Match Report

Match : 1st XI v Portrush
Date : 2002-11-09
Venue : A
Score : 2-3
Scorers : Hermon (2)

By Alan Burgess

We didn't start too brightly on Saturday with some passes going astray, and we conceded a goal quite early on, however the heads did not drop and we started to be a bit more direct looking for an equaliser. Unfortunatley this did not materialise and we found ourselves 2-0 down. In previous years this is when the floodgates would have normally opened and we would have been looking at a hammering, however this year's squad has a stronger attitude and we never give up. Our persistence eventually paid off when Neal Hermon converted from a short corner at the end of the first half. We practised 67 short corners on Monday night at training and it certainly paid off, the shot was unstoppable and staright into the corner, the keeper had no chance. 2-1 at half time.

The second half saw East going forward again searching for the equaliser, we were dominant in pocession, with Portrush content to try and catch us on the break. Portrush rearranged their midfield to try and take a hold in the midfield, however this did not happen. Portrush did manage to catch us on the break on a number of occassions and were thwarted by some good defending and one excellent save from Cookie. Portrush scored again from a short corner which was needlessly conceded, we scored again from a Hermon short corner, a carbon copy of the first, with six minutes remaining but unfortunately we could not conjure up another to at least get a point.

Yet again we have lost a game in which we have dominated for long spells, personally I think we were the better team against Larne last week and again against Portrush this week but our failure to change that dominance into goals has seen us become rooted to the bottom of the league with 4 straight defeats. It isn't all bad, we just need to work on the end product, we are playing good hockey at times and have had teams on the back foot for long periods.

G Cooke
A Murphy
N Hermon
G Reid
B Watters
A Burgess
D Caldwell
P Reid
P Irwin
L Currie
S Swann
N Johnston

G Reid