Men's 5th XI vs Chelmsford 6

Match Report

Saffron Walden Men’s 5s 1 – 2 Chelmsford Men’s 6s

“This was all a bit rubbish.”

There are some games where poetry flows, where heroes are forged, and where tactical masterclasses unfold before the adoring public.

This was not one of those games.

Instead, it was one of those slightly soggy, mildly irritating afternoons where everyone actually played quite well… and yet somehow the result still contrived to leave a distinctly sour taste in the mouth.

Walden’s chief saviour for large stretches was Giles in goal, who produced a string of remarkable saves to keep the team in contention. The pick of the bunch came from a vicious flick, which he somehow repelled with the sort of reflexes normally associated with startled cats and Premier League goalkeepers. Without him, the scoreline could have been considerably less polite.

In front of him, Logan delivered a composed and assured performance at centre back, calmly tidying up danger and distributing the ball with the serenity of a man who had absolutely no intention of panicking.

Walden’s moment of glory came courtesy of Rich Dear, who bagged another beauty of a goal. The finish was sharp, decisive, and very much the sort of thing that keeps the match report writers in business.

Jack Pemberton caused all sorts of problems down the right-hand side with a series of energetic runs. On one memorable occasion he delivered a truly sumptuous thump of a cross across the face of goal. Rich Deer launched himself heroically into a full-length dive to meet it, only to watch the ball agonisingly whistle just outside the far post. Had it gone in, statues would probably already be under construction.

Chelmsford, it must be said, played well. They also enjoyed the rather unfair luxury of possessing two fast, fit, skilful young adults in midfield — a rare and somewhat suspicious commodity in this particular league.

Everyone in Walden colours put in a proper shift and the game remained finely balanced throughout.

Unfortunately, hockey can be a cruel sport.

The decisive moment came in the most irritating fashion imaginable, with Walden conceding the losing goal from a short corner after the final whistle had already sounded. Few things in life taste quite as unpleasant as that particular brand of injustice.

Still, heads up. Everyone battled hard, nobody hid, and the team will no doubt come flying out of the blocks next weekend.

Preferably with fewer short corners after the whistle.