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Photos: Philip Mourdjis
York’s Men’s 1sts hockey side suffered the agony of conceding a late equaliser, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Northumbria 1sts on the JLD this afternoon.
Leo Watton gave York the lead midway through the first half, but with seven minutes left York were pegged back after an ill-disciplined second half which saw both teams reduced to ten men for periods.
York were indebted to goalkeeper Callum Chaundy in the first half, as the second year made a series of excellent saves to deny Northumbria as they piled on the pressure in the early stages. The shot-stopper was first called into action in the seventh minute, as he sprung to his right to push a drag flick away to safety, and remained busy after that.
However the hosts did enjoy chances of their own, particularly threatening on the counter attack, as Phil Ratliff was denied by a superb sprawling save after deflecting Richardson’s powerful through ball goalbound. The duo of Hugo Christie and Alex Bond both displayed an excellent repertoire of passing, but it was Northumbria who looked the more likely to open the scoring.
Three times Chaundy rescued York in the space of five minutes, and when he was beaten a reverse stick shot flew inches wide, as the visitors constructed a series of incisive passing moves.
Despite being forced onto the back foot, it was York though who opened the scoring against the run of play, after Christie had won a short corner. The aforementioned struck a reverse shot from the top of the D, and although his initial attempt was saved, the rebound broke to Watton, who calmly flicked home from four yards out.
The goal seemed to lift York, and the White Rose enjoyed a better period of play, crisply passing the ball around in front of a growing contingent of supporters. One lovely move almost saw York add a second, but no one was on hand to apply the finishing touch.
The visitors though should have been level at the interval, and it was only a series of fabulous saves by Chaundy that prevented the visitors finding the back of the net.
York started the second half promisingly, constructing another flowing move, however no one was able to deflect Richardson’s cross home. Tensions started to rise in the encounter, as a number of strong challenges flew in, and York were reduced to ten men, after Jimmy Johnson illegally controlled a ball above his shoulder.
After a temporary pause for a head injury sustained by a Northumbria player, the visitors also had a man carded, after he foolishly berated decisions of the umpire and overreacted to the situation as tempers escalated.
Despite being a man down, Northumbria enjoyed one of their most productive periods of the game, as they pushed for an equaliser. First Chaundy pulled off one save, and then Bond produced an excellent stop on the line from a drag flicked short corner, as York preserved their slender lead.
At the other end York felt aggrieved by a controversial decision after they believed Watton was recklessly fouled by the Northumbria ‘keeper, but the decision instead went the other way, and Nish Selvakumar was then sin-binned for two fouls.
The controversy continued as Northumbria were awarded another short corner, and once more the exceptional Bond rescues York with another goalline clearance.
Eventually though the pressure told, and after a scramble in the York area, a reverse stick shot was flashed goalwards and past Chaundy despite his best attempts, to level proceedings.
With seven minutes left York pushed to restore the lead, as Watton fired one reverse stick shot over the bar, before Richardson was denied from a short corner. Captain Phil Blackburn and Tom Armston-Clarke continued to work tirelessly in midfield, and in the final minutes York almost snatched victory.
Bond won the ball on his own 25 yard line, and orchestrated a counter-attack with a stunning ball down the line to Watton. The forward then slotted the ball across to Nish Selvakumar, but he was only able to direct his shot wide from eight yards out, as York had to settle for their first point of the season after suffering a 4-2 defeat last week away against Leeds 2nds.
After the game Blackburn told Vision: “It’s disappointing to have conceded a late goal, but there were a number of pleasing aspects of the performance; it was a big improvement on last week.”
Vision MOTM: Alex Bond