Mens H 3-2 Skyers - Hs are back!

 We turned up with 12 men that included a feverish Cyrus Law in goal and Alan
Powrie starting at left back carrying an injury from the week before.

We dominated territory in the first half, but it wasn't pretty or
constructive hockey.  We again got into the bad habit of playing the
ineffective "hit and hope" hockey that had dogged us since the Recreio
fixture on grass 2 weeks ago.  



It was not surprising to see Skyers score first with their tricky forwards'
dribbling cutting us open.   A well worked short corner saw Skyers
deservedly take the lead in the first half.



Undeterred, we knuckled down even more.  Late on in the first half, sheer
willpower and pressure forced our first short corner of the match after
Roger Nissim made a rare foray into their D.  Our first clear-cut chance
from the ensuing set-piece was confidently dispatched by Guy Higgins low
into the corner of the backboard to even up the scores at the break.



An unusual teamtalk followed - with Guy being surrounded by every other
member of the playing personnel, plus Chappie.  There was method to my
madness and a plan was hatched.



The plan was expertly executed in the 15-minute spell immediately following
the break.  We arguably played the most incisive hockey of the season during
this period to open up a 2-goal lead.  Firstly, Guy's mazy dribble through
the inside right channel culminated in a square ball right across the face
of goal for Nigel Mukherjee to tap in at the far post.  Moments later, Mark
Kan sent me free but my statutory mis-controlled first touch forced me too
far away from goal.  The only option available to me was a cutback from the
short corner spot to the top of the D, where Guy was ghosting in late
unmarked to smash in his second goal of the game.



Mark sent me free again for what would have been a game killing 4th goal,
only for my hamstring to "twang" and tell me to take an enforced 6-week
lay-off.  Alan Powrie came back on the field as an auxiliary striker and
nearly found the scoresheet within a few minutes of his debut upfront.  But
then our recent injury curse struck again 10 minutes after my hammy went,
when Roger Nissim succumbed to the same fate and he had to hobble off.



Our 10-men then had to stave off some serious pressure.  There were no
arguments from us when a flick was awarded after the ball made contact with
Nick Hunsworth's foot on the goal-line.  Cyrus, barely alive with the flu,
came up with another penalty flick save, which I think preserves his 100%
record.



Chappie reshuffled the pack to play a 4-4-1 formation and although Skyers
managed to pull a goal back from another well worked short corner, it was
too little too late for them.  We closed out the game in a professional
manner adopting some subtle time-wasting tactics, which included getting a
sacrificial green card (Hunsworth!) to further eat away at the clock. 



Final score: HKFC H's 3 - 2 Skyers B.  The H's are back!



Louman