Gorleston Hockey Club

Gorleston Men’s Hockey Club began the second half of the season’s fixtures with a trip to face old rivals, Norwich City 2nd XI. With points now needed desperately, this was a chance for Gorleston to redeem the narrow loss in their first game of the season.

On a very frosty pitch, Gorleston made a strong start and only three minutes into the game took the lead. The Norwich Keeper initially stopped a ball crossed into the home circle from Gorleston’s right wing; but Martyn Vaudin reacted extremely quickly to pounce on the loose ball and sweep this into the Norwich goal. Gorleston’s hopes of points for the game were then heightened by a second goal on nine minutes. From a short corner, a sweet strike from central defender Rob Harlow left the Norwich defence with no chance and Gorleston were in dreamland for a while.

Norwich City struck back though through a short corner of their own after the Gorleston defence were unable to clear their lines. Gorleston still had over all control of the game in the first half though and restored a two-goal lead shortly before half time. A surging run from Simon Harris on the left wing carried him into the Norwich circle and his reverse stick pass deceived everyone off the frozen surface and few into the top corner of the Norwich goal.

Gorleston started brightly in the second half but could not build on their lead and Norwich City began to take control of the game. Now defending the frozen end of the pitch, the Gorleston defence were tested time and again by the Norwich team had to weather a number of short corners. Eventually, Norwich broke through Gorleston’s resolute defence to make the score 2-3. Gorleston then had to endure a torrid period when Harlow was sent to the sin-bin for questioning another Norwich short corner too directly. Gorleston were hanging on as the clock wound down and it looked like a vital three points to the visitors, but disaster struck with only second left of the clock when a Norwich shot that was going wide of Barney King’s goal was deflected by another Norwich player and crept into the Gorleston goal. The match ended after only one pass from the restart and Gorleston were deflated, the draw feeling like a loss after conceding so late in the game.

A deserved point for Norwich though, given the extent of their pressure on Gorleston in the second half. Mat of the Match for Gorleston was Jamie Higginbotham for his commanding display at the heart of the Gorleston defence.

Squad: B King (C), K MacDonald, R Harlow, H Cheung, J Higginbotham, Martyn Vaudin, M Reymont, A Lilley, Mark Vaudin, S Harris, S long, R Pallant, R Crawford, N Hudson.