Milton Keynes 2s got their home season underway on a wet afternoon with, in the wise words of Sam Bushell, “one sexy looking squad” looking to take their first points of the season against Banbury. They carried that message into the opening exchanges of the game opening up several opportunities, with Dan Judkowski finding a gap through the keepers legs. Unfortunately for Dan the umpire had whistled for a short corner seconds before. This left Callum Clarke to step up and dispatch the ball into the net to ensure MKs good start didn’t go unrewarded.

MK followed up the opening goal with continued good hockey, feeding the ball to Arthur Lendon at the top of the D who turned with aplomb before finding the bottom corner with a well placed reverse stick shot to open his account for club. Banbury then came back into the game counter-attacking the full length of the pitch to make the score 2-1. The set back didn’t put MK off with more pressure resulting in Dave Breuilly tucking the ball home after a goal mouth scramble. Again Banbury came back in to the game, forcing Sam Spencer into a string of saves, before the ball was rifled into the top corner without him having the chance to move.

With the game in balance, the tiger balm powered Mark Sibson won the ball in the middle of the park before strolling in to the D, and with several teammates fearing the worst as he wound up for a big swing, watched on in joy as the ball rocketed into the bottom left hand to restore MKs two goal cushion. MK weren’t done there and after more good work won another short corner. This time Jack Zoers-Benstead stepped up, flicking the ball into the net. Just as MK thought the half was done, Banbury scored on the half-time whistle from their own short corner to leave the score 5-3.

In the second half the game became more stretched, but the MK defence marshalled by Sam Bushell, Grant Webster and James Evans held firm, with Ryan Gawley producing a moment for the cameras with a superb goal-line clearance from a short corner. MK continued to press forward with several searching balls from Tom Hewitt and the mauraudering David Emery (aka Weeble) just evading the diving Dave McMillan at the back post. As legs started to tire it was left to the younger members of the squad to take the lead. First Vaughn Watson danced passed several defenders leaving him one-on-one with the keeper to calmly claim his second of the second. The final goal of the game came following another goal month scramble, with Declan Lygo-Baker becoming the seventh different scorer of the day, showing his composure to move the ball away from the keeper and send a reverse stick hit into the goal.

Next up for MK a trip to local neighbours Aylesbury as they look to carry on winning ways.

Man of the match: Mark Sibson – Bossing the middle of the park and showing the younger members of the squad what total hockey looks like

Dick of the Day: Jack Zoers-Benstead – Out-paced and out-skilled by the youngest person on the pitch who has half his height