Brentwood 1st XI vs Ford 1st XI

Looking to turn their season around, and get some much needed points on the board, Brentwood hosted the in-form Ford, who beat league leaders Chelmsford last week.

Wary of the attacking threat of Ford, Brentwood started confidently. Brentwood made some headway into the Ford half, with some nice movements around the circle, but often found the final pass or touch missing. Despite their bright start, Brentwood found it hard to sustain their territorial advantage, as Ford played route-1 tactics, packing the defence but playing with two target forwards, who the defence picked out with long aerials. The Brentwood defence dealt with these, but were constantly being asked questions by the individually skilled forwards. It also lead to ping-pong end-to-end hockey, as neither side really had any sustained attacks. Ford already had several penalty corners and looked dangerous, and Brentwood had reason for concern, as the Ford attack converted their chance with a quick, low drag-flick. Individual skill and the defence over-committing lead to another well taken Ford goal. The half ended 2-0.

Brentwood ran into the second half rejuvenated, as they looked a lot more comfortable playing the ball. Their hard work payed off, as Nick Hull worked his way into the Ford circle to finish nicely and reduce the deficit to a goal. But Brentwood seemed to rest on their laurels, and a devastating run from the Ford striker, much against the run of play, struck home from the top of the circle, leaving the defence dazed. Brentwood however were quick to react and piled on pressure, winning a string of penalty-corners in the process. Steven Naven in his first game back from injury, launched a powerful drag-flick into the back of the net, giving Brentwood momentum going into the final ten minutes of play. Brentwood attacked relentlessly, throwing everything at the Ford defence, who began making some very desperate tackles and conceding many fouls, as they packed the defence with all their players back. The game moved into its closing stages and it became apparent that Brentwood were becoming more frantic in search for points, as they lacked composure on the ball and took unlikely shots from small angles. The thrilling finish didn't result in a goal and Brentwood will go away concerned at the lack of finishing from such a strong position, as the game ended 3-2 to the away team.