Men’s 3rd XI 2, Yateley 3rd XI 1
Romsey won a hard fought encounter in the wet, to secure their first win of the season.
Romsey were the brighter starters and after James B and TK won the early battles in the middle of the pitch Romsey won a penalty corner. The plan was for Ben Parker to push the ball out to Colin Harwood who would draw the defenders and slip the ball left to Luke W, and that is exactly what they did, Luke shooting in at the angle to put Romsey 1-0 up.
As Yateley started to win possession and make attacks of their own it was Romsey’s defence that ensured they stayed ahead. Lukasz Suleja capped a man of the match performance winning a number of last ditch tackles, ably supported by Duncan Sanders playing his first game of the season, and full backs Dan Newman and Ben Parker.
After Oli G had made a fine couple of saves from Yateley penalty corners, Yateley eventually equalised from another penalty corner when they followed up on their first move to shoot in to the corner.
Romsey upped their game and Ewan K and Dan Blackman both made chances for Carl Hendy but he was thwarted by Yateley defence.
As the second half started, Romsey were reliant on their back four and Oli G in goal to keep them level, and attacked on the counter.
After winning another penalty corner, Parker played the ball to Harwood again, this time he beat the two onrushing defenders to slam the ball past the keeper for a 2-1 Romsey lead.
As Suleja blocked several waves of Yateley attacks, with Parker and Sanders making vital clearances, along with more Oli G saves, Romsey countered.
First Harwood played in James B, who beat his man and squared to Hendy, only for the forward to narrowly miss the ball and it run wide of the goal, and then Luke W made a mazey run form the right corner but no Romsey stick to convert, and then Dan Blackman and Tom M combined for the former to drive in to circle but again no end result.
Romsey hung on, with the crowd swelling for the next game, to secure their first 3 points of the season at the third attempt.
