Good home win away from home for Oban hockey club
OBAN mens’ hockey team travelled to Helensburgh to play their home match against Ayr Mens 2. Their home ground at Taynuilt is water logged – much like the rest of Argyll.
Ayr are currently heading Division 4 of the West District league with only one defeat and that was to Oban at the start of the season. Could history be repeated?
The first half ended 0-0 and the prospect of another seven goal bonanza as experienced in Ayr looked highly unlikely, although Oban showed much promise. There was some excellent passing and movement on display, but the final product was lacking due in no small part to the heroics of the Ayr keeper. Ayr did come close but Andy Head in the Oban goal pulled off a reaction save to deny them.
At the interval, captain Ali Burton gave his customary upbeat team talk and his words of wisdom paid dividends early in the second half when Stuart Head finally beat the Ayr goalie to put Oban in the lead.
Oban continued to play the better hockey with man of the match George Gauley playing solidly as sweeper and thwarting any Ayr foray. Andy Hodge, Mark Lockhart and Jake Sanders put in excellent shifts with Ali Burton leading by example in the middle of the park.
It wasn’t all Oban though as Ayr showed they, too, could attack and after a couple of close encounters they levelled the score.
As the half progressed, it looked like all the hard work would be unrewarded with shots going just wide or the Ayr keeper continuing to impress. However, in the dying seconds Stuart Head found himself a couple of metres from goal and with some deft stick work got the ball past the goal keeper for a second time.
There was no time for a re-start and Oban had won a hard-fought encounter 2-0.
Oban’s next game is next weekend, also at home, this time in Glasgow.