Hailsham Hockey Club |
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Affiliated to: Sussex Hockey Association |
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Hailsham continue to underperform against Sussex Police going down 4 - 0 in a typically robust encounter between these two teams.
Playing a simple but effective game based on crisp passing and uncompromising tackling the Police always looked in control but to their credit Hailsham made them work hard for their victory and it was only deep in to the second half that the Police built an unassailable lead.
In the first twenty minutes there was little to choose between the two teams until an unlucky deflection from Laurens Dyer's stick flew into the Hailsham goal to give the Police the lead. Hailsham responded spiritedly with Steve Johnson driving forward down the right wing whilst Ian Johnson made a nuisance of himself up front. Shortly before the break Hailsham were inches away from equalising when Ian Johnson's strike following a short corner routine was almost turned in by Neil Phillips and the mood in the Hailsham camp at half time was still optimistic.
But the game turned decisively in favour of the Police in a dramatic ten minute spell midway through the second half. First Hailsham came agonisingly close to levelling when Ian Johnson's shot was partially blocked by a Police stick and fizzed past the right hand post and then Steve Johnson found himself temporarily off the pitch after the umpire showed him the yellow card.
The Police now looked like a side that was biding its time and sure enough they gradually wore down the Hailsham defence with slick passing and good movement up front. The final fifteen minutes saw them score three more to be away and out of sight by the final whistle.The Police must now be hot favourites to take the Division 1 title whilst Hailsham will seek to regroup in next week's encounter with Lewes 5ths on the newly laid Lewes astro.