Saturday March 21st

Stratford 2nds 6 Bridgnorth 2nds 0

History was made last Saturday as a jubilant Stratford hockey 2nd team became the first 2nd team to gain promotion to a Midlands One division following an emphatic 6-0 mauling of Bridgnorth. Stratford started the game knowing that their nearest rivals were just 3 points behind with a superior goal difference and therefore only a win would do.

Stratford opened the scoring early on after some good midfield play. Warwick surged into the Bridgnorth D, drew the keeper out of position and played in Jones who finished coolly into an open goal, 1-0. With the Stratford defence holding firm and keeper Purser wondering if he should have turned up, Stratford scored number 2 after a good run by Howkins. On reaching the D, he hit a speculative reverse hit which Jones pounced on at the far post, 2-0.

At half time Stratford were urged to push on and make the game safe by skipper White, which they duly did. A good passage of midfield play by Russell (who had his match of the season) and Howkins released Warwick into the D who set up Havers for a simple tap in, 3-0. It was Havers again who showed sublime skill only minutes later as he received the ball on the edge of the D, only to skip pass one defender, sell a dummy to the keeper and then push the ball home, 4-0. With the whole team working hard throughout the second half, a run by Russell saw him spread the ball from left to right to Stokes (who managed to play some of the game despite an earlier knock). Stokes committed the keeper but was fouled by a Bridgnorth defender and a flick was awarded. Stokes took the flick and duly scored, 5-0.

However, with just 2 minutes remaining, and goal difference potentially crucial, Jones took a quick sideline hit which was passed around midfield and eventually found Bowen in the centre of midfield. A quick thinking Bowen played in Jones at the top of the D, who uncharacteristically rounded his marker and hit an unstoppable drive through a crowd of players into the bottom right corner of the goal to make the final score 6-0. A superb display by a Stratford 2nd team who now play their last game of the campaign this Saturday away at Shrewsbury who ironically need points to avoid relegation.