Sunday, May 2, 2010
Determined Challenge make history
Since their promotion to the Reserve Grade, Challenge University have seldom had a week where they have not been up against it. This weekend was no different with their opposition, New World being a perennial bogey team of sorts for other Varsity teams since time immemorial. It was well known that New World’s experience, skill, and aggressive playing style were a force to be reckoned with. But when it was mentioned that their strikers were good enough to make any keeper obsolete, Steve “Don’t Call Me Steven” Peter (Challenge’s Captain and goalie) was heard to say: “Bugger that”.
The Challenge boys were always going to be struggling with only 12 players available for the game, and indeed the first ten minutes brought territory and possession dominance from New World, with repeated attacks on the student’s goal. The situation was made dire with an injury to defender Chris Beswick, who broke his hand in a goal circle melee.
With the subs bench depleted entirely, things were looking bad for the Varsity boys. However, after some slick midfield buildup, Ben “Ginger Beards Are Back” Walsh managed to wrong-foot the New World goalie and smoked a spectacular diving reverse to put Challenge in the lead. That goal was a turning point in the match, with the Challenge midfield of Nick, Mehul, and Rich tearing up the New World defence, and the fullbacks and halves holding the black and yellow strikers at bay.
Challenge had a narrow 1-0 lead at half time, and knew that the 2nd half could be one of the toughest 35mins of hockey they had ever played, with no available subs and a very fired up New World side. However the beginning of the half brought yet more of the champagne hockey from earlier, with the forwards making repeated attacks into the opposition 25’, and the strong screening reducing New World to long, marginal passing.
The pressure mounted, and eventually another goal was added to the tally with Mitchell Woodhouse making the most of a miscued pass into the circle and some terrible judgement from the New World keeper. This goal fired up the senior team even further and resulted in some frayed tempers and a sin-binning. Kieren “Goal Celebrations Are For Fags” Sisam made the most of this with a magnificent deflection off a long ball beating the keeper altogether, in one of the most spectacular goals in the history of the competition.
The final score of 3-0 not only reflected the heart and determination of the Challenge players, but also made history, as no Challenge side (or its equivalent) have ever beaten New World.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Mitch defies most Laws of Physics
Sunday saw Challenge play its best game in reserve grade yet. Playing one of the better sides in Old Boys, Challenge started well and placed Old Boys under pressure snaring a couple of PCs (First PCs in 3 games!!!) but were unable to convert.
The midfield of Nick, Mehul, Rich and Cam were strong and consistently competitive with their Old Boys equivalent. A turnover and quick movement of the ball resulted in the first goal of the match to Old Boys, but to their credit Challenge maintained their standards and kept competitive. Play began to descend as Old Boys became over-aggressive and tried to pick on Cam, fortunately for Old Boys Cam “you won’t like me when I’m angry” directed his anger into his hockey rather than the opposition.
The second Old Boys goal while spectacularly finished (Reverse shot to top corner) came after a blatant foot by the goal scorer.
During the second half, Old Boys ill-discipline gave Challenge two chances of playing against 10 men (1 for a second poor tackle and another for dubiously playing a ball over shoulder height). After a string of possession Mitch was able to attack the circle and was forced wide after beating the goalie, diving Mitch defied gravity to stretch full-length with his reverse and lift the ball into the goal, scoring with zero angle to bring Challenge back into the match. A couple of good chances (and a couple of half chances) to Challenge fell un-converted with Mitchell again almost scoring from deflection. Playing the last 5 minutes with only 10 men, Old Boys were lucky to hold out.
Overall best game of the grade to date and excellent chances of taking points from the match. Best team performance yet and massive ups to the midfield.
Final Score: 2-1 loss (Mitch)
Our team patron, Jugs again contributed to the end of year trip with maximum fines for avoiding the pink - thanks to Jugs we can probably afford a trip to Queensland for end of year. Dick of the Day was retained by Jugs and Rob. Max fines mostly all round (except once again Nick!) with Greg adding to fines with yet another green.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Challenge get Schooled
Despite the improved scoreline Challenge must feel more disappointed with the 6-1 loss to Fraser Tech than the 7-1 loss to Speights.
Scoring within five minutes due to a goalkeeping error, Challenge looked set to meet the TAB expectations of a close match. This initial foray into the circle was one of too few moments of pressure placed on the Tech defence. With skilled young players combining well the Tech response was quick and decisive showing signs of things to come. Lapses in concentration on both attack and defence were punished by Tech with a further 5 goals being scored (two from well executed PC options). Two games in a row for Challenge without winning a penalty corner.
Discipline was becoming an issue with a general warning for the team as well as a yellow card for Rob (for tackling like Bakkies Botha) and a green card for Paul (tripping up and falling into a tackle, looked worse than it probably was).
Final Thoughts: Nothing worse than losing to lippy teenagers!!
Final Score: Tech 6 Challenge 1 (Sam Burnell)
While the return of our glorious finesmaster Jugs “I skipped a conference to get drunk” Lallu didn’t help our onfield performance a successful (in terms of money collected) fines session was held after the match. If we keep collecting cards at this rate the end of year do might be held in Fiji with travel funded by fines. Dick of the Day – Rob (losing shoes, arriving late, Yellow Card) – see you in pink next game.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
It was a weekend of two halves
Friday night saw Challenge engage with PioPio is a fight for a place in the Reserve grade for the Championship round. Challenge started well playing the ball around confidently and competing well with the reserve grade team. Thankfully the first goal went to challenge, with Rudi scoring the first of his eventual two goals. The game see-sawed throughout with Challenge having the better possession and scoring a further 3 goals (Rudi, Jason, Rob). The end of the game was difficult as PioPio stretched the game resulting in big gaps in the midfield. A hard-won win capped the better the half of the weekend.
The debut match in reserve grade on Sunday was unfortunately against Speights, we would have preferred to meet them later in the round to give us some more time to adjust, though we were buoyed by the absence of a specialist keeper for Speights. The TAB was giving Challenge what looked like a generous 4 goal start in the points-start betting but that proved insufficient for those with their money on the newly promoted side. The game was competitive early until the individual skills of the Speights midfield moved into action, Challenge were unable to stop the penetration of Trebilcock, Harding and Tim on a consistent enough basis. The team were drawn into congesting the midfield on attack with many balls forced square because of a lack of deeper options. A revelation to Challenge was the level of precision shown by the Speights corner combination – described as ‘surprising even to us’ after the match by Speights players – their PCs were consistently dangerous and resulted in 3 goals (though the Trebilcock slower ball should find a better home on Galloway Park rather than Gallagher Hockey Stadium). Speight’s plan of bribing the ref in advance worked wonders as they were able to get Paul sent from the field for a very minor infraction, scoring in his absence. Working on the ‘last goal wins’ rule Rudi scored Challenge’s only goal after receiving a long ball as a result of some lazy defending by Harding Senior – unfortunately Challenge could not claim the win as Speights slotted the last goal of the match, their seventh, shortly before the full-time hooter. Final Score: Speights 7 – Challenge 1. The second half of the weekend ended much less promising than the first!
Man of the weekend must go the Nick Whelan; his workrate was astonishing on defence. He was outstanding against Speights though suffered from a lack of options for his passing game, and his cover defence was noticeably missed when he was not on the field.
Our fines master was once again absent, apparently scared of his punishment in pink. Fines for Friday were wiped as a reward for promotion, much to Ben ‘Honest I do have big hands’ Walsh’s relief. Fines on Sunday were assigned by the TAB as the difference in the score and their prediction - $3 per head + Paul’s ‘Yellow Card’. Any other fines to Jugs before next game please.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Disco is alive
After leaving the field during the brutal Deepak-Challenge match with a suspected broken hand, it was thought that Dion could be out for some time.
Specialists have however identified the injury as a bruise only; rumours that he was unable to drink alcohol because of the injury are untrue much to the relief of bar-owners throughout Hamilton.
Dion is expected to make a full recovery in time to anchor the defence in Challenge’s next match.