Report: Mens 2nd XI vs Grimsby 2nd XI – September 13, 2025
The day began with dread – Grimsby on the north east coast, visions of a windswept hockey wasteland with seagulls circling overhead. Instead, we rocked up to a brand-new pitch, fresh lines gleaming, and a half-decent crowd. Season opener vibes were strong. A proper stage for hockey.
We went 1-0 down early, but spirits lifted when Ben slotted home to make it 1-1. For a brief moment, belief flickered – until Steve channelled his inner Father Christmas in September, gifting their centre forward the easiest present of his life. 2-1.
The comeback script was then shredded when Ben was marched off with a questionable green card for what can only be described as “breathing near an opponent in a threatening manner.” While our man served his time, Grimsby snuck in their third. A cruel twist, though probably deserved for having the audacity to get carded in the first place.
From there, frustration was the theme. We racked up TWENTY short corners and converted precisely zero. Our short-corner routine now ranks somewhere between “flat-pack furniture instructions” and “England penalties” in terms of reliability. Garrath, though, produced heroics – saving a drag flick the opposition had already celebrated like it was in the top corner. He killed the party single-handed.
Meanwhile, Rob unveiled the shortest aerial in hockey history – about two yards of pure ambition. Ethan attempted a ‘skill masterclass’ – described by Ed as pure class, but by everyone else as pure chaos. Dan ran his socks off, covering every blade of (plastic) grass like a man desperate to prove youth is useful. Damien played the ball of the day to Ant on the back post, who decided to miss… then miss again… and again, just for good measure.
Final whistle: 3-1 defeat. But a good shift, good banter with the opposition, and a reminder that short corners win games – just not when it’s us taking them.
After the whistle came Rob’s true heroics. First, he spent a worrying amount of time trying to break into a car that looked nothing like his own. When he eventually located the right one, his rush to reach the pub ended with him reversing squarely into the Grimsby captain’s motor. Guess the loss hit him harder than we thought.
MOM – Ed
DOTD – Rob, Despite fierce competition across the board.