Match Report

Match : 2nd XI v Cookstown 6ths
Date : 2003-03-15
Venue : H
Score : 2-1
Scorers : Johnston, Young

By Stuart Campbell

In a game we absolutely had to win the 2nds once again showed great character and determination to conquer against very similar opposition.

Cookstown started by far the stronger and had a few half chances even before East had got the ball out of our own half.

But on our very first attack a free was awarded just outside the curcle, quick thinking from Rambo and even quicker reflexes from Johnston and the ball was swiped from mid air past the despairing keeper. 1-0.

Cookstown once again attacked and got their reward shortly before half time. I dont remember a thing about the goal so i cant give a commentary on this one. 1-1 at half time.

The second half consisted of, goal line clearances, legal and illegal, missed penalty flick, a dissallowed goal and the winning goal not necessarily in that order.

East began to flourish in attack during the second half having a number of good chances either squandered or well saved by the Cookstown keeper who had a superb game.

The game opened up into an end to end affair and it was nailbiting stuff on more than one occassion.

Eventually East got the goal they so eagerly craved. Aron found himself free in the circle after a superb cross from Nicholl, he flicked the ball towards goal and fell to the ground, keeper saved, ball rebounds to Arron and then in one flashing movement reverse stick he hits the ball into the back of the net.
A brilliant goal, from a talented player who just refuses to know when he is beaten.

This could and should have been the trigger for an East Antrim onslaught.

East pushed forward and gained a number of short corners. Ball to Rambo and shot with feirce venom towards goal. Soupy stood infront of the keeper and the ball flew into the net. GOAL!!!!!!!!!!
Oh no it wasnt. Mark (eagle eyes. i can see it better than you from 20 times further away) McDonald dissallowed it for the ball not travelling outside the circle.

Some East Antrim players quietly discussed this issue with Mark, Rambo ( a qualified umpire being the least quiet) and reminded him that Specsavers still have a 2 for 1 offer on both bi-focals and vari-focals. Vouchers are in the post Mark :-)

Soupy calmed the troops down and normal service was resumed. Another short corner and this time a shot from Soupy, stopped by a Cookstown foot on the line, FLICK.

Neal J, not having his best days hockey eagerly grabbed the ball and strode purposefully towards the penalty spot.

Now my Grandmother, God bless her is 83, has never played hockey in her life and has a dodgy foot. But on Sunday i took her to Ballysillan and asked her to flick the ball from the penalty spot towards goal. She done this and the ball reached the goal relatively quickly. In fact i think it actually overtook the ball that Johnston had flicked 24 hours before. Thus was the speed of the flick that johnty had "rocketed" towards goal. The keeper saved and we could only pray that the miss would not be too costly.

The game still had ten minuts to go but East defended well and held onto the ball well in the dying minutes.

The game ended and East had earned a fantastic win, making junior five survival more a probability than a possibility.

The whole team played well but Leitch was great in defence, Rambo strong in midfield and Young instinctive in attack.

Thanks to Gordon, Davy Menaul and Mark McDonald for umpiring.

Soupy

Cookie, Leitch, Gillespie, Bell, Moffett, Rambo, Blair, Nicholl, Hamilton, Young, Johnston, Soupy.

Arron Young