Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Great escape can still be achieved
CANTERBURY MEN: DOUBLE WIN TAKES SURVIVAL BATTLE TO THE FINAL MATCH
Canterbury’s men kept alive their hopes of an incredible escape from relegation for the second straight year with back-to-back wins at Polo Farm over the weekend.
After taking just a point from their opening 11 games in the national Premier Division this season, the city club made it five wins from their next six by beating Beeston on Saturday and Brooklands MU the following day and now need only to win their final game, at Wimbledon, to stay up.
The city club fell behind to an early Mark Gleghorne penalty corner and although Ross Gilham-jones turned to crack the equaliser on 19 minutes, GB forward Gleghorne converted another set piece to make it 2-1 six minutes later.
Josh Pollard deflected the city club level before the break and the home side took the lead on 40 minutes when Wei Adams slotted home a penalty corner.
Gleghorne completed his hat-trick with another penalty-corner strike 10 minutes later but soon after the game’s defining moment happened as Diccon Stubbings saved incredibly, going to his right but saving with his left glove and tipping the ball over.
Canterbury’s confidence grew and with five minutes to play, Australian Pollard again directed a cross into the net to secure a vital three points.
The following day the game got off to a quiet start and it wasn’t until the 25th minute that Peter Cornell showed a cool head to round Stubbings and stroke the ball over the line.
The goal seemed to galvanise the home side who responded immediately with Adams’ shot deflected in by James Spain.
After the break Canterbury began to dominate and Adams scored from a penalty corner to put the home side ahead.
After this the game reverted to form and became tight. Canterbury edged further ahead with five minutes left when Craig Boyne’s found Gilham-jones with a long pass who beat the last defender before being upended by keeper.
Boyne despatched the subsequent flick and although Brooklands committed everything to attack and scored with basically the last touch of the game, Canterbury held on to take their quest for the great escape to the final day of the season.
A double from Sam Barrett and a man-of-the-match display from Tariq Marcano ensured Canterbury 2nds sealed the London Premier League title with a 2-1 win at Hampstead & Westminster 2nds.
The beleaguered Pilgrims drew 2-2 at Burnt Ash in South League Kent/sussex Regional 1 although the rock-bottom 3rds pipped Mid-sussex 3-2 in Regional 2.
The 4ths edged a win by the same score at Blackheath 2nds in Kent Area Division 1, even though Steve Laslett was sent off inside two minutes.
Despite playing with 10 men, Benny Stevens tucked home a short corner to put Canterbury ahead and Robbie Preston strode forward to turn in a cross from George Holdstock to make it 2-0.
David Mathews deceived the keeper to make it three from a short corner after the break though with 20 minutes to play Heath pulled one back and they set up a tense finale three minutes from time with a second.
The Millers went down 2-0 at home to a well-drilled Tunbridge Wells 2nds side in Division 2.
Wells led 1-0 at the break despite city club pressure but as they continued to press, Wells stung them with a second after a defensive mix-up.
The 5ths had to settle for a 2-2 draw at BBHC 4ths in Kent Open Premier B.
After a goalless first half, the city club fell 2-0 behind within 10 minutes of the restart, although the visitors rallied to win a string of short corners which allowed them to pull one back before grabbing a late equaliser and finishing on the front foot.
Stephen Ratcliff’s penalty flick was in vain as the Griffins went down 6-2 at Cobdown in Kent Open Premier C.
The Squires allowed a 2-0 half-time lead to slip to draw 2-2 at Marden Russetts 3rds in Division 1.
Ali Coleman and Graham Brown put Canterbury in charge before the break but Marden fought back with the help of a controversial free-hit.
The struggling Friars enjoyed a fine 2-1 win over second-placed Blackheath Vets in Division 3 to boost their chances of beating the drop.
The visitors opened the scoring from a penalty corner but after the break Canterbury improved and saw a goal disallowed before James Curtiss rattled in a short corner to equalise 15 minutes from time.
With five minutes left, the hosts were handed a penalty flick which 13-year-old Noah Upton despatched to win it.