The penultimate game of the season and the last home game of the season for Oundle saw a Nottingham Trent Uni 3s side visit. This meeting was the first fixture between these two sides with Oundle having to forfeit the reverse fixture after it was rearranged approx a million times.
This week saw the long awaited return of vice captain Adrian Millan whose dose of man up pills appears to have finally kicked in. In the words of Farmer Moore ‘Reunited and it feels so good’. It was a sentimental game with striker George Martin turning 30, which puts him at about a tenth of the age of veteran John Brown.
It was also sentimental for John Brown, being his last home game before enjoying a long overdue retirement. But Oundle will hope to wheel him and fellow retiree Peter Ellis out one last time next week, to give them both a well deserved send off.
A quick special mention should go to skipper Ben Edis who valiantly decided to umpire instead of play. Even though he was injured.
The game started with a NTU3s pushback, and putting Oundle under expected pressure immediately, despite this Oundle kept it tight at the back, refusing to give anything away.
Oundle, not rolling over as I imagine the uni students expected, were taken by surprise, both by the excellent defensive work of the team, and the swiftness of the counter attacks that Oundle were able to mount.
Oundle were even able to have the first meaningful shot of the game, with George Martin taking 2 bites of the cherry forcing NTU3s keeper into 2 very good reaction saves.
The nerves of NTU could be seen, they clearly weren’t expecting this kind of resistance from the 3rd bottom side. Also helping was outspoken left winger, who did a fantastic job of rattling NTU3s, with both words, and let’s say some… interesting tackles. Despite one of the NTU3s player thinking a particular tackle made Phillips week, it actually made his year.
Halfway through the first half and NTU3s were finally starting to grow into the game, they won their first short corner of the game. This was dispatched very well, low and to the left, Youngy getting a touch which was unfortunate to take it over the stick of JB on the post.
Despite this setback Oundle were not dismayed and stuck to their tasks well. Despite increased pressure from a now ascendant NTU team. Youngy was well protected in goal, only being called into action a couple of times to make some routine saves.
It was during a short corner that newly returned skipper for the day Adrian Millan had to ask fellow CB Farmer Moore to tie his shoe laces due to him forgetting how to tie an knot and nothing to do with his dodgy thumb.
1-0 at half time was the score with Oundle positive that they could keep it together. Unfortunately early on an unlucky and cruel deflection off of Brenners landed at the feet of a NTU3s forward by the right hand post who gleefully tapped in from a yard out past the diving Youngy.
Not satisfied with his assist, Brenners later on tried to score with a deflection from a cross but this was saved by the trailing leg of Youngy.
Youngy was called into action numerous times over the half, making one save which John Brown graciously admitted that he had ‘Every faith Youngy would save it’ anyways, he let the NTU player turn and shoot from the penalty spot with Youngy making what was described by the opposition an ‘Outrageous save’ high to his left to keep the score at 2-0.
However with continuous pressure from the young NTU3s side it began to tell and a 3rd goal became inevitable. This time a high drag flick found the roof of the net.
With the 3rd goal and some tired Oundle legs, discipline started to slip again, Oundle receiving 2 green cards for some bad tackles, the first going to ex skipper Tristan Ashby and the 2nd going to forward George Martin. Although the latter was convinced that the umpire missed retaliation from the NTU3s player.
It was during one of these periods where Oundle were down to 10 men that NTU3s again found the net from a short corner, the first shot was blocked before the 2nd found the left side of the goal. A quick shout from veteran John Brown of ‘How high’ convinced the umpire to chalk off the goal.
With the game winding down and entering its final stages. NTU3s did find the net again with a solo goal which was okay. Beating multiple members of the Oundle back line before finding the roof of the net.
Throughout the game it became apparent that even though NTU3s were extremely proficient at winning short corners, they weren’t quite as good at converting them. With numerous miss traps and fantastic running from the short corners.
A 4-0 loss was the result which, Oundle agreed they would have more than happily taken before the game had begun. It is this result however that confirms their relegation to the 6th tier of Midlands hockey.
We go again one final time next week, away to the actual Nottingham University 5th team. HWTL.
