After last week’s frustrating opener, the Men’s 1s arrived in Horsham with a point to prove. Missing captain and talisman Matt Chappell, and still smarting from a dominant display that yielded no goals, questions lingered about the team’s ability to convert when it mattered. Seventy minutes later, those doubts were emphatically answered.

From the first whistle, the Hawks looked hungry. The tempo was high, the press aggressive, and the ball zipped around with purpose. It took just three minutes for Nick Browning to open the scoring, slotting home with composure. That early breakthrough seemed to unlock something. Harvey Nelson doubled the lead three minutes later, and by the tenth minute, Harry Martin had made it three with a slick finish after a flowing move down the right.

Horsham struggled to cope with the intensity. Mark Collins added a fourth on 20 minutes, and Nelson grabbed his second of the game before the half-hour mark. The Hawks were ruthless, moving the ball with confidence and showing the kind of killer instinct that had eluded them just a week earlier.

The second half saw Horsham attempt to regroup, but the damage was done. Collins capped off the scoring with his second of the day in the 43rd minute, sealing a 6–0 win and a statement performance.

Player of the Match Nick Browning, rewarded for his work rate and goal involvements, reflected on the team’s turnaround. “We knew we had it in us. Last week was tough to take, but we stuck to our structure, trusted the process, and today it clicked. Everyone stepped up, especially with Matt out. It was a proper team performance.”

The Hawks will take heart from the result, not just for the scoreline, but for the way they played. Fast, fluid, and finally clinical. With the first win of the season under their belt, let's see if that is the start of some momentum building.