaniel Paine, our resident teenage sapling being scythed down like a stalk of wheat cynically by the P&R defender in their D. Flick awarded to not much protest, which Pat stepped up to slot and erase memories of misses last season.

A late yellow card scare as Bease was penalised for having some big size 12s in the way again, and a welcome addition to start our fines proccess! Relief as Sonning saw out the rest of the game to finish 4-2. We had a number of other chances which would have put us out of sight, a few weeks more training and we can only hope! Final whistle and celebrations were loud, we were happy, and a great way to start the season.

MoM - Billy Oliver (dear lord....)
DoD - Pat (fluffling the final pass with a 3-on-1...Sorry)

#COTN!