LEAGUE HOCKEY
PLASHET HOCKEY CLUB

Plashet 1 Vs Chelmsford 3

24th January 2009



6 - 3

Plashet travelled to Chelmer Park to face an under performing Chelmsford side so far this season, where a victory for the men in orange was crucial. 

From the start of the game, it was evident that Chelmsford was fielding at least 3 players from their stronger team above. None the less, Plashet had a job to do on a day when spirits were high in the orange camp. As expected, the addition of Chelmsford 's more experienced players enabled them a higher ability to control the game in the first 10 minutes. It was shortly after; Chelmsford took the lead through a short corner strike which went straight under Sudeep Singh; the Plashet keeper. However, after the restart, Plashet raised their game and began posing more problems for the Chelmsford defenders, with 20 minutes gone; Inderjeet scored an absolute screamer of a goal which would have been more fitting as the winner rather than an equaliser. From the right hand channel, he weaved past 4 defenders until he reached the top of the 'D', with just the keeper to beat, he positioned himself for the reverse strike which he struck with venom, banging the backboard, past the keepers left. With the scores level, the rest of the half was played out in a very attacking manner by both teams. However with 5 minutes left of the first half, Chelmsford regained the lead through yet another short corner, this time it was a very soft goal conceded by Plashet, the man on the post; Inderjeet was unable to stop the initial strike as the ball came of his stick and dribbled agonisingly into the empty goal. 

  As the second half got underway, Plashet continued playing attacking hockey and looked to take the game to Chelmsford . However with just under 5 minutes gone, Chelmsford increased their lead further, after a Plashet attack broke down, the ball found its way to the unmarked Chelmsford centre forward who managed to squeeze his strike between the near post and the Plashet shot stopper from an acute angle. Although 3-1 down, the men in orange still had plenty of time to salvage the game,  Plashet increased their intensity to the game, and as a result they began creating more goal scoring opportunities. Before long, Himmat Singh pulled a goal back after he was superbly put through on goal by Hardeep Singh, as the keeper attempted to intercept the ball; Himmat smartly rounded the ball past him to push the ball into the empty goal. With more pressure applied on the Chelmsford defenders, Plashet levelled the scores through Inderjeet, his direct strike from a short corner left the Chelmsford keeper very little time to react and could only watch helplessly as the ball rifled past his right foot hitting the side board. There after, up until the end of the game, it was all Plashet as they tore the Chelmsford defenders apart with their skill, passing and pace. Hardeep Singh was the man to give Plashet the lead for the first time in the game, after his mazy run; he also saw his reverse stick strike hit the backboard past the wrong footed keeper. With a little under 15 minutes remaining, Plashet went further ahead as Himmat drove towards the opposition goal, he slipped the ball square of the keeper to Inderjeet Singh who took the ball in his stride and neatly tucked the ball into the bottom right hand corner. With the game now being played out in the Chelmsford half, the men in orange sealed victory when Hardeep received the ball on the penalty spot to slot the ball into the empty net.

Plashet showed a great test of character in this game, and need to maintain the momentum in future games to maintain pressure on the teams above.