M2s play well but go down to Old Reigatians

A disappointing end to the first half of what has so far been an enjoyable season. Our squad of 14 included Stuart in goal and a rare appearance from Adil. Chris was carrying, and then exacerbated, the injury he sustained last Saturday, and only played about half the game. Hugh also sustained an injury. Our squad also included five players ever present this season - take a bow Chris, Abdul, Peter, Simon and Tony. We wore our change strip of navy blue.

We had the howling gale behind us for the first half. Play was scrappy, but even, to start with. However, after about 6 minutes, OR seized on a loose ball at the top of our D, and a powerful shot gave Stuart no chance. OR began to look increasingly threatening, and we did well to restrict them. Our defence, well marshalled by Peter, soaked up a lot of pressure, and Stuart was frequently called into action. In midfield, we saw good skills from Humza and Adil, but we never really threatened the OR goal.

Facing the gale in the second half proved even more challenging, and OR continued to look good on the break. There were several near misses on our goal. With about 6 minutes left, they earned their second, and last, penalty corner. The ball was passed slickly across our D, and a powerful shot sped in at the far post.

This half way stage of the season is a good opportunity to thank Chris for his leadership, and Mike and Ian for umpiring, often in atrocious weather. Our next match will be on 23 January, giving everyone ample time to recover from any seasonal festivities - and from injury.