Ten-man Oban side secures win after gutsy performance
OBAN hockey team travelled to East Kilbride with only 10 men because of illness, but this did not prevent them winning.
This was a gritty, determined performance with things becoming feisty in the second half.
The match started well with Oban scoring twice in the first 10 minutes through Duncan LeMay and Andy Hodge.
There was little to show that the away team were a man short, although East Kilbride pressed at times with the Oban defence holding them at bay.
The second half was a goal fest as both teams attacked. East Kilbride came out positively and shortly into the half they had levelled the score at 2-2.
Oban got back into the groove and went two ahead with Stuart Head putting away his first two goals.
At one point, the teams were level at 10 men each as a yellow card was shown to an East Kilbride player, however, later in the half two Oban players got green cards, each serving two minutes in the sin bin.
Fortunately on each occasion Oban survived this two-man deficit and although the scores got back to 3-4, Oban, through Stuart Head, secured a 3-6 victory.
Man of the match was Stuart Head for his four goals, following on from his hat-trick the previous week.
Team captain Ali Burton said: ‘It was a truly gutsy performance from the team which means we go top of the league for the first time. Top effort.’
Oban are top of the league with two games in hand over second placed Ayr 2. The next game is against third-placed Dumfries 2.