Mahinda’s Little World

Last Saturday saw my work Christmas do. Before that, however, I had to negotiate a hockey match, for the seconds again, away at Llandudno.

It was a long way to travel to get beaten 3-1. On the plus side, we had a rather weakened team (the midfield, in particular was missing a few key players) and could easily have won had we taken a few more of our chances.

It was a very bad tempered game, violent even. Their players were clearly not averse to getting physical, particularly their centre-forwards, who were, well, a pair of arseholes really. Llandudno were one of the best sides in our league, and research had shown that they score most of their goals from the left wing. As a right back, I was going to have a very hard game.

Our “manager”, T, got us to play zonal marking at the back, which actually worked, and we tried to attack on the wings. The first 15 or so minutes was all us, and we went into a 1-0 lead, which got cancelled out just before half time. I thought I had a pretty mediocre half, to be honest.

The second half came, and they pretty much switched their gameplan to attacking through the middle or on the right - I consider this a personal victory! Unfortunately for us, it worked, and they banged in two goals. One of which, from a short corner, I reckon I should have blocked

I got to attack a fair bit, but it was just one of those days where nothing came off for me - I’d run up the pitch, get the ball…and then lose possession. Ho hum.

Still, I seem to have bedded into the second team. It’s hard work, but definitely fun, and they’re nowhere near as much of a step up from the thirds as I’d originally thought.