OMT 1 4-2 MK 2

Boyed by their win the previous week MK 2s were feeling good about this week. The team sheet showed a number of players missing from the win over Wallingford but the team would welcome back Grant and Eric for the trip to Northwood.

The meet time arrived and whilst everyone was waiting for Bushy to make his arrival, tactics were talked and a plan of action put into place. The general consensus for the convoy was to avoid the M1 as the Audi had advised it was blocked. This was agreed and within minutes we were at junction 13 getting onto the motorway. Realising that something was amiss 50% of the convoy thought better of it and decided on a more scenic route through South Bucks. A much better route as it allowed the occupants of the car the chance to see how the other half live on the drive into Merchant Taylors School it did however mean they arrived sometime after the others, a point raised at fines later on.

Never the less after a disrupted warm up due to lack of pitch time and then a liberal soaking due to a pitch watering the game began.
MK started the brighter and had the first chance of the game within the first few minutes when the MK forward line robbed the OMT defence on their own 25 but the chance went begging. The game flowed from end to end with neither team being able to break the deadlock. MK thought they had managed it when they broke through and a cynical foul by an OMT defender allowed MK to win their first short corner of the match.

Some more end to end hockey was played and MK gave away a short corner which was scored. How this happened this writer is unsure as he wasn’t actually watching.

Half time arrived with MK 1-0 down but very much feeling this game was one to be taken.

The second half started brightly for MK. An OMT forward was sent for a rest due to constant breaking down of play/lack of tackling ability and MK were making inroads down the right side through right back speedster Carl.

It was from one of these attacks that MK got their breakthrough. A cut back ball found Bushy on the far post and with the goal begging he managed to pick out the defender’s body on the line and MK were awarded a penalty flick. Despite a queue forming to take it Callum was at the front and he sent the keeper the wrong way.

After this the game started to degrade into a scene from a school yard. With the game getting a bit niggly cards were being produced for both sides. MK were to concede another goal which escapes my memory and MK were to equalise through Eric who remembered to keep his stick on the ground at the back post even if the rest of the team were sure he had his eyes open.

MK felt like this was their chance to push on and close the game out however it was not meant to be. A drag flick into the top corner from a short corner and a dubious penalty flick which deceived keeper Nick with its lack of pace meant that MK finished the wrong side of a 4-2 loss.

Following the game and as the opposition were picked up by parents like at the end of so many middle school discos it left the MK boys feeling that this was a game that we let slip away and in the knowledge that if we are to stay up this year then taking points from middle of the table teams such as this will be key to our survival. All focus now turns to Aylesbury at home as MK look to open the gap between them and the bottom three even further.