MATCH REPORT M1 v Milton Keynes

Our Men’s 1’s headed to Milton Keynes to attempt to wrap up the season in style knowing that a win, and some other positive results would see them finish nearer the top of the table than the bottom, which after an awful start to the season would be an excellent outcome.

For the first 15-20 mins you could tell the team were already looking ahead to a well-earned summer break and maybe a drink or two on their night on the tiles they had planned for that same evening, it was not hockey that was on display. However, a few meaningful forays into the MK “D”, lead to several short corners one of which was lifted into a defender’s body on the line and a flick was awarded, up stepped Lee only to see his effort ping off the foot of the post and away to safety. This seemed to give Wanderers a sense of anger and injustice as they thought the ball had crossed the line from the short corner, they took this and turned it into some good passing hockey, opening up MK on several occasions and the breakthrough came as Lee got the goal he missed out on with the flick. A second followed shortly afterwards as skipper Ollie skilfully made his way forward and dispatching the ball in the net. Half time reached with Wootton in control and not really being troubled by MK 0-2.

A bit of a reminder from Ollie and Cam at half time that this was still a league game and that the lads should leave everything on the pitch for the last game, meant the second half started much more positively than the first, with more short corners allowing Wanderers to display their repertoire (pass Dan!!). Unfortunately, they found the MK keeper on good form and saving shot after shot, so it was from open play that Wootton found the net twice more, Chris finding himself with time and space to pick his spot and Captain Ollie crowning the season with another fine solo goal to make the final score 0-4 to Wanderers and to see the lads finish 5th in the final reckonings.