1st XI  South League Surrey Division 1

Captain – James Dowdeswell
Vice – Darryl Hannick

18th Feb v Barnes 2s (away) W 3-2

The Men’s 1st XI notched up a positive win to consolidate their lead at the top of the Surrey Division 1 against a strong Barnes 2nd XI.  With Dave Hancke and Richard Corry combining well in midfield, in form striker Ben Gibbons grabbed the first goal with a driving run and a cool finish on his reverse.  Barnes rallied well and equalised from a short corner routine and with plenty of action in midfield and few clear chances for both sides, the score remained level at half-time. The Hawks raised their game in the second half and managed to score two goals in quick succession.  Sweeper Nick Board broke down the right wing and his quick ball found an unmarked Gibbons with plenty of time to sweep the ball home.  Another quick break followed with Mark Collins finding Hancke whose quick ball to Bryn James Lawler allowed the towering striker to slot home from close-range. The boys sought to defend their two goal lead and rely on counter attacks however Barnes managed to convert another short corner to make the last ten minutes a tight affair. The Hawks defence remained well marshalled by Paul Wright, the score remained 3-2 at the final whistle and they will now face Trinity Mid-Whitgiftians on Saturday at The Nest.

04th Feb v Epsom 2s (away) W 2-3

The Men’s 1st XI however did get a game as they travelled to Epsom, a team that have managed to grind out more draws than anyone and despite being in 9th place have had some strong results this season. Hawks did however return to winning ways after 2 draws in a row. Despite the cold conditions, the match started at a frenetic pace with few chances at either ends. Epsom broke the deadlock by capitalising on a disputed umpiring decision.  As Hawks players got into position to attack from a free-hit, the umpire awarded the restart to the home side and they quickly made room on the right wing to leave goalkeeper Darryl Hannick exposed at his far post. Epsom maintained the slender lead into half-time. Hawks redoubled its efforts early in the second and it was a welcome return to form for towering striker Bryn James Lawler as he grabbed a brace of goals following good assists from James Dowdeswell and Jon Dodds. The points look sealed as Ben Gibbons latched onto a loose ball to hit an unstoppable shot into the unguarded net but a brief rally from Epsom saw a second goal conceded by the league leaders. Hawks held on for the final 10 minutes to take all 3 points and now face another competitive game against Oxted this week.

28th Jan v Wanderers 2s (home) D 3-3

The Men’s 1st XI ‘suffered’ their second draw in a row on Saturday after a lack lustre performance against Wanderers 2nd XI. A 3-3 finish where an additional 4 goals were disallowed for no valid reason means they fail to exploit on Sandersteads loss at the hands of Merton. Goals came from Captain Dowdeswell, Coach Collins and their leading scorer Gibbo and whilst they didn’t get the luck on the day general consensus is they haven’t been playing to their full potential and need to up the ante before they face Epsom 2’s on the road this week.

21st Jan v Sanderstead 1s (away) D 1-1

The Men’s 1st XI continue to lead Surrey Div 1 by a six point margin following a hard-fought draw against in-form Sanderstead.  The draw owed much to the goalkeeping of Hannick and the tireless running of forwards Jon Dodd and Ben Gibbons. The Hawks once again started with its high tempo pressing game which resulted in three consecutive short corners.   It was third time lucky for the Hawks as Gibbons did well to evade several tackles to find the space to lift the ball over the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net.  Hawks capitalised on its early lead with a number of gilt-edged opportunities to double the score but were thwarted by a combination of excellent goalkeeping and some near misses by guesting Delaney and Captain Dowdeswell. Sanderstead did well to fight back in the second half as Hawks appeared content to hold on to its slender lead with Hannick pulling off a series of magnificent saves and a goal line clearance from young right back, Lil Rob. However, Sanderstead were finally rewarded for their industry by converting a short corner in the last ten minutes of the game. Surrey Spartans failed to make ground by drawing against Merton so our boys will be aiming to return to winning ways next week against mid table Wanderers.

 

07th Jan 2012 v Surbiton 4a’s (friendly) W 4-1

The only team to avoid starting on the 7th January were the Men’s 1st XI who instead opted for a local friendly against Surbiton 4a’s – a team they left behind in Surrey Div 2 last season. The 10am pushback meant Captain Dowdeswell couldn’t make it and at the last minute BJ Lawler and Dave Hancke were unavailable calling upon the Tommy Turner – not only a hero in his day job but on the hockey field too. The game started with obvious signs of rust but a surprising amount of energy and with a couple of chances wasted the first goal from an unlikely source, Nick Board bagging his one and only for the season. A well worked piece of play saw The Hawks grab a second from always fit Ben Gibbons and in the second half he linked up beautifully with Life Partner Tommy T to create acres of space for 2 more goals. A decent performance all round that gives hope for the Big One this Saturday as the 1st XI take on Surrey Spartans in the Top of The Table Clash, 11.30am @ The Nest