MK vs OU

Match report v Oxford Uni – Won 4-2
With 3 of our usual superstars, and Danny Newcombe, unavailable this week, the boys knew we would have to work hard to wrestle the 3 points from the Oxford Uni Students. And after an intense training session on Wednesday, the squad were well prepared to follow Coach Dougie’s advice of ‘hit them hard in the first 10 minutes’. MK decided to actually apply this week’s game plan and it paid off with massive dividends. Within 5 minutes Mikey ‘Goalson’ Gilson had broken down the right and slotted a lovely pass through for Ali ‘I’m harder than you’ McColl to slam home. 1-0 to the good guys.
MK Skipper Nick ‘I love Dominos’ Anderson thought he would be better off watching the game from the side line, so started playing football while Oxford were on the break. The umpires were having none of it and duly showed him the cheese. Unfortunately this cheese was not a part of the IoW, was therefore inedible and meant the skip spent the next 5 mins on the pine. Despite this, MK continued to dominate, nay, played even better with McColl winning a penalty corner moments later. Jamie ‘have you seen my tat’ Dodd stepped up and executed his drag flick well to take the maroons up to a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately the students started to wake up after what I’m sure was a big Friday night of sherry and vol-au-vents and applied more pressure in our 25, with our back 4 having to be alert to clear away numerous attacks. With skipper Anderson re-positioned into midfield, Andy ‘my back hurts’ Pettefer saw the opportunity to dominate proceedings at the back and led the charge, regularly dispossessing unassuming forwards and delivering the ball to a maroon shirt generally via an aerial.
With the mini storm weathered, Gilson decided it was his time to get on the score sheet and after a foray in the Uni circle, the ball popped to our unmarked top scorer who managed to successfully semi-lob the Uni keeper by applying the faintest amount of slice to the ball with an inside out forward drive, whilst standing on one leg, with just enough backspin to put it out of reach of the man between the sticks. Gilson naturally tried to claim this was on purpose in the clubhouse later, but not to worry, he was fined accordingly.
Half time and while the students consumed their usual one o’clock nosh of tea and scones, MK were delivered individual and team stats on possession and turn overs, how to rectify these errors and continue to develop upon the solid Hockey that had got the team to their 3-0 lead. Soon after the break a selfless Gilson played a weighted pass through to an on rushing Luke ‘the import’ Stone, who decided rather than slamming his 1 on 1 opportunity past the keeper that he would top his shot and keep the game within arm’s reach of what was turning out to be a lacklustre opposition.
The Anderson’s seemed to be enjoying their time in the midfield, although admitted after the game that they weren’t a fan of all the ‘running’. Ian ‘Old Man’ Cooper, James ‘Silverfox’ Evans and Scotty ‘Danny’s got my tie’ Craig were having solid games at the back, before the ‘Old Man’ decided to play a 1-2 with the Uni Centre Forward. One can only assume he was also trying to keep the game interesting. Charlie ‘the Northerner’ Page was following Pettefer’s lead and taking no prisoners in our half. Cooper, not satisfied with the earlier incident, then decided Uni might be better against 10 men and was sent from the field for deliberate (and unnecessary) contact off the ball.
Pettefer and Gilson teamed up for goal number 4; Pettefer’s weighted pass to Gilson, Gilson gasses 4 Uni defenders while Pettefer tried to keep up to get to the back post, but was not needed and Gilson slotted at the near post. After Pettefer’s 60 yard dash, the old boy needed an oil change and Dougie could only oblige.
At 4-0 and with 10 minutes to go, the game was done and dusted, or so we thought. The umpires felt that the only way to even the game up would be to card as many MK players as possible to give the struggling students a chance. Stone was first and unfortunate to get a yellow after a well-timed stick block from a Uni forward. McColl then followed suit, deciding that his opposite player would be more at home on the turf and was also shown the cheese. Eric ‘young gun’ Watkins followed the cool kids and was awarded a green and with MK’s bench swelling the umpires had done their job; not only boosting the fines tin, but allowed Uni to get 2 quick consolation goals. Keeper Nick ‘Gagé’ Gage must have fallen asleep thanks to the limited efforts on goal from the uninspiring opposition. From the restart Tom ‘Ginge’ Murtagh took it upon himself to get MK back in the ascendency. After carrying through, around and over 7 defenders, the final throw and gas didn’t quite work in Murtagh’s favour and Uni were on the attack just as the final whistle blew.
An exciting game, with some excellent Hockey played by the Woughton on the Green outfit. Another enticing fixture at Home to Henley on Saturday, where another 3 points beckons, especially with our superstars available again. And Danny Newcombe.