Men's 1s into round 2 of EHV

Aylesbury Men’s 1s started off their campaign in the England Hockey Vase on Sunday 15th November against Amersham and Chalfont. Amersham & Chalfont play in MBBO Division 1, a league below Aylesbury 1s. However, Amersham have won all seven games in their league this season.

Aylesbury had six key first team player unavailable throughout the team, which gave Joel Arul and Dan Best their first 1st team appearance of the season. Dan Smith also returned for only his second game of the season. Aylesbury were undefeated in 17 straight games.

The game started with Aylesbury enjoying a lot of the early possession creating a few good chances on the Amersham goal forcing some good saves out of the Amersham goalkeeper. Aylesbury’s dominate start got its reward when a scramble in front of goal was blown up by the umpire and a penalty stroke was awarded. Austin Greenlee stepped up and coolly dispatched the flick to the keeper’s right who had guessed the wrong way.

Amersham came back hard at Aylesbury after the opening goal but were unable to break through a solid Aylesbury defence lead by Daniel Lindars and Mark Bowes at full backs. A well worked breakaway move saw the ball find its way to Austin Greenlee who skipped passed two challenges and fired a reverse stick shot high into the top left of the goal to double Aylesbury’s lead.

Aylesbury then added two more before the half time whistle, both coming from short corners. A low flick from Chris McIntyre was saved by the Amersham keeper only to fall to top goal scorer Jake Hodgins who showed no mercy to the defenders on the line to score Aylesbury’s third of the game. Chris McIntyres low drag flick into the bottom left hand corner of the goal sealed a 4-0 lead at half time.

Aylesbury began the second half with Coach Jaypee Wentzel’s words fresh in their mind that Amersham will come out fighting in the second half of this all-or-nothing game. He could not have been more correct. Early in the second half Amersham had pulled one back though Captain Dougie McAteer after a short corner strike was saved by Stephen Best in goal, McAteer got the ball first to flick into an empty net.

Both side then had chances to score Amersham had a succession of short corners kept out by the Aylesbury defence before another breakaway and a ball across goal gave Dan Best a chance to score only to be thwarted by a last ditch clearance from a Amersham defender. Shortly before the end of the game Amersham added a second through Gary Noble from a short corner.

Aylesbury progress into round two and will face Berkwell and Balsall Common Hockey Club at RAF Halton on Sunday 29th November.

Amersham & Chalfont HC (0) 2

Dougie McAteer 45 – PC
Gary Noble 65 – PC

Aylesbury HC (4) 4

Austin Greenlee 8 20 – PS F
Jake Hodgins 27 – PC
Chris McIntyre 32 – PC