Black-washed
Hockey II
Oxford 1
Blackheath 0
OXFORD EVENTUALLY triumphed 1-0 in an away fixture in south east London on Saturday. Blackheath briefly threatened to take the lead at the start, but the Occasionals defence, strengthened by the return of Tom Shimell and Ed Squire, held firm through the initial onslaught.
The Occasionals then began to play the flowing hockey they are known for, and took control of the game. Tom Perry showed flair by spinning 360 degrees with the ball glued to his stick, confusing the opposition defender stationed 10 yards away. Neil Taylor received his final pass in a smooth combination move, only to lose his footing in the 'D' when attempting to shoot.
Mark Thomson, in a rare sojourn down the wing, drove into the circle, drew the keeper, but flashed his shot shoulder-high across the face of the goal, confirming his position as a defender. The teams were still dead-locked going into the second half, but Oxford came out with all guns firing and peppered Blackheath's defence.
Some controversial umpiring meant that the O's had to wait until midway through the second period to win their first short-corner, and with regular striker Phil Pond off the pitch, a variation move was good enough only to win another corner. This time, however, the ball was moved to Sean Hamill, whose flick was too good for anyone to stop.
Oxford continued to press for the second goal, which they thought they had when Taylor forced the ball over the line despite a valiant attempt at a headed clearance by Blackheath's centre back, but the umpire ruled only a short corner for the O's. As the clocked ticked on, Oxford, despite controlling the game, were unable to convert promising attacks into goals.
Just on the final whistle, Blackheath were awarded a dubious short corner, and brought their entire side up to push for an equaliser. Two attempts resulted in further penalty corners, but the O's defence capped an excellent game by clearing the danger, and surviving. Three points, then, and a good performance to take into next week's home clash with high-flying Bromley.
4th Nov 1999