Match report by: Alex Byrne 

Team: (3-1-3-2-1) Jerry Spencer; Stu Hooker; Richard Shephard; Al Byrne; Claudio Grandi; Olly Grundy; Stu Mellon; Al Harknett; Ian Kitteringham; Nick Gage; Tim Curry. Subs Brett Cadman; Shaun McNeill; Jamie Glister.

Goals: Nick Gage, Stu Mellon

Cards: Shaun McNeill (Y)

MoM: Jerry Spencer

DoD: Nipper

Manly.. take 2. The first game against Manly this season was disappointing.. a solid first half reaped no rewards and we got caught out at the very end of the half and the opening of the second. A panicky response led to a further 3 passing us for a 5-0 win to Manly. To say the least, we had a point to prove in the follow up game. It was billed the game of the season, we needed a win and we wanted a win! From the off we put Manly under a good spell of pressure, everyone working hard off the ball to create chances. The Rich / Claud's combo continuing to work well at the back, cool and calm under a high press from Manly, still distributing the ball with confidence and measure, facilitated by the tireless midfielders running off-the-ball to create space and the occasional opportunity for the long ball up to the front line. Mid-way through the first half, a strong umpiring performance from Bradders was dented by disallowing a goal, blowing his whistle a second to early for a short just as the ball hit the back of the net. Not discouraged the team kept attacking and won another short corner. The initial shot from the right slip TC was saved by the keeper but Gagey was there to sweep the ball home, continuing his goal scoring streak.

GOALFLASH 1-0

Easts Manly rotated their subs up front, switching pace for experience and causing some concern at the back with their switching cross over runs, but the back line held it together well... until Shaun, back from injury, careered onto the pitch to charge down a player and hack the ball away with the wrong side of his stick. Gary, on-looking was delighted with his technique. Mike, umpiring down at our end wasn't so impressed and held up an invisible card (Not sure if it was meant to be green or yellow) and Shaun had a chance to rest up that dodgy calf once again. The following short was executed well and Jerry pulled off a great log-like save from a powerful strike. At the other end we persisted with some great passing, calm in possession with the ball and offering passes with confidence to players running off and towards the oncoming balls. Eventually a great show of dribbling into the D around a couple of defenders gave Stu M the opportunity to fall over... but swinging a nice tomahawk shot off on his way down.. a welcoming crash of the backboard. "Average" was shouted from the temporary morale coach on the sideline.

GOALFLASH- 2-0

Easts Manly continued with the high press putting the back line's 16s under pressure but to little avail. The final action of note from the first half was a salmon-like save from Jerry. Another well executed short from Manly, drag-flick to the top left corner only to be pushed around the post by a surprisingly acrobatic Jerry.

HALF TIME

The second half was a different story. The space in the middle of the park was bypassed and the game looked more like a mass game of tennis with end to end action. Olly supplying some great drags into the D only to be deflected anywhere but into the back of the net. Their keeper deserves some credit for his reactional saves, but TC gets the close to DoD "Must try harder". This was cemented by his shot past the far post from only yards away. The backline, noticeably under alot more pressure in the second half still kept the goals out and minimised the shorts by making challenges outside of the D (as well as resting Gary through injury). Some scary moments at the back were flipped into opportunities at the far end in just seconds, with 16s being taken quickly. An exciting half. The final play of the game was short to Manly. Despite having ten players lined up around the D the striker decided to hit the ball straight into the back of the net. Too high, disallowed, game-set and match. 11 goals from 3 games and A CLEAN SHEET (first since May). Claudio gets some fantasy points too. Yet another inspiring performance to carry over into the next game, and indeed the next season.

FULL TIME

Other note worthy points - this was the third straight win since Nipper left (and thus deserving of his DoD), and since Stu H has joined the back line (sadly his last performance for the 2s before returning to the Northern Hemisphere).

Match report by: Ian Kitteringham 

Team: (3-1-3-2-1) Jerry Spencer; Stu Hooker; Richard Shephard; Al Byrne; Claudio Grandi; Will Harvey; Jamie Glister; Al Harknett; Olly Grundy; Ian Kitteringham; Nick Gage. Subs Joe Allen; Mike McCallum.

Goals: Nick Gage (2), Ian Kitteringham (2)

Cards: Richard Shephard (Y), Nick Gage (G)

MoM: Nick Gage

DoD: Nick Gage

Coming off the back of a superb win and performance the week before confidence was high ahead of the late game in the back ass of nowhere on a Saturday night (What’s up with that Sydney Hockey Union??) Despite this the team all arrived looking sharp. All that is except for one car which included the author as they seemed to misjudge a few things…. “At what point should we contact Gagey and let him know that we are running late?” was a question put forward. “We’ll make it exactly 5 minutes beforehand” was the confident response from Claudio.

Anyways I digress ….The game started and Easts began the game in a very confident manner, with the entire back 4 stroking the ball about with a confidence rarely seen this season. For large spells they kept possession and picked their passes to the midfield and forwards where the movement was excellent. The front men were willing runners without the ball too, putting the pressure on the NWS defense when they had it and this pressure led to the first chance for Easts striker (and all round nice guy) Kitty as he intercepted a stray pass and charged through on goal only to shoot narrowly wide. Another chance came and went shortly after but the breakthrough was coming and indeed it did. After winning a series of short corners the breakthrough finally came with a nice, although ever so slightly deflected, effort from Kitteringham. 1-0

Easts of a few weeks back would probably have sat back and relaxed at this point but a new mentality has taken over the team lately and they continued to press, restricting the NWS team to playing long balls to that one lad who was skillful up front but who was easily dealt with by the Shephard/Grandi combination. Obviously missing Gary and his hatchet like tackles a few players decided to throw a few in resulting in a few warnings and although obviously no one quite managed to make that unique ‘timber’ noise Gary can create with his tackles the lesson was learnt and from that point on they let the hockey do the talking.

Goal 2 was coming and arrived courtesy of a lightening counter attack by Easts. (Will Harvey?) broke down a NSW move and immediately fed Captain Gage breaking down the left wing. He in turn fed Kitteringham who riffled one home from the top of the D. 2-0 and cruising.

The half time team talk was pretty simple, keep the work rate going and the game is ours. Easy you would think but immediately from the hit off we let the one dangerous player run the length of the field unchallenged and win a corner. Nothing came of it but the warning was there and Easts had to weather a storm for about 5 minutes but came through intact. Having regained their composure they then managed to increase their lead. In what one can only guess was actually probably a shot Jamie ‘1 yard’ Glister laid a great pass onto Gagey about 2 feet from the goal. With all the power he could muster he managed to hook some sort of backstick effort at the goal. The keeper must have been frightened by the scorch marks as somehow he let it through his legs, 3-0 (although really if the ball doesn’t hit the backboard/net from 2 feet it shouldn’t count).

Easts reverted to ways of old again after this letting NWS back in with a nicely taken goal of their own before upping the tempo once more and finding a forth, and equally as bizarre as the third goal, through yet again Captain Gage. Still not sure how this went in either as combined speed of both shots at goal can’t have been more than 5 kph but in it went and with it broke the remaining spirit of NWS. 4-1, the crowd was ecstatic, as were the team (all except that is the ones who were roped into staying on for the 1’s game). For the first time on a long time MOM was difficult as the whole team was superb. Bring on Manly!

Match report by: Will Harvey

Team: (3-1-3-2-1)  Jerry Spencer; Shaun McNeill; Richard Shephard; Al Byrne; Claudio Grandi; Will Harvey; Gary Sykes; Al Harknett; Nick Jones; Ian Kitteringham; Nick Gage. Subs Stu Hooker; Matthew Clegg.

Goals: Nick Jones (2), Nick Gage, Al Harknett, Matthew Clegg

Yellow cards: None

MoM: Claudio Grandi

DoD: Nick Gage

This was unquestionably one of the team's best performances this season.

Despite some early pressure from Glebe, a flurry of slick passes from Easts reversed the run of play with a well-worked goal. This shifted the momentum and there was little looking back for the rest of the match. Perhaps the biggest shock of the match was that not one but two goals were scored from short corners. The most notable was a Gage-Kitteringham-Gage combination which sealed the second goal.

The man of the match award deservedly went to Claudio who was both part of the solid defensive and the dynamic attacking units. Other notable performances came from the accountants. No, not the rest of the team, but Jonesy who made his mark with two goals before his four week sabbatical, and the two Als who showed tireless industry throughout.

There was much debate surrounding the infamous DoD award, but there was little doubt that it had to go to skipper, Nick Gage, for only posting ten players for the starting line-up which perhaps explains Easts' lacklustre start to the match.