Saturday February 18th 2006

East Div 3NW

Market Deeping 1st XI (7) v Cambridge Nomads 2nd XI (1)

Deeping had a Friday night social at the dogs and the players seemed to be influenced by the canines as they ran around like whippets to thrash a team they’d struggled to a draw against before Christmas. Deeping were incredibly sharp, first to every 50-50 ball and passed with pace and accuracy. Only dreadful finishing kept the score to one-nil at halftime, the goal poached by Paul Tancred after a quickly taken free hit..

The second half was exactly the same except that the goals started to flow. Both umpires punished deliberate Nomads’ fouls in the 25 by awarding penalty corners. Treeve Wagstaffe opened the floodgates when his penalty shot was deflected over the Cambs keeper into the net; and the other corner saw Paul Tancred bouncing through the Nomads defenders before lifting the ball gently over the diving keeper. The goals were punctuated by a lovely sweeping move which Andy Kind neatly finished, and three reminders from the rarely available James Sharp of just how much the club miss him. After a subdued first half, he scored an easy first goal then brilliantly deflected in his second, diving full length, before his top of the D shot flashed past an perfectly-positioned Nomads keeper to hit the inside of the post then the goal to complete his hat trick.

Deeping’s second half performance was probably one of their best of the season. They are hoping third place in 3NW may yet yield promotion.

East Div 5NW

Boston 2nd XI (2) v Market Deeping 2nd XI (6)

Despite sitting in second place, Deeping need to keep winning to have any chance of promotion, so they might have been forgiven if their heads had gone down after a pacey Boston side started like a train, scoring a good open-play goal, and a short corner, to go two up totally against the run of play. But the team spirit in this side is staggering with every player believing in his team mates. The first Deeping goal came from the usual source. Muddy Waters is old and slow, but he latched onto Mike Gregson’s cross-come-shot and lashed into the side netting – a finish that would grace any level of hockey. Then another sweeping move down the right saw Gregson pull the back to Water’s strike partner Magnus Windsor who swept powerfully home.

At 2-2 at half time Deeping subbed on Jason Purllant, and although he looked rusty, he obliged by driving into the D and flicking past the keeper. This seemed to turn the game and Pete Smith and Dan Medd began to dominate in midfield. Given time and space Paul Byrne struck a superb short corner, before a switched routine saw Windsor smash his short corner shot through the keeper and defenders. Byrne nearly finished off the best move of the game when he hit the post and Windsor was denied his hat trick when another short corner strike was turned off the line. Waters then took his season’s tally to 30 goals – his best ever – when he cleverly got onto Purllant’s near post cross to sweep home.