Newmarket strengthen
position in push for second consecutive title
Newmarket knew they had
to blow away winder cobwebs and keep their concentration, despite
the lowly position of their opponents. The last league game for
Newmarket had been their excellent win against Cambridge City IV on
5th December 1998.
Once again, a quick
start helped to settle Newmarket, and this time the opener was not
from a short corner, but rather from a swift exchange of passes down
the right hand side (a successful ploy throughout the game), ending
with a goal for Hayden Marsh - this after 2 minutes! Soon, Newmarket
had put a little cushion between themselves and the opposition with
an excellent short corner goal from William Wilson.
After a spell of
pressure with no further result, partly due to that last finishing
strike being unusually off-target from Cummins, Newham and Marsh
again, it was Mothercare moment 1. After a dribble (!) that seemed
to last forever, and with his team mates transfixed, Dave Badcock
eventually released the ball to Wilson insude the "D", and receiving
a swift pass back, Badcock found himself with just the 'keeper to
bear, which he did with aplomb.
On the very stroke of
half-time, a further goal appeared to have been scored by Magnus
Magnusson. Unfortunately, the "I've stated so I'll finish" routine
does not work in Hockey, and the umpire decreed that he had blown
the whistle for the break just before the ball crossed the line -
half-time - 3-0.
Into the second half,
and Newmarket again started brightly. However, after five minutes of
excellent pressure, they seemed to lose their way, and gave St Ives
one or two chances to threaten. Having said that, the defence stood
firm and 'keeper Steve Freed was not called upon at any stage.
The fourth goal came
from a good interception by William Wilson, who took the ball back
to the top of the opposition's "D", jinked right and hammered the
ball past the excellent, and unrecognisable, St Ives 'keeper.
Cummins soon scored a fifth, and then, the moment of the match, and
one that will live with all who saw it! Mothercare moment 2 involved
only two players, and went from just inside the Newmarket 25 to a
goal at the other end.
Billy Wilson, senior
member of the squad, picked up the ball, and took it forward into
space, just inside his own half. Then, like a man possessed, he ran
around two St Ives players and found himself with an oncoming
defender on the opposition 25. With what he later described as a
great dummy (hence Mothercare), but with a move that looked
suspiciously unintentional, he beat that man and hit a good cross
into the "D", where Cummins scorched a first time shot past the
'keeper. Unused to being so far forward, Wilson had to get
directions from his colleagues to get back to his own defensive
position before the re-start. Nevertheless, it was certainly a great
move.
With seconds to go, a
short corner routine was finished with the merest of touches inside
the far post enabling Gibson to score, and the total reached another
Magnificent Seven.
Simon Greenwood had
another good game, and the last few matches are now eagerly awaited.
