No home comforts as Runcorn are defeated
RUNCORN I ................................................ 3 BEBINGTON II ........................................... 5
AFTER two weekends on the road Runcorn Hockey Club’s men’s first-team returned to The Heath School last Saturday hoping to continue their unbeaten run at home, but faced a challenge against third-placed Bebington seconds.
Under very slippy conditions both teams started slowly as they got use to the pitch. Neither team wanted to give anything away and it became a midfield battle, with the home outfit perhaps looking the slightly more threatening.
However, when the opening goal arrived it was the visitors who took the lead.
After a quick break down the right wing, Runcorn’s defence shifted across to cover the space. When the cross came in, center-back Ben McKay deflected it in the air, where Bebington’s forward volleyed the ball across Roger Watt in goal and into the bottom corner of the net.
Runcorn looked to respond and pressed high on the visitors’ rearguard but could not get the goal that they needed.
Putting pressure on Bebington’s goal led to the next goal.
With nothing on from a defensive free hit, Bebington’s centre-back flicked the ball in the air.
With willing runners, Runcorn midfielder Scott Crimes looked to control the ball but sadly missed it to free the Bebington left winger.
Again, Runcorn’s rearguard looked to cover the threat and when the cross came in another deflection led to Bebington’s centre-forward to apply the finish on the reserve stick past the flatfooted Watt in goal.
Not long after, Bebington’s cente-forward was in the middle of the action but this led to a sin-binning after an off the ● ball altercation with Runcorn left-back Ben Cooper.
This gave Runcorn the chance to get back into the match and when winger Mike French battled at the top of the penalty circle to regain the ball, forward Christian White was on hand to find the net via the goalkeeper’s leg.
Soon it was all-square when Crimes turned his man 30 yards from his own goal. As he moved there was open space and Bebington parted like the Red Sea to allow Crimes a free run into the visitors’ penalty circle. As he weighed up his options, he went to strike towards goal but as the ball was going wide, teammate White deflected it into the net.
With everything to play for in the second half both teams went for and it looked like the home outfit had taken the lead, but as French put the ball into the Bebington goal, the whistle went for a foot infringement.
However, with all their hard work Runcorn’s ill-discipline came into play as Bebington gained a penalty corner after French had not retreated the correct distance from a free hit.
From the resulting penalty corner the visitors retook the lead as they faked the strike at the top of the penalty circle and provided a back-post tip-in past the stranded Watt and Mike Wakefield on the goalline.
As the ball crossed the line you could see the home side’s heads collectively go down and soon Bebington scored again, after gaining another short corner for a robust tackle from Allan Watt which led to a sin-binning.
Runcorn threw themselves at the loose ball to stop a strike, but it fell to Ben Cooper in front of goal. With Bebington players surrounding him he unfortunately provided a simple finish for Bebington’s wide man.
Bebington increased the tempo and showed more willingness to win the game and extended their advantage with a fine finish from a penalty corner reserve stick strike across the goal and in off an upright.
With the match pretty much won, Bebington started to move the ball about with ease against a deflated Runcorn team who were grateful for the performance of Roger Watt in goal who kept the score down.
With two minutes remaining, Runcorn finished the scoring as White completed his hat-trick with a penalty corner dragflick into the net past the right-hand side of the goalkeeper.
At the final whistle Runcorn knew that they did not deserve anything from the encounter as Bebington showed more desire and determination to take the three points when the match was finely balanced.
Man-of-the-match honours for Runcorn went to goalkeeper Roger Watt for an outstanding display of reflex saves and not giving up when left stranded.
This weekend the firsts are at home again and will be hoping to show a reaction against Knutsford who were also promoted with Runcorn last season.