League Result: Bath 5- 11 Spencer
Clearly the best all-game performance this season gave Spencer a comfortable victory against Bath. The pre-game warm-up was not ideal with half the team and the club kit lost on the roads of North Somerset. Thanks to the referee and Bath for allowing a slightly delayed start.
Did we need a warm-up? On this 1st half performance, no!
Right from the off, Dan Hughes won nearly all of the face-off ball securing Spencer possession. The midfield and attack worked space for each other and took turns in finding the gaps in the Bath ranks and Spencer soon knocked up a 5-0 lead. By half time, the lead was 7-0. This was looking pretty good.
We knew Bath would fight back. They proved this during the dramatic overtime flags final clash last season. We could not sustain the pace we had set early on and this gave Bath their chances and they pulled back 4 goals. We dug deep in the 4th and regained the midfield battle, which turned out to be the key to the game, scoring freely near the end.
Everyone deserves a shout this week as it was a total team performance with everyone doing their share all over the pitch. Peter Sayia top scored with 4, all of which clinical finishes rounding off excellent attacking play. Dan Hughes was a rock. Mike and Andrew ran solid midfield lines and were the unseen heros who allowed everyone else to play to their best. The running of Will, Colin and Greg was always a threat.
If we had a group award this week, it would have gone to all the short-stick players. But we don’t so the awards go to the defense. Harsh? Maybe, but Colin in goal kept us a clean sheet until the 3rd quarter and he got the players vote. Coach’s vote went to Alan who was devastating at the back. While the two other long sticks, Matt and Rob, neutralised their Bath opponents, Alan was havin’ a blinder.
Man of the match = Colin Byrne (great stops early on between the posts)
Coach’s vote = Alan Keeley (tidy defense and cleared to midfield with pace and skill)
Spencer were;
Colin Byrne, Alan Keeley, Rob Gooch, Matt Blom, Will Walker (2 goals), Dan Hughes, Greg Blackman (1), Colin Rutter (2), Mike Bayern, Nick Flew (1), Joe Bayern (2), Peter Sayia (4), Andrew Mottershead