Hawks C first tour game report

Hawks C 1 vs West Hamstead 0
August 20 2010

It was a dark night under an ominous sky that never quite delivered on a promise of rain. A raggle-taggle collection of bodies had found their way to the Whitefield School. This scarred and scarring sand-based pitch seemed the perfect spot to get things underway on this first overseas tour for the men of Hawks C.

Eager to get started, we assembled at the field approximately two hours prior to the first whistle. We got a good sweat going with a spirited game of mini-hockey. This provided an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with some of our newer additions. The Hawks' tentacles had pulled in a number of reinforcements from around the globe. Dirk Sickmuller (brother of Hawk Rolf) joins us from sunny Nairobi. Will Harvey climbed down from the ivory towers of Oxford to rejoin the team he led to a First Division championship just two years ago. Simon Vallance-Owen decided he had nothing better to do than follow his brother Anthony around so we gave him a jersey and put him to work. Lastly, Fraser Stewart joins us as a refugee from Hawks B. All additions were welcome - we have a short roster for a touring squad. With many of us on the wrong side of forty, the possibility of shattered hips and early onset alzheimers looms very large on our collective horizons.

The game started brightly for the tourists. West Hampstead yielded a couple of early chances and were absorbing quite a bit of Hawk pressure. The locals had bravely chosen to start the match with just ten men and the Hawks capitalized. MIke Foxcroft put the finishing touch on a messy short corner by driving a ball home past the West Hampstead 'keeper. As one of two players with their fathers in attendance, Mike was happy for the opportunity to show his dad that he hasn't forgotten everything he learned as a youngster growing up in St. Ives.

Whether sparked by the arrival of an eleventh man or simply as a function of the jet lag catching up with the Hawks, momentum shifted somewhat in the second half. Offensive forays were scarce for Hawks and 'keeper Chad Ross was forced into a number of lovely stops. Fraser and Ian MacKenzie had their hands full with the rampaging Hampstead forwards but acquitted themselves admirably. A clean sheet and a 1-0 victory was their reward.

The night wound out with dinner and drinks at the spectacular West Hampstead clubhouse and, as the calendar rolled over to Saturday, a local drinking establishment. West Hampstead were excellent hosts and we need to thank Hawk Sarah Fletcher for arranging this first match. We couldn't have asked for a better tour kick-off than our match against her home club.

Next Match: Sunny Sunday afternoon vs Cambridge City.

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Hawks C first tour game report

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