Whitley Bay & Tynemouth Hockey Club

WBTHC 1 v Leeds 1

WBTHC 1s hosted Leeds 1s on a surprisingly bright October Saturday. Looking the part in their new home kit WBTHC flew out of the blocks in the opening 15 minutes, playing fluent and fast paced hockey, pushing the Leeds team back and creating chance after chance in what at first seemed was going to be a comfortable Saturday for the home team. Worryingly however, WBTHC failed to take any of the numerous early chances despite their dominance, and this seems to be fast becoming too common a characteristic for a team, which broke the league scoring record the previous year. Leeds, trying to relieve some pressure, were forced to resort to long crashed balls through the middle of the field and managed to create a penalty corner on the break. The visitors gave an example of how to be clinical and scored with a well worked deflected corner from their first shot on goal. To the disbelief of the home team, Leeds were soon 2 – 0 up, after a further break from the back and low shot which somehow wriggled between Fotheringham’s legs, one which he will want to forget.

In the second period, the home team once again came out fast and attacked the Leeds back line from both sides as they started to regain confidence. Soon WBTHC were back in the game from a penalty corner of their own, dispatched from close range by Titmus after a saved drag flick from Lewis. Sensing they could still win the game WBTHC committed men forward again, creating chances and numerous penalty corners but with no final product, building frustration amongst the home squad. For the third time in the game, Leeds showed the home team how to be clinical in the area with a low shot fired into the bottom right hand corner. In the final 10 minutes of the game, Titmus managed to turn the home possession into a goal and grab a second leaving a very interesting final few minutes. WBTHC flooded men forward at every opportunity again creating several short corners which would have given them their deserved equaliser. However it seemed that it wasn’t going to be their day as in the final minute of the game Leeds grabbed their fourth as the home team committed men forward leaving gaps in defence. WBTHC must learn from this harsh defeat and look to be more clinical in front of goal if they are to get back to winning ways against Manchester next week.

WBTHC 1 (2-4) Leeds 1