Romsey Hockey Club

Romsey Mens 2nd XI 0-1 US Portmouth

Romsey mens 2nd XI were edged out 0-1 in a very tight match against US Portsmouth to end their fourth season in fourth place in Hampshire Div 7, having been promoted for each of their first three seasons.

The match itself was not a great spectacle. Both sides were highly competitive in midfield and strong at the back and it was a game of few chances. The match was also marred by careless tackling from both sides, and Jamie Voller can count himself very unlucky to be sin binned for two tackles which were no worse than many others which were not penalised at all.

Man of the match Monty Roberts worked tirelessly all match, giving the USP back line a torrid time, and was unlucky not to score the opener to the home side when Josh Bishop broke into the D before firing across the goal for Roberts to deflect the ball just wide and Colin Harwood unable to steer home at the left hand post. Carl Hendy shot wide from eight yards.

USP had their chances as well, one producing a brilliant save from Tom Gibson in the Romsey goal, and another goal bound shot cleared off the line in mid air by Jim Ponsford.

The goal when it came was not pretty. A speculative cross was half stopped by Stuart Robertson and broke fortuitously to a USP forward on the right hand post with the space to shovel home.

Romsey Mens 2nd XI 3-0 Basingstoke
The home side created the early chances, but could get no change out of the re-jigged Romsey back line of Andrew Archibald, Jamie Voller and Dave Andrews. After 10 minutes however, Romsey took a grip on the game they would never relinquish, characterised by a high tempo which was too hot for the home side to handle.
On 20 minutes Romsey took a deserved lead when Josh Bishop broke into the D and fired a shot from the top of the D, the ’stoke keeper could only parry it away and Colin Harwood was on hand to crash in from the acutest of angles to draw level with Carl Hendy as leading scorer. Romsey wingers James Boggis and Lucas Cross were running riot, but Romsey could force nothing more and went in at half time 1-0 ahead.
After the break, Basingstoke pressed briefly for an equaliser but found keeper Tom Gibson in great form and could not turn their pressure into goals.
It was Bishop once again the creator to break the shackles, pouncing on a weak pass before breaking with pace up the pitch and into the D, before beating the keeper and rolling the ball goalwards for arch-predator Carl Hendy to latch onto and tap in to go one goal ahead of Harwood and put Romsey 2-0 up.
In the Romsey centre Matt Munro was enjoying a dominant performance, and it was he who created the opportunity for Josh Bishop to put his name on the scoresheet. A killer pass found Bishop unmarked in the D to turn and crash past the ’stoke keeper and in of the inside of the post for a 3-0 lead, and to secure all three points.

Romsey Mens 2nd XI 2-2 Gillingham
Romsey Mens 2nd XI dragged a creditable draw from Gillingham at home after losing out narrowly 1-2 in the first half of the season. The first half full of quality hockey from both sides, but neither could break the deadlock. Gillingham were showing Romsey a little too much respect in possession, but the home side were lingering too long on the ball, and were unable to make the breakthrough and went in 0-0 at half time.
In a break with recent form against the better sides in the division, Romsey took the lead when Colin Harwood latched onto a rebound to tap in from close range after leading scorer Carl Hendy had seen his shot beaten out early in the second half.
The match continued at a high tempo, with both sides committed to playing open and flowing hockey.
The away side bit back thanks to a left hand post tap in after a pass into the D had eluded everyone on its way through.
As the second period wore on, Gillingham’s relative youth began to tell, and the visitors took a deserved lead, although the manner of scoring was unfortunate. Dave Loescher’s 16 yard hit was picked off by the Gillingham forward line, but were forced out wide. Shooting speculatively from a narrow angle, a shot which might have gone wide was deflected into the Romsey goal by keeper Tom Gibson.
Romsey never gave up however continuing to apply pressure into the dying minutes of the match, and were rewarded with a late equaliser when Josh Bishop burst into the D and fired in a low shot against the keepers pads. The rebound bounced kindly for Harwood to force home through the slenderest of gaps between pad and post to earn a well deserved point.

Romsey Mens 2nd XI 3-1 Southampton
Romsey mens 2nd XI recorded another comfortable victory against Southampton on saturday, although, as with so many of Romsey’s recent results, the margin should have been much greater.
Romsey dominated the early phases of the match and went into an early lead when James Boggis latched onto the loose ball after Carl Hendy’s shot was saved.
Romsey then gave away an equaliser when Jamie Voller was caught in two minds as to who to pass to, and fell over instead. Southampton pounced on the slip, quickly squaring for a snap finish to level the scores. Late in the half Romsey went ahead when Boggis fed Matt Munro who flicked past the keeper from wide on the right of the D to make the half time score 2-1 to the visitors.
The second half followed much the same pattern as the first, Romsey applying the pressure, Southampton dragging ten men behind the ball and trying to catch Romsey on the break. Voller, Dave Loescher and Jim Ponsford were having none of it however, and Southamptons chances were limited to the occasional foray as far as the attcking 23 before the threat was quickly snuffed out. In the end Romsey did force a third to make the game safe when Monty Roberts neatly swivelled and shot low into the right hand corner, and the match finished 3-1 to Romsey

Romsey Mens 2nd XI 2-0 Wimborne Wayfarers
It is almost more revealing to catalogue the missed chances in a match where Romsey were utterly dominant, allowing Wimborne Zero attempts on target in a thoroughly one sided affair at Romsey Community School. Carl Hendy had as many chances in this game as he has scored goals this season, and although he converted one to record Romsey’s second will feel aggrieved not to have registered more. Colin Harwood went close on a number of occasions, Dave Loescher and Skipper Stuart Robertson fired narrowly wide from penalty corners while Jim East had a drag flick saved. Romsey welcomed back Matt Munro after a long injury lay off for him to hit the post with a viscous strike. Lucas Cross and Monty Roberts were combining well to create a series of chances to no avail, and even full back Dave Andrews got in on the act, making a wonderful run from deep, exchanging passes with Colin Harwood before bringing and excellent save from the keeper.
Lucas Cross might have opened the scoring having found space 3 metres out only to flick against the keepers pads. However, shortly afterwards he was on target, threading a deft flick from the top of the D inside the left hand post.
Towards the end of the half Hendy found Harwood with a neat pass to the top of the D, received the return and knocked in a smart finish.
Romsey will have mixed feelings, delighted to have carved their opponents open again and again whilst remaining defensively impenetrable, but bitterly disappointed not to have scored more.