Potters Bar I 4 Broxbourne II 1 (HT: 1-0)
Saturday 27th February 2010

Team: E Newbery (Capt), G Smith (GK), B Graham, R Donoghue, O Hughes, C Chittleborough, C Irish, T Sayers, M Edson, D Fennell, E Whybrow, M Tomkins, M Turpin, H Chittleborough

Goalscorers: M Turpin (33 and 67), D Fennell (42), E Whybrow (54)

Umpire: Jon Yates

The skipper had set the scene in the previous week’s match report as well as in training on Monday – this was a vitally important game in the continued push to keep ahead of St Albans Exiles for the NE14HOCKEY East League Division 4 South West title, even if 3 points from today’s game would secure promotion.

From the outset Bar dominated proceedings with lots of good passing up front with Charlie Irish dominating things in midfield and Dave Fennell looking particularly dangerous down the right hand side. A succession of goal bound efforts found the Broxbourne keeper in excellent form to deny the Bar forwards:

On 7 minutes a short corner brought a double save, as first Mark Turpin, and then on the follow up Charlie Irish, were denied. Five minutes later another good move found Tony Sayers free on the left and his fine low shot was well saved. Just a further minute later Tony was again denied by the keeper from his strike from a short corner. On 23 minutes came the first of a common theme of the afternoon – a Miles Tomkins effort saved by the keeper – on this occasion a fine hit from the edge of the D which the keeper did well to see, let alone keep out.

The danger of course in this sort of situation (as with the West Herts game a few weeks back) is to see the opposition get a break away goal and as the half wore on Broxbourne in fact engineered a number of chances that could easily have turned the tables, with their front man always looking dangerous. Keeper Geoff Smith was forced into a couple of very good saves and the forward also missed an open goal!

It looked like the deadlock had finally been broken on 26 minutes as the Broxbourne keeper came out and his attempted clearance ran loose to Mark Turpin to turn the ball home. However amid appeals from the Broxbourne defence Miles Tomkins admitted to using a foot in the build up and the goal was disallowed.

Ed Whybrow entered the fray late in the half, immediately announced himself with a run through the defence and then on 28 minutes saw his flick from a shot corner go just past the post. Finally on 32 minutes Bar took a deserved lead – Harry Chittleborough was put clear on the right hand side, inevitably the keeper saved the first effort but Harry was alive to the call of Mark Turpin who was free in the D to pass the ball home.

Despite only being 1 goal up at half time the skipper was delighted with the first half performance, stressing the need to keep Broxbourne’s centre forward carefully marked in the second half and to go out and play the with the same effort in the second half.

From the restart Geoff Smith again needed to be alert to make another good save to deny Broxbourne before Bar had got back into their stride. Soon Bar took control again – on 41 minutes Mark Turpin made a surging run and although he delayed his pass the ball soon ran to Miles Tomkins who was once again denied by the keeper. Just a minute later and the second goal came, with Ed Whybrow feeding the ball through to Dave Fennell who took careful aim to drill the ball home.

The goal increased the confidence of the Bar play as they looked to put the game out of sight. On 48 minutes a smart short corner move found Miles Tomkins and his fine low shot was denied by a splendid diving save. Three minutes later though and Broxbourne were back in the match. Another break away saw the forward skip past Geoff Smith and despite the best efforts by the defenders on the line, a penalty flick was awarded, and duly despatched, for the use of a foot on the line.

The goal did not take Bar out of their stride however as a short corner was won on 54 minutes and Ed Whybrow fired home to restore the two goal advantage. Miles Tomkins remained in the action and was twice more denied by the keeper. However if he couldn’t score then at least he was able to turn provider with 3 minutes remaining, taking the ball to the bye line to offer Mark Turpin an easy tap in to secure a 4-1 victory.

On another day, without an opposition goalkeeper in inspired form, the score line could have been many more, but the side will be happy at having secured promotion with 4 games remaining (did anyone really expect that at the start of the season?) and ensuring that St Albans will have to keep winning to keep up.

More photos from the 1st XI game (in a slideshow)

by Anthony Levy