Mens 2s pipped in heartbreaker
Romsey Mens 2nd XI 5-6 Winchester
Romsey mens 2nd XI were pipped in the dying moments of the game to end up on the wrong end of an eleven goal thriller at Kings School Winchester.
Romsey began the game slowly and were outplayed in the early exchanges. Winchester’s early pressure was quickly converted into goals. James Bronk latched on to Gary Davis mis hit shot to bash into the bottom corner, and Olly Kelly latched onto a penetrating pass to finish coolly from the p spot. Almost immediately the hosts forced a penalty corner when skipper Stuart Robertson deliberately kicked the ball having lost his stick a moment before and saw yellow for his trouble. From the penalty corner Winchester forward Gary Davis bundled in a goalmouth scramble from close range, and Winchester must have eyed up a rugby score.
However, almost immediately Romsey fought back thanks to a low backhand strike from Greig Stewart who has energised the team since joining after Christmas. Moments later Romsey clawed back another when a penalty corner went awry and Carl Hendy hastily improvised to find Colin Harwood at the left hand post for a short range tap in.
The smile was comprehensively wiped from Winchester faces when Hendy himself tappind in on the backhand to equalise just after half time. Winchester were not to be denied, and rapidly moved into a 5-3 lead when first Ed Kelly converted in a goalmouth scramble, and then Gary Davis knocked in after some deft one touch play.
Still Romsey would not lie down. Lucas Cross picked off a careless 16 yard hit and drove into the D to release Hendy close in for another backhand finish through the Winchester keeper’s legs.
Romsey forced another penalty corner from which Jim East produced a lightning bolt drag flick which the Winchester keeper could only deflect into the roof of the net, and Romset were level again with only two minutes to play.
In the end, Winchester were too good to be kept out, and found the winner when Ed Kelly capitalised on some broken field play to find Olly Kelly unmarked at the right hand post to flick past Tom Gibson in the Romsey net.
