Sheffield Hockey Club

The Mens 3s have claimed top spot in the Yorkshire League with a resounding win against Boston Spa at the weekend.

The team travelled to the coastal resort of Boston Spa, this is not a reference to the excessively sandy pitch but to the lack of geographical knowledge of a team member.  But we were luck as both the sun and the tide were out which made for a very pleasant afternoon.

The team has grown and matured over the year but sometimes things happen that go to show you can't teach an 'Old Dog' new tricks. Johnny Beedon, despite having regular contact with sports pyschology set all the negative thoughts running in the teams minds with the casual comment:

"… we don't have much luck here…"

Boston Spa like to press very high up the pitch and proceeded to do so from the off.  This pressure gave them a couple of easy turnovers and good chances but these were dealt with by the defence.  We handled the high press exactly as planned by the master tacticioner, Mark Beavis, and this involved James Bateman unleashing a hither to secret weapon of an aerial!  The result was the press was by-passed and we started to create some pressure ourselves.

After 10 minutes or so we won our first PC this was casually dispatched by Craig Hilton into the top left corner.  The ball pace and accuracy of the ball crossing the line was of Phil Roper quality, its a pity Craigs' shot was wide and richoched in off the defenders foot.  Boston kept on working but managed to conceed another corner.  Up stepped the routine; again dispatched by Craig Hilton this time into the bottom left, this one was more Musgrave-esque, well apart from the poor drag out, knocked on to the reverse and the finish was on the floor rather than past the Keepers ear.  Boston sneaked a goal back before half time after a nifty counter attack the ball was slipped to the back stick for a simple tap in.

Cue the half time talk, which occurred at half time this week instead of at the start of the game, don't ask its a level 3 coaching thing…..

The second half was weird!  We seemed to be able to attack at will and defend solidly.  Both sides won corners and in the end it was our ability to score them, Tim Baker popped in a rebound of an intended R1 deflection and Craig Hilton got his hatrick.  Interestingly all 3 came from "bad" or unintended play!  The 3rd was supposed to be a R2 deflection but Craig "misplaced" his pass in to the bottom right corner. To make it 4-1 and pretty much decide the game.

At the other end of the pitch their corner routine was kept out by some top defending and a "minor" amount of "kidology" and full use of the post on 2 occasions.  One of the goals of the season was scored for the icing on the cake.  A bouncing ball found Tim Baker 8 yards out on his reverse; a swing and unlike at training on Thursday night he nailed it in to the top left corner.

A game of hockey is 70 minutes long and we used pretty much every second of it!  After a cheap turnover Tim Baker found himself 1-on-1 with the Keeper, but Harry Williams was flying towards goal, slide rule pass and a tap-in.  The final whistle was blown by the disengaged umpire as the engaged umpire was blowing and signalling a goal!

There were 3 other memorable moments:

• Mike Baldock snapping his vintage stick whilst slapping a pass and then proceeding to try and tackle the opposition with the stump.
• Johnny Beedon, square pass to a completely unmarked Right Half for Boston with no Sheffield player with in 20 yards or the targetted player!
• And finally a comment aimed at one of the Boston defenders by their own team mate!  Rob Ward picked up a pass, dinked it this way and that and then "you've just been beaten for pace by their old guy…"

So it finished 6-1, Sheffield are champions!  The last time the club won this title it was the 2nd team winning it getting promotion back in to the North league.  And a quote from the Club President, Andy Tapley:

"What a fantastic achievement and with games to go…….

Ask Beavo if it feels as good as last time….."

Yes that is correct the Master Tactician Mark Beavis has now won this title twice, just to prove it wasn't a fluke first time round.