OPPOSITION	MBDA (formerly British Aerospace) 1st XI
VENUE	Away
DATE	17-11-2007
RESULT	Lost 1-2

All the possession but no points for Potters Bar against a well-organised and clinical MBDA

Potters Bar's winning streak of 11 matches in the NE14HOCKEY East League Division Six South West division came to an end in cruel circumstances. Bar dominated the match but MBDA (formerly British Aerospace) 1st XI sat back and absorbed the pressure, riding their luck at times and struck twice on the break to win.

From the start, Potters Bar were playing their hockey in MBDA's half. MBDA's tactic of leaving one player upfront and putting everyone else behind the ball meant that Bar had little trouble manoeuvring the ball about in midfield. In one of Bar's many attacks the ball broke to Andy Stokes whose snap shot went just wide of the far post.

Mark Turpin had the ball in the back of the net and the goal was given. But after the umpires conferred, the goal was disallowed, the ball having come off the Bar player's body prior to crossing the line.

Soon afterwards, Stokes thought he had scored when the ball was struck through a crowded D and deflected off a stick into the goal. But the touch needed to come from an attacker's stick to be a legitimate goal and despite Stokes' claims that it had hit his stick the umpire ruled this out.

With half time approaching, an MDBA player was the first to a long clearance from defence down the right-hand touchline. With the Bar defenders pushing up there was little cover in defense. However when the cross came in from the right, the goalkeeper had the danger covered. But a touch from a defender took the ball past the keeper and the lone MBDA attacker had a simple finish.

In the second half Bar again had wave after wave of attack, with MBDA occasionally looking dangerous on the counter. Again Bar had the ball in the back of the goal, but the whistle had gone moments earlier for an offence by MBDA.

Then, on a rare foray upfield, MBDA's centre midfielder and probably best player won a short corner. As the defence blocked the first shot, the same player skillfully pushed the ball through a defender's legs and shot past the goalkeeper to put MBDA 2-0 up.

5 minutes from time, Bar got a goal back, when Andy Latham shot home from a short corner. But it was too little too late and MBDA celebrated as they knew they had pulled off one of the upsets of the season.

Team:

Jonny Weller, Jon Yates, Time Bye, Rob Donoghue, Paul Brady, Owen Hughes
Andy Stokes, Mark Turpin, Tony Sayers, Ed Newbery, Andy Latham, Chris Wood

Umpire: Alan Field

Goal scorers:

Andy Latham