Mens 1st XI v Old Bordenians

Details	Players
Season: Season 2008-2009 Date: 13.12.2008 Time: 14:30 Team: Mens 1st XI Competition: League Location: Home Opponent: Old Bordenians Our Score: 0 Opponent Score: 0 Result: Draw	Matt Ansell - 0 Goal(s) James Godber - 0 Goal(s) Joel Shepherd - 0 Goal(s) Bryan Lock - 0 Goal(s) Chris Binns - 0 Goal(s) David Clayton - 0 Goal(s) Dan Ginnaw - 0 Goal(s) Michael Gubbins - 0 Goal(s) Matt Sewell - 0 Goal(s) David Beales - 0 Goal(s) Craig Paterson - 0 Goal(s) Cirdec Atkinson - 0 Goal(s) Alex Warner - 0 Goal(s)

Match Report(s)

Worthing played Old Bordenians (OBs) on a rain soaked St Andrews on Saturday, in weather that was not conducive to great hockey.  With Sciandro unavailable and Williams looking like he done a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson, Captain Ansell was forced to shuffle the pack. This saw the return of Gubbins and ‘Thermo Man’, bringing their pace and youthful enthusiasm into the team.

 With the rain falling heavily, OBs took the imitative and pushed Worthing back into a defensive position. OBs played the ball across their back line and looked to play a long ball through the Worthing ranks to their forward line. Worthing despite being under consistent pressure played with good discipline. Humphries and Ansell closed down the OBs centre backs; cutting down their opportunities to crash the ball forward. This also meant that the team’s personnel discipline, in doing their respective marking jobs, was very important; every member of the team had to ensure that all OBs players were picked up and the options were cut off. Worthing did this magnificently and despite not getting the ball for periods ensured that OBs did not get a shot on goal in the first half. Patience is something that Worthing has learned and this is paying back in spades!

With cold and wet hands, opportunities were limited for the Worthing attack, but Sewell and Clayton linked well down the right and Clayton should have won at least two short corners from good positions cutting in along the by-line. Beales, as he has done in recent weeks, rampaged up the left but the final, killer ball into the ‘D’ just did not materialise.

 

The second half was a different game, with both sides getting used to the conditions the game opened up slightly. Worthing benefited from this the most with Warner the fulcrum at the heart of a lot of good work and Ginnaw’s strong running scaring the living daylights out of the OBs defence. Week on week Ginnaw’s game has improved and he has grown into his inside forward role with improving defensive play and dominating the attack with his control at pace.

Worthing could not break the OBs short corner defence down, with both Warner and Shepherd bringing good saves from the ‘keeper, with Shepherd particularly unlucky to see a shot cleared off the line. OBs were restricted to a couple of shots on goal that were comfortably dealt with by Binns.

 

With Worthing unable to break down OBs rearguard the game petered out into a draw; with OBs the more please of the teams at the result.

 

Worthing remain unbeaten in the first half of the season and were also pleased to keep their first clean sheet of the league programme. (Binnsy may not be the sieve that you all thought he was!!!!)

 

Squad: Binns, Godber, Shepherd, Beales, Warner, Clayton. Ansell (Capt); Sewell, Humphries, Lock, Ginnaw, Atkinson, Gubbins.