Match report from Jamie Sheldon.

The 3s were without their captain, had no subs and many were carrying injuries. The eloquent words of encouragement from the Captain clung to their minds as they stepped onto the pitch at Hailsham. However; it didn’t seem to be enough as the opposition scored in the first two minutes. A barrage of attacks followed, with 5 short corners almost hitting the mark.

The Saxons looked at each other knowingly; this was going to be a long day. But sometimes, the hockey gods reveal themselves and after 20 long minutes Freddie burst through the parting clouds and pinged in a reverse hit to level the scores. An onslaught from Saxons began, wave after wave of attack through Arlo, Sam and Dommo.

The halftime talk was short - keep doing what we are doing. The statuesque figures of Dom, Wayne and Pete held the line valiantly. Passes pinging forward from Ben and Tony gave Saxons a short corner, with Dom striking the goal. After Billy stopped the opposition’s best chance in the second half, Freddie dribbled the ball to strike from the top of the D. Jamie flicked the rebound in to make it 3-1.

In the dying minutes, Freddie again hit the ball into the net to make it a 4-1 win. A courageous effort from all. The feeling through the team was elation and every single player played their part.

In a far distant land, Ed, having received live text updates, reclined in his chair, sipped on his appletini and pondered whether he should extend his holiday another week.