OPPOSITION	Vauxhall 2nd XI
VENUE	Home
DATE	05-04-2008
RESULT	Won 4-1

Bar end the season with a win, but will not be happy with a disappointing performance

Bar signed off with a win on Saturday, but were slightly disappointed not to reach their usual standards. Vauxhall arrived very late, delaying the game, and when the game got underway Vauxhall had only around 9 players wearing a variety of different shirts.

This confusion didn't prevent Bar from scoring an early goal, Andy Latham getting on the end of a cross from the right to score from the penalty spot.

With a couple of Vauxhall players arriving to bolster their squad, Bar found the going harder and couldn't get into their normal rhythm. The Vauxhall players were either mistake-prone or very good, showing flashes of skill to beat Bar players. One thing all Vauxhall players had was intensity, whilst they also showed a desire to get to the ball and close down players quickly.

Every decision seemed to go against Bar and chances were few and far between for both teams.

In the second half Bar soon got their second goal, Steve Walters supplying the cross and Latham taking his goal tally to an impressive 34 for the season.

Vauxhall briefly came back into the game when they scored from a short corner with a neat deflection at the far post. However, Chris Chittleborough settled the match with a calm finish after the Vauxhall goal keeper was beaten. Chittleborough's flick came off a defender's face and into the net but thankfully the defender suffered no injury.

With promotion and the NE14HOCKEY East League Division Six South West division title already assured, the game had no bearing on division places, but it took Bar's goals scored this season to a mighty 122. Bar can be proud of perhaps their best ever season, wining 19 of 22 league games and amassing a goal difference of plus 105.

The forthcoming Broxbourne Summmer League gets underway this week and will be a good preparation for the tougher tests Bar face in Division Five South West next season.

N.B. Andy Latham scored an extra goal in the first half, but it eludes my memory as to how this was scored.

Team:

Jonny Weller, Tim Bye, Chris Chittleborough, Roy Hill, Ed Newbery, Paul Brady,
Owen Hughes, Andy Stokes, Chris Wood, Mark Turpin, Andy Latham, Steve Walters, Dave

Umpire: Alan Field

Goal scorers: Andy Latham (3), Chris Chittleborough