Romsey travelled to the Isle of Wight with just the eleven players, hoping for no injuries without any subs, and competed in a hard fought match which the scoreline didn’t reflect.
IOW deservedly took a 2-0 lead, despite some fine saves from Ollie O’Hara in goal, Romsye changed tactics, and this allowed Josh Harwood to link better with Sean Rawles and bring in Matt Duke and Stan Cazaly.
Romsey won a penalty corner before half time and as Rawles played the ball to Colin Harwodd, he slipped it right for Josh Harwood to move forward and score for a 2-1 HT scoreline.
In the opening 20 minutes of the second half Romsey were on top, Man of the match Matt Duke, had two penalty corner shots cleared off the line, Barry Hatch and Sean Rawles both went close, and James Tower, Will Payne and Stan Cazaly all found themselves in the IOW circle.
Romsey couldn’t convert a string of penalty corners themselves, and then found themselves 3-1 down with 13 minutes to go, when IOW converted their first penalty corner of the half.
This led to Romsey leaving Lukasz Suleja and Andy Moger exposed and alone at the back, as the team pushed up, and Romsey conceded three quick goals to be 6-1 down.
Matt Duke scored from a penalty corner to bring the scoreline closer to reality, for 6-2 which was harsh on Romsey.
M4s put Gosport to the sword
Romsey put Gosport to the sword, and but for some excellent saves from the Gosport keeper could have scored double figures in this one sided match.
Stan Cazaly was played in down the right by Man of the Match Josh Harwood, and his pull back was thundered home first time by Colin Harwood for 1-0. Then Josh Harwood played in Harwood senior for a first time strike for 2-0.
Stalwart Carl Hendy then got on the score sheet for 3-0, and again 4-0 just before the break.
The defence of Lukasz Suleja and Will Richards remained solid pushing up debutant, 64 year old Nigel King and Simeon Field from full backs, and a fine move down the left from Matt Duke to Josh Harwood to Stan Cazaly saw the youngster again set up Colin Harwood for his hat trick.
Andy Moger then scored the goal of the game, picking the ball up from King and powering in to the circle to smash in to the corner for 6-0.
Gosport pulled a goal back with a fine breakaway leaving keeper Bryn Wathen no chance to cover, but Romsey bounced back with a seventh when Hendy got his hat trick, and topped it off with his fourth from a fine lifted pass from Harwood senior at a penalty corner for an 8-1 scoreline
M4s sweep past S&W 2s
Romsey had the rub of the green on the day, in a match where they only had the bare 11 players in windswept Dorset.
In an even opening 20 minutes Romsey pushed in to the Swanage circle, Barry Hatch mistimed his shot, and Sean Rawles and Colin Harwood likewise missed chances.
As Swanage broke it was Simeon Field, Lukasz Suleja and Duncan Sanders who provided solid defence for Romsey to push further up, with young Will Payne covering left back and left half in his man of the match performance.
Romsey broke the deadlock when Colin Harwood ran from the 23 yard line directly in to the circle, forcing a fine save from the keeper, only for Stan Cazaly to recover the ball and square it back for Harwood to slot at the near post.
Romsey doubles their lead with a fine penalty corner routine, Rawles played the ball to Harwood who waited and then played it back to the near post for Rawles to rifle in from a tight angle.
2 0 at HT, and Romsey were tiring, and had to absorb pressure at the start of the second half. Nick Welby in goal was called to leave a Swanage ball from outside the circle it hit the post and rolled in to the goal before a Swanage stick could touch it, and Welby made a fine save at his near post to keep out a fierce shot, before another shot was deflected by Payne on to the post high up and the ball bounced off to the far side of the pitch.
Romsey then took advantage of gaps in the Swanage defence, Harwood following up in the circle pushed the ball in for 3 0, and then a fantastic move from the left side from Harwood senior to Harwood junior, to James Tower, saw the ball played out to Stan Cazaly on the right. He played it in to Sean Rawles for 4 0.
Rawles then got his hat tick following up from a penalty corner routine, and Harwood senior got his from close range for 6 0.
Harwood then hit his fourth from another Cazaly assist, and then Tower, Rawles and Cazaly set up Barry Hatch to touch in for 8 0, and his first goal for the Club which hit the loudest cheer of the afternoon.
There was still time for Swange to create a wonderful move, cutting through the Romsey midfield and defence only for Welby to pull off a fantastic save to keep a clean sheet.
The scoreline was not reflective of a closer encounter, but keeps Romsey top of the league, and now travel to second place Isle of Wight in two week time.
M4s March On
Romsey endured a roller coaster afternoon in the Autumn heat, to eventually run out winners, but with some youngsters making their debuts, the real winner was hockey.
Romsey were on the back foot early on Josh Harwood and James Tower in the centre of midfield were being outnumbered, and Salisbury pushed forward and won a hit on the 23 yard line. They took it quickly and powered down on goal, good defending by Simeon Field and Dave Loescher meant the shot was pushed wide, but as debutant keeper Ollie O’Hara came across to cover the Salisbury forward shot at the far post to put the visitors ahead.
Romsey rallied, and Carl Hendy and Colin Harwood came off the bench, Harwood played a solid first time pass in to the circle from a distance and a touch by Hendy saw Stan Cazaly nip in front of his man to deflect the ball past the keeper for his first goal for the Club in a Man of the match performance.
Romsey enjoyed the possession now and won a penalty corner after good play by Matt Duke down the left with Sean Rawles. Rawles played the corner out to Harwood who passed to Hendy, who played the ball to Rawles to shoot from a tight angle for 2-1 at half time.
Romsey were under pressure at the start of the second half, but Ben Parker and Lukasz Suleja supported their defensive partners of Field and Loescher, to keep some strong crosses away from Salisbury forwards, and O’Hara in goal made sure his defence wasn’t breached.
The introduction of Will Payne on the right further secured Romsey’s defence and he had an equal man of the match performance on his debut, and supported the right side with Cazaly and Harwood.
Harwood senior set up Harwood junior for a shot from outside the circle, and Rawles got a touch inside the circle to deflect it past the keeper for 3-1. Romsey tired, and Salisbury hit back with two good goals, the first a reverse lifted shot across the goal from a tight angle, and the second soon after from an attack down their right which resulted in a fierce equalizing shot.
With not long left Matt Duke and James Tower combined to switch the ball out to Cazaly, he played it back to Harwood and Payne, who switched it back to Rawles who deflected the ball again past the keeper for the winner, and his second hat trick in successive games.
Romsey held on under pressure in the last five minutes to win the game, when a draw looked likely, to make it 6 points out of a possible 9 at the start of the season.
M4s Poole together for a big win
Romsey bounced back terrifically from their heavy defeat in the opening match of the season, with an excellent disciplined performance away at Poole with just the bare 11 players.
Romsey started by keeping Poole in their own half, and this ensured the Romsey defence had time when Poole made advances, the returning veteran Dave Loescher played a fantastic role at the back, alongside Duncan Sanders, both providing an in impenetrable wall in front of Lukasz Suleja in goal.
Romsey built from this and their young midfield quartet starting to make in roads in to the Poole circle. Stan Cazaly down the right cut in and crossed for James Tower to pass to Sean Rawles, but his shot went outside the post.
Rawles made amends soon after when Matt Duke and Barry Hatch combined and he turned the ball in for his first ever Romsey goal, and put Romsey 1-0 up. It got better soon after when Romsey won a penalty corner and man of the match played the ball to Colin Harwood at the top of the circle, the captain played the ball back to Rawles who had advanced towards the goal and he turned the ball in for 2-0.
Romsey’s third goal was the icing on the cake in the first half, Harwood senior advanced with the ball and played a powerful pass in to the circle for Josh Harwood to run on to and calmly power the ball in to the opposite corner first time for 3-0 at HT.
Romsey were tiring but went hard again at the start of the second half, Matt Duke saw his penalty corner strike saved, before a further penalty corner from Rawles to Harwood senior resulted in a first time shot that bounced inside the post for 4-0.
Romsey continued to pressure and a fine pass from Simeon Field on the right, saw Cazaly cut in and cross the ball in to the circle, the ball fell to Rawles who reversed it in a close range for his hat trick and 5-0.
Romsey conceded an unfortunate penalty stroke when Suleja was adjudged to have fouled the Poole forward using his hand outside the circle, and a penalty corner led to a good worked goal for Poole to make the scoreline 2-5 in favour of Romsey, and Romsey were unlucky not to grab a sixth when Barry Hatch put the ball in at the far post only for play to be pulled back for a Romsey infringement.
The team performance with every player doing his bit, from his position was reflected in the result, and provides some good momentum for the weeks to come.
M4s get a tough start to the league season
Romsey were very much second best on a hot September afternoon, against a Trojans side boasting some strong new additions since last season.
Romsey made some early in roads, Josh Harwood and Andy Moger linking up to allow Sean Rawles to get a shot away, but then Trojans piled on the pressure.
Romsey felt hard done by conceding a penalty corner for a clearance but Trojans made no mistake for 1 – 0, and another penalty corner soon after saw a pass right and a lifted flick shot for 2 – 0.
Colin Harwood played in Man of the Match Stan Cazaly and the debutant had a chance to shoot, passing instead but Romsey couldn’t convert.
Romsey went 3 – 0 down from a Trojans counter attack, and were then hit twice in two minutes to end the half 0 – 5 down, despite the efforts of Bryn Wathen in goal.
The second half saw Harwood senior and James Tower take the two Centre midfield roles and despite conceding a 6th goal from a slick passing move that went round Duncan Sanders, Simeon Field and Lukasz Suleja, Romsey rallied and won a penalty corner of their own. Ben Parker played it out to Colin Harwood who passed it back to Parker so he could control it and shoot past the keeper for 1 – 6 scoreline.
Romsey concedes a penalty stroke when Fields goal line clearance high up was seems to have been off his body and not his hand on the stick, but Romsey weren’t beaten and a great move down the right from Rob Cav and Stan Cazaly saw Harwood cross to Andy Moger to score.
Moger had two more chances that he fired just wide and Matt Duke was unlucky from a penalty corner, as Romsey didn’t take their chances and Trojans took two more for an much even second half but in the end a heavy defeat 2 – 9.