Mens seconds 100% record goes!

Heading into last Saturday’s league clash at Comber with Lisnagarvey fourths North Down seconds were on a run of seven straight wins in both the league and league cup but this came to an end as they were held to a 2-2 draw.

It was the age old story of youth versus experience as the young North Down team vied with their more experienced opposition for supremacy.  Both teams started well playing patient controlled hockey with the visitors just shading it for possession in the North Down half.  Somewhat against the run of play on 9 minutes a North Down break down the right found the Garvey defence at sixes and sevens and Scott Graham was on hand for a simple tap in to make it 1-0.

The second quarter was only 3 minutes old when Melvyn Nicholls doubled the lead as the Garvey defence again found themselves in a mess. The visitors didn’t allow this further set back to put them off their game and, following the award of a penalty corner on 27 minutes, they reduced the arrears with a well struck shot deflected high into the net off a defender’s stick to give Marc Bennett in goals no chance.

The third quarter was scoreless as both teams continued to play attractive hockey.  North Down’s build up was slower as the Garvey midfield dominated midfield and made it more difficult for the ball to come forward from the back.  When the ball eventually found its way forward a tendency for misplaced passes ensured that the Garvey keeper was rarely troubled.

Into the fourth quarter and with the pattern continuing it looked as though the North Down seconds team would hold out.  An attractive feature of the game was that on a number of occasions players on both teams agreed to concede frees when both umpires had been unsighted.  This is an aspect of play which has sadly largely disappeared from the modern game.  However, Garvey’s persistence finally paid off when, with 6 minutes remaining, they found the equaliser at a penalty corner again from a deflection, this time off an attacker’s stick, high into the net.  Garvey finished still on top and although they shaded the play the North Down team remains unbeaten.

Burch Autos Player of the Match was Daniel Griffen