Morpeth 1st XI v Durham Uni. 3rd XI
Result: 2-0 loss
M.O.M. Steve Jackson
D.O.D. Paul Danecki
The men in green and gold travelled south for a game that was always going to be one of the hardest in the calendar.
Playing on an unfamiliar, faster and bouncier water based pitch would always swing the favour of the game for the students from Durham University who have enjoyed un-rivalled success in the premier league so far.
The captain set a very defensive formation and the rolling back four of Mulligan, Dye, Fairbrother, McLean and Malecki stood their ground well and handled all that was thrown at them. Holding a very disciplined and strong half court press, the early onslaughts from the well drilled students were quickly shut down and the ball was recycled fast up to the midfield. However, After 15 minutes, a well worked set play and through ball to the Durham centre forward caught the Morpeth defence off-guard and the resulting flick shot found its way into the back of the net, much to the disappointment of a stick wielding McLean who’s valiant and flamboyant attempt to smash the ball out of the air before crossing the line was too little, too late. 1-0 Durham.
It would have been easy for the Morpeth Players to lose concentration and drive following this early blow but in true fighting form, they continued to play with passion in their their hearts and would not give up and soon enough, the attacking play started to be less one sided.
Some excellent retention of the ball by the dynamic midfield combination of Shafiq, Danecki, Brown, Carmichael, Chambers and Anderson ensured that Dixon who was roaming alone up front soon had the chance to make his mark on the game. The best chance of scoring in the first half came from a well worked phase of play and Danecki, using the natural bounce of the pitch, re-directed a loose ball into the path of Brown who was unfortunate not to get a clear shot off.
Half time: Durham 1-Morpeth 0.
Following a rousing half time talk and with positive energy flowing through the veins of the Morpeth players, the second half started in much the same way as the first with well-structured and disciplined play. The Durham students continued their strong attack and the resulting 3 penalty corners were handled in true professional fashion by Man of the Match and goal keeper, Steve Jackson.
As confidence started to grow, the Morpeth players began to advance on the Durham defence and some excellent play led to the Durham’ D’ seeing some long overdue action. A couple of frantic and rather dangerous last ditch defensive tackles by the students gave Morpeth a few well deserved penalty corners. A slick injection by McLean and the combination of Shafiq, Danecki and Chambers almost resulted in the first Goal for the visitors when the deflected ball ended up back in Morpeth Possession and an attempted Lob of the keeper just went over the crossbar.
In the final third of the game, the Durham boys managed to sneak a bouncing shot into the Morpeth goal to make the final score 2-0.
In a game that could not have been more different from the previous week’s match, the team from Morpeth played with the pride and unity of a squad who deserved to walk off the pitch with their heads held high, regardless of the final result.
More of the same will be require next week as Morpeth host the Durham University 4th team and this warm up exercise should leave them with no excuses for taking the points!
