Alderley Edge Men’s Hockey first team showed real professionalism and class in their two away games at the weekend. First they beat Urmston 8-2 and then Sheffield Uni Bankers 6-0.
On Saturday, playing a highly enthusiastic and combative Urmston side, Alderley stuck to their guns playing attractive hockey.
Urmston could not contend with Alderley’s fast flowing play and James McPherson opened the scoring, firing home after good build up play. Sam and Ben Gregory then combined to score the pick of the goals - breaking at pace and exchanging passes to allow Sam to score.
McPherson got his second when Alderley trapped the ball in the Urmston D and he neatly finished following a scrambled clearance. Urmston pulled one back from a well executed penalty corner but then Warburton linked play up well and was rewarded with a goal from a penalty corner.
The Gregory’s had not finished as Ben scored twice, Sam grabbed another and elder brother Joe got in on the act neatly deflecting in Scarsbrook’s cross. With Urmston grabbing a consolation towards the end.
Early on in the game Laurence Barnes suffered a nasty injury, he made a tackle and the forwards follow through struck him on the side the jaw, fracturing it in two places. We wish Laurence all the best in his recovery.
Sunday’s game in Sheffield looked like being a tough affair as Bankers played tidy hockey and the game was quite even. Riley was forced to save early on but as the half drew on Alderley started to take control with their superior pace and technique coming to the fore. Baker-Brian and Sawas were again in good form at the back keeping control and starting attacks.
Warburton finished off a trademark Alderley move after Sam Gregory had broken free and squared to where he had pulled away from his marker. McPherson scored with a well placed finish and Warburton scored from a penalty corner to make it 3-0 at halftime.
Bankers came out quickly in the second half but could not find a finish.
Warburton made it four with another flicked corner and could have had a fourth goal, but the next corner was illegally stopped on the line. Scarsbrook rifled home the resulting penalty stroke.
Wildig had a goal ruled out after quick thinking from McPherson and Ben Gregory teed up an opportunity, the umpires eventually ruling there had been an infringement. However, he was not to be denied and was in the right place at the right time just minutes later.
The second team kept up the heat on their promotion rivals with a straight forward 3-0 win at home to Urmston. The 3s beat Bangor 1sts 2-1 and the 4th team recorded their 10th straight win, beating Wrexham 5-0. The 5s had a third consecutive draw, this time 4-4 with Didsbury.
