Back

Login

Don’t have an account?Register
Powered By
Pitchero
Mens 1st XI
Matches
Sat 25 Jan 2025  ·  South East Area Men's Division 1 West
Sunbury & Walton Hawks H.C.
Mens 1st XI
2
1
Guildford M3
Hawks Soar to Down Another Hockey Giant

Hawks Soar to Down Another Hockey Giant

Rob Stevenson31 Jan - 18:14

Hawks come away with the win against 2023’s Club of the Year!

On a bright afternoon in Lower Sunbury, the Hawks Men's 1st XI faced Guildford, and having been on the wrong end of a 6-4 scoreline back in October, the pressure was on.

Despite a recent pattern of sluggish starts, Hawks were confident heading into the game. However, disaster struck early once again. Guildford's aggressive play saw goalkeeper Paul 'Baco' Sinnaeve unfortunate to get the ball caught in his pad making a save, leading to a short corner. Guildford seized the opportunity, blasting the ball into the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead. Unphased, the Hawks regrouped and upped the tempo. The midfield, led by the tireless Ben Gibbons, began to carve out chances.

Once again though, it took until the second half for the Hawks to find a return for their efforts. But the rewards came through Gibbons, showing impeccable timing and composure to latch onto a clever pass before rifling a shot past the Guildford keeper to level the score 10 minutes into the second half.

The game hung in the balance, with Guildford pressing hard to regain the lead. When their moment came, it looked certain they'd score. With Baco down in the D, the forward with the ball on the end of his stick, he wound up to shoot, his teammates already cheering - until Rob Stevenson picked the ball for a goal-line clearance, leaving the cheers to dissipate into the skies above the nest.

Stevenson’s intervention ignited the Hawks' fighting spirit, and riding the momentum, Hawks surged forward. Gibbons, in scintillating form, delivered once again. This time reacting quickly in the D after a short corner was well saved, he pulled the trigger and fired in for his second.

With the home side now in the lead, the pressure was on, and Guildford put the Hawks under immense pressure. The Hawks, harried and harassed, looked to be fading in the final minutes, as Guildford pressed high. Joe Jones’ efforts in the midfield were critical to ensuring that the home side were able to manage the game effectively at 2-1, and see out the final minutes of immense pressure. He took the game by the scruff of the neck, dropping deep to control possession, and see the game through.

The forward line also played a critical role in defending from the front, setting the tone for a disciplined team performance. Part-time model and full-time workhorse Nick Browning epitomised this defensive effort, leading by example as he hassled Guildford’s defenders, giving them no room to breathe, and setting a fine example for the younger players in the squad.

We spoke to Dan Littlefair after the game for his thoughts. "The boys showed unbelievable character today. Going a goal down early could have knocked us, but we dug deep, defended as a unit, and took our chances when they came. Gibbons was clinical, Rob’s clearance was game-changing, and Joe ran himself into the ground. That’s what we’re all about, and I’m just pleased that we’ve gone one better than last week. But it's imperative that we carry this momentum into the remaining games, and deliver similar performances.” Captain Matt Chappell echoed Dan’s thoughts, commenting that “East Grinstead and Guildford are two of the top teams in our league, and top teams in the country for that. So a draw last week and a win today is fantastic, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to play like that every week, as 3 points against Guildford means nothing at the end of the season if we drop points against lower teams. We've shown we can beat anyone on our day, and now it's on us to prove that this is the case, week in and week out.”

This match report was brought to you by Moon in Moon

Match details

Match date

Sat 25 Jan 2025

Kickoff

13:00

Competition

South East Area Men's Division 1 West

League position

5
Guildford M3
6
Sunbury & Walton Hawks 1
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Main Sponsor - David Howard
Shirt Sponsor - Hilton Banks
Pitchside  - Array Hockey