13 Romsey heroes gained a point from a terrific encounter in Dorset, in an game that was a see saw of a match.
While Romsey started strongly Tom W linking up early on down the left, with Jamie Buddy they couldn’t find the final pass to set up Sean Rawles to get a shot away.
As the game swung in favour of Swanage Lukasz Markham twice came to the rescue with last ditch tackles before Swanage won a penalty corner. As Pete O’Hara and Simeon Field ran out the Swanage forward dragged an unstoppable shot in to the top corner to give the home side the lead.
Romsey played well to get back in to the game but fell further behind when a fierce shot across the Romsey circle was pushed home first time for 2-0.
Carl Hendy came on for Rawles and was unlucky when Rich Pearce crossed the ball in following a penalty corner play, for Hendy to touch the ball goal bound only for a defender on the line to clear it.
Hendy produced a team talk at half time that raised Romsey spirits and with keeper Nigel King making it clear Romsey were in this game the second half began.
A resurgent Romsey kept the ball well, and as the ball fell loose in the middle of the pitch Colin Harwood called for it, allowing Pearce to continue a run past him. Harwood turned and played the ball to Pearce who ran in to the circle and shot, the keeper saved but the ball fell to Bundy to push the ball in a pull a goal back for the visitors.
As Romsey piled the pressure on Rob Cav and Freddie OH commanded the right hand side of the pitch and eventually created an opening for Harwood to drill the ball hard across the circle from wide on the right, a deft touch from Rawles saw the ball fall to Pearce to thump home an equaliser.
With Swanage rattled, Harry Morris made some fantastic runs down the right and was really unlucky not to get a touch to play in Hendy, but he got his rewards when he linked up with Tom W and as he played the ball in to the circle it hit a Swanage foot but the ball fell to Harwood to unleash a rocket of a strike to make it 3-2 and a roar of celebrations.
Swanage rallied and with 2 minutes remaining kept the ball in the Romsey end, eventually winning a penalty corner. As the first corner was closed down by Pete OH foot a second was awarded. While the defending team did their best, the ball fell to a Swanage stick to push the ball past Romsey sticks on the line for a 3-3 final score line.
A game where hockey was the winner Rich Pearce was man of the match and Hendy’s half time team talk was an inspiration.
