Men's 2s 1 - 6 Hampstead & Westminster

Higgins Group London League - Premier Division

EG 2s went into this game in the knowledge that a win would put them in the driving seat to win the London League Premier Division, but with the bare eleven players after one squad member was taken ill on route to the game, seeming to be suffering from the human form of Myxomatosis, or a headache.   East Grinstead started well, dominating the early stages of the first half, winning two short corners in quick succession.  However, short corner man Mikey Holland couldn’t find a way past the Hampstead goalie. 

EG continued to battle hard, but couldn’t find the form which they had shown in previous weeks and failed to put their mark on the game.  Hampstead on the other hand, who are sitting top of the league, came to play.  They broke well and with clinical finishing in the D, EG found themselves 2 goals down.  Grinstead won more shorts but again failed to convert.  At the half-time whistle EG found themselves 4 nil down.

After a stern team talk from Captain Duncan Howarth and a personnel change, EG started the second half brightly, scoring early and feeling their presence on the pitch growing as they began to dominate the match. 

After a committed challenge from Seye Akande which the umpire adjudged to be a deliberate foul, EG found themselves down to 10 players.  Then in a bizarre twist in the match, EG found themselves down to 9 players after a mis-communication between an EG player and the Umpire.  Hampstead took full advantage of their extra men and scored quickly, putting the game out of Grinstead's hands.  EG ended the game well, but it was too little, too late.  Grinstead need to regroup before next week’s game to keep the press on at the top of the table.

Team: Bullens, Akande, Walden, Gogarty, Holland, Scott, Arthur, Howarth ©, Piper, Shelton, Medcalfe.

Scorer: Gogarty