Category: Match Report

Romsey endured a roller coaster afternoon in the Autumn heat, to eventually run out winners, but with some youngsters making their debuts, the real winner was hockey.

Romsey were on the back foot early on Josh Harwood and James Tower in the centre of midfield were being outnumbered, and Salisbury pushed forward and won a hit on the 23 yard line.  They took it quickly and powered down on goal, good defending by Simeon Field and Dave Loescher meant the shot was pushed wide, but as debutant keeper Ollie O’Hara came across to cover the Salisbury forward shot at the far post to put the visitors ahead.

Romsey rallied, and Carl Hendy and Colin Harwood came off the bench, Harwood played a solid first time pass in to the circle from a distance and a touch by Hendy saw Stan Cazaly nip in front of his man to deflect the ball past the keeper for his first goal for the Club in a Man of the match performance.

Romsey enjoyed the possession now and won a penalty corner after good play by Matt Duke down the left with Sean Rawles.  Rawles played the corner out to Harwood who passed to Hendy, who played the ball to Rawles to shoot from a tight angle for 2-1 at half time.

Romsey were under pressure at the start of the second half, but Ben Parker and Lukasz Suleja supported their defensive partners of Field and Loescher, to keep some strong crosses away from Salisbury forwards, and O’Hara in goal made sure his defence wasn’t breached.

The introduction of Will Payne on the right further secured Romsey’s defence and he had an equal man of the match performance on his debut, and supported the right side with Cazaly and Harwood.

Harwood senior set up Harwood junior for a shot from outside the circle, and Rawles got a touch inside the circle to deflect it past the keeper for 3-1. Romsey tired, and Salisbury hit back with two good goals, the first a reverse lifted shot across the goal from a tight angle, and the second soon after from an attack down their right which resulted in a fierce equalizing shot.

With not long left Matt Duke and James Tower combined to switch the ball out to Cazaly, he played it back to Harwood and Payne, who switched it back to Rawles who deflected the ball again past the keeper for the winner, and his second hat trick in successive games.

Romsey held on under pressure in the last five minutes to win the game, when a draw looked likely, to make it 6 points out of a possible 9 at the start of the season.

Romsey bounced back terrifically from their heavy defeat in the opening match of the season, with an excellent disciplined performance away at Poole with just the bare 11 players.

Romsey started by keeping Poole in their own half, and this ensured the Romsey defence had time when Poole made advances, the returning veteran Dave Loescher played a fantastic role at the back, alongside Duncan Sanders, both providing an in impenetrable wall in front of Lukasz Suleja in goal.

Romsey built from this and their young midfield quartet starting to make in roads in to the Poole circle.  Stan Cazaly down the right cut in and crossed for James Tower to pass to Sean Rawles, but his shot went outside the post.

Rawles made amends soon after when Matt Duke and Barry Hatch combined and he turned the ball in for his first ever Romsey goal, and put Romsey 1-0 up.  It got better soon after when Romsey won a penalty corner and man of the match played the ball to Colin Harwood at the top of the circle, the captain played the ball back to Rawles who had advanced towards the goal and he turned the ball in for 2-0.

Romsey’s third goal was the icing on the cake in the first half, Harwood senior advanced with the ball and played a powerful pass in to the circle for Josh Harwood to run on to and calmly power the ball in to the opposite corner first time for 3-0 at HT.

Romsey were tiring but went hard again at the start of the second half, Matt Duke saw his penalty corner strike saved, before a further penalty corner from Rawles to Harwood senior resulted in a first time shot that bounced inside the post for 4-0.

Romsey continued to pressure and a fine pass from Simeon Field on the right, saw Cazaly cut in and cross the ball in to the circle, the ball fell to Rawles who reversed it in a close range for his hat trick and 5-0.

Romsey conceded an unfortunate penalty stroke when Suleja was adjudged to have fouled the Poole forward using his hand outside the circle, and a penalty corner led to a good worked goal for Poole to make the scoreline 2-5 in favour of Romsey, and Romsey were unlucky not to grab a sixth when Barry Hatch put the ball in at the far post only for play to be pulled back for a Romsey infringement.

The team performance with every player doing his bit, from his position was reflected in the result, and provides some good momentum for the weeks to come.

Romsey were very much second best on a hot September afternoon, against a Trojans side boasting some strong new additions since last season.

Romsey made some early in roads, Josh Harwood and Andy Moger linking up to allow Sean Rawles to get a shot away, but then Trojans piled on the pressure.

Romsey felt hard done by conceding a penalty corner for a clearance but Trojans made no mistake for 1 – 0, and another penalty corner soon after saw a pass right and a lifted flick shot for 2 – 0.

Colin Harwood played in Man of the Match Stan Cazaly and the debutant had a chance to shoot, passing instead but Romsey couldn’t convert.

Romsey went 3 – 0 down from a Trojans counter attack, and were then hit twice in two minutes to end the half 0 – 5 down, despite the efforts of Bryn Wathen in goal.

The second half saw Harwood senior and James Tower take the two Centre midfield roles and despite conceding a 6th goal from a slick passing move that went round Duncan Sanders, Simeon Field and Lukasz Suleja, Romsey rallied and won a penalty corner of their own. Ben Parker played it out to Colin Harwood who passed it back to Parker so he could control it and shoot past the keeper for 1 – 6 scoreline.

Romsey concedes a penalty stroke when Fields goal line clearance high up was seems to have been off his body and not his hand on the stick, but Romsey weren’t beaten and a great move down the right from Rob Cav and Stan Cazaly saw Harwood cross to Andy Moger to score.

Moger had two more chances that he fired just wide and Matt Duke was unlucky from a penalty corner, as Romsey didn’t take their chances and Trojans took two more for an much even second half but in the end a heavy defeat 2 – 9.