Hockey: Draw is a fair result

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Alderley Edge men’s first team made the long journey north for a high noon encounter with new comers Whitley Bay, looking to end the hosts long unbeaten record stretching over a year. On a hot sunny day it was going to be hard work for both teams.

Edge started off in unfamiliar sluggish fashion finding it hard to use their attacking pace on the slow dry pitch. They were put under pressure from the start with the long ball causing them difficulties but Badger, Scarsbrook and Cook were there to mop up.

Ben Gregory leading from the front created Alderley’s first real attack and opened up the defence with some lovely skill to win a penalty corner which Sam Gregory neatly deflected home.

The momentum then began to shift in Alderley’s way with chances going agonisingly wide.  With both Warburton’s and Badger’s passes being deflected just past the post.

Alderley were then caught in possession leaving a 4 on 2 in which Whitley Bay scored just before the half tying the game at 1-1. 

Edge started brightly in the second half with the energetic Andy Williams and Raj Kay driving Alderley forward. Man of the match Joe Gregory picking the ball off the opposition and won a penalty corner. It was from his resulting shot that rebounded off the keeper and in to the path of his brother Sam to mop up for his second. 

Edge then had a 10 minute spell of the team we are used to seeing but failed to convert their chances and kill off the game. 

Whitley Bay responded well and piled on the pressure without creating any clear cut chances. The few penalty corners they had were dealt with ease by the back four and keeper Kiefer Gallagher.

However with 5 minutes to go a ball was crashed into the ‘D’ and squeezed into the corner leaving the result 2-2 and the teams to share the spoils.

A fair result on the day but the Edge will be unhappy to have let it slip and will be looking to bouncing back against City of Manchester next week.

The second team had another great win putting five past Brooklands, Sam Baker, Oli Hall, Alex Morgan, Chris Hall and Chris Hardy with a penalty stroke were the scorers.

The 3s drew 0-0 with Oxton, thanks to outstanding goal keeping by James Bateman. Ed Laughton, Nathan Sains and Will Cowap all performed well on their promotion up the sides.

The 4s lost away at Oxton, but the 10 man team performed well and youngsters Andy Bryant debuting in goal, Ed Laughton, Joe Clapham, James Atkin, Sam Stockman, Alisdair Smith and Tom Smith all adapted well to the challenge of the men’s league.

The fifth team put together a fine win 2-0 against Neston, scoring the goal of the weekend with the move being started by the ‘keeper and progressed with neat passing up the right hand side before being put on a plate for Ed Offer to fire home.

The sixth team made up mainly of U15 players were unlucky to only come away from Timperley with one point, following a 1-1 draw.

This is a member post by James Riley.

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Hockey
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