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Sat 21 Oct 2023 · East Men's Division 6 South West
Bengal Tigers 1
Mens 5th XI
5
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Bengal Tigers 5-0 Hertford 5s
Josh Dear22 Oct 2023 - 20:08
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Rattling the Tiger’s cage…
This weekend saw the biggest challenge yet for the 5s; a trip to Redbridge to face the team with the most fierce of names and reputation, the Bengal Tigers. Knowing what to expect having heard the reports from the 6s, we set up ready for a defensive battle. With a bare 11, it was going to come down to the mindset of the players and playing smart conservative hockey.
The team in red rose to the occasion. There was no way through the tenacious and solid defensive set up, with the back 5 and midfield 4 forming a frustrating barrier for the Tigers, who have been used to running riot through div 6 defences. As they continued to fail to break through the red wall, tempers started to flair. Dissent amongst their ranks and some colourful language towards one another and the umpires saw a green card upgraded to a yellow, and the Tigers found themselves being dominated for the final 10 minutes of the first half; they were truly rattled. We managed to carve out multiple opportunities, and the home team resorted to booing Darren inside their D to keep the score line level. But level it remained at half time, and deservedly so.
The Tigers sorted themselves out in the second half, and started to play as a team. They stepped up several gears and looked more like the fearsome squad we’d heard about, but we still made it difficult for them. Heroic goal line saves from Kieran, Tony & Daryl kept it competitive , whilst Dorian displayed ‘Rolls Royce’ defending, stepping up on their forwards along with Steve. Chris, Josh and Mark continued to mark tightly and also press their back line, whilst Darren remained a danger on the counter. Ben and Sean were immense at fullback, tackling hard and holding onto the ball well. The Tigers scored 2 good goals from short corners that we could do little about, plus one more from a lovely passing move. We had hoped to hold them at 3-0, but our tired legs unfortunately prevented that. Despite the disappointing score line, we can proudly say that we achieved what we went there for. If we’d said before the game we’d only lose by 5, we would have taken that.
An immense team performance, with everybody giving 100% and having their hero moment. MoM is impossible as everyone was superb, but it’s safe to say that we’re going to miss our dynamic Scottish holding midfielder. Let’s make the most of our last 2 games with him! DoD obviously goes to Ben for attempting to break their left backs’ legs. We move on with our heads held high, with effectively a point in the bank. Bring on Saffron in a fortnight at the 5s home pitch, Queenswood!
Josh
The team in red rose to the occasion. There was no way through the tenacious and solid defensive set up, with the back 5 and midfield 4 forming a frustrating barrier for the Tigers, who have been used to running riot through div 6 defences. As they continued to fail to break through the red wall, tempers started to flair. Dissent amongst their ranks and some colourful language towards one another and the umpires saw a green card upgraded to a yellow, and the Tigers found themselves being dominated for the final 10 minutes of the first half; they were truly rattled. We managed to carve out multiple opportunities, and the home team resorted to booing Darren inside their D to keep the score line level. But level it remained at half time, and deservedly so.
The Tigers sorted themselves out in the second half, and started to play as a team. They stepped up several gears and looked more like the fearsome squad we’d heard about, but we still made it difficult for them. Heroic goal line saves from Kieran, Tony & Daryl kept it competitive , whilst Dorian displayed ‘Rolls Royce’ defending, stepping up on their forwards along with Steve. Chris, Josh and Mark continued to mark tightly and also press their back line, whilst Darren remained a danger on the counter. Ben and Sean were immense at fullback, tackling hard and holding onto the ball well. The Tigers scored 2 good goals from short corners that we could do little about, plus one more from a lovely passing move. We had hoped to hold them at 3-0, but our tired legs unfortunately prevented that. Despite the disappointing score line, we can proudly say that we achieved what we went there for. If we’d said before the game we’d only lose by 5, we would have taken that.
An immense team performance, with everybody giving 100% and having their hero moment. MoM is impossible as everyone was superb, but it’s safe to say that we’re going to miss our dynamic Scottish holding midfielder. Let’s make the most of our last 2 games with him! DoD obviously goes to Ben for attempting to break their left backs’ legs. We move on with our heads held high, with effectively a point in the bank. Bring on Saffron in a fortnight at the 5s home pitch, Queenswood!
Josh
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