Brentwood Hockey Club Men’s 1st XI vs Old Southendians Hockey Club Men’s 2nd XI

Becket Keys School
16/09/23 - 14:15
Final score: 1-1

George Lilley (C)
Colin Bannell (VC)
Brady Doyle
Derry Mager
Henry MacDonnell
Ian Richardson
Jacob MacDonnell
Jak Taylor
Luke Alexandrou
Matt Hadley
Owen Smith (GK)
Paddy Wilson
Steve Gilchrist
Tom Creswell
Tristan Barnes

In a highly anticipated clash marking the first game of the season, Brentwood Hockey Club Men’s 1st XI took on Old Southendians Hockey Club Men’s 2nd XI with a fresh determination thanks to a new captain returning to the club (George Lilley), new vice-captain (Colin Bannell) and with coach Alan Lindsay still at the helm. The team hungry for redemption after last year's relegation have set their sights firmly on promotion straight back into Division 1.

The atmosphere was charged with excitement as the Men's squad embarked on this non-negotiable promotion journey. New players have joined the ranks with the Men’s 1s and 2s squad filled with over 30 players, and exciting plans are afoot to transform the team into a more professional and well-drilled unit.

Despite a minor hiccup with the new team speaker (Derry Mager’s fault!) during pre-game preparations the team was raring to go; in the pre-game huddle you could feel the excitement to be back on the pitch.

The opening quarter saw Brentwood taking the initiative with a brilliant goal. A Stevie G aerial pass was expertly brought down by Jacob MacDonnell, who swiftly fed it to Derry Mager for a reverse tap-in through the keeper's legs. It was a testament to their hard work at training and of course skill.

Brentwood's dominance continued into the second quarter, but as the match progressed, they began to lose some discipline in the 3rd and 4th quarters. This lapse resulted in lost possession and poor decision-making. Old Southendians capitalised on this in the 3rd quarter, equalising the score, despite Owen Smith's valiant attempt to keep the ball out.

The match was not without its share of drama, featuring three disallowed goals that left some spectators perplexed however the umpires made calculated decisions in what were difficult calls to make. This controversy added to the excitement on the side-lines, where plenty of fans revelled in the thrilling hockey action and the pleasant weather.

Brentwood consistently had their chances in and around the circle but were unable to connect with many passes drifting across the goal.

One area that needed improvement for Brentwood was their short corners, which were not up to par in this game. The injectors cited a dry, sticky pitch as the culprit for a few failed injections. The idea of wetting the pitch was considered but ultimately abandoned, albeit at the cost of coach Alan's patience, and drink.

Tempers flared momentarily when Derry Mager received a yellow card for what he insisted was a violent push in the back (the images captured by team photographer Darryl could go some way to support this theory…). It was a heated moment in an otherwise closely contested match.

Goalkeeper Owen Smith emerged as a hero in the last quarter, making a notable save that kept an Old Southendian’s penalty corner at bay.

While the team may have been disappointed with a draw due to high expectations for this season, heads are high going into next week against Braintree Men’s 1st XI hungry for their first league win of the season.

The team were glad to welcome Luke Alexandrou to the team who returned to BHC this season.

Player of the Match: Steve Gilchrist
Dick of the Day: Derry