Men's Third Eleven Vs Kettering

Sun Tzu, author of the Art of War written in 1776 postulated the applcation of overwhelming stength against your opponent's weakness and so it was that the Thirds deployed a team using Gary Shardlow  - much to our beleagured Umpires Secretary's vexation - to secure our first win of 2015.7

On a cold, cold pitch with a sun that seemed to permanently in your eyes (it certainly was in the case of one of the umpires), the Thirds set about a lowly Kettering side after a two hour journey.

Missing our usual midfield duo for the second week, Tom Leech and Alex 'one of the fittest men in the world' Talbot took up this key position. Derwert went 1 up in the first few minutes with a quick 'Drabblesque' short corner going past a young Kettering keeper playing his first senior game. Not a good introduction to hockey but he did turn out to be not that bad! Sensing a deluge, Derwent decided to take off the throttle and surprisingly suffered a period of pressure lasting 20 minutes and resulting in Kettering goal from a disputed short corner. Tres surpris!

Stirring words from Pooley Senior and Fred pointed out that it was too far to come to lose and Kettering, not used to being in touch with the opposition, smelt blood. Fortunately Kettering played the rest of the game with 10 men due to an injury to one of their forwards. Luck as well as strategy!

The second half saw Derwent go 2-1 ahead - Tom Leech I think with a well put away goal after the umpire played an advantage twice in the D. A lack of concentration put Kettering in again for 2 all. Unexpected. Again Derwent pushed forward and were now finding wide open spaces. Evan Connell found space behind their defence time and time again leading to two well taken goals from being the right place at the right time. One of the games was similar to Alex's Newark wonder goal such was the seemless passing in the Derwent side. Another Fred Drabble short corner put us five up.

Kettering pulled a third back at the end after another iffy short corner but the points were in the bag, hypothermia had set in and it was another long journey back to Derbyshire.