14-03-2012 Heartbreak in the opening two games of the second half!
Two weeks and only two points, not quite the start we were hoping for but we've still doubled the point we gained in the first half of the season. The performances have been much improved since the first half and there's a clear understanding about what we are trying achieve in both attack and defence. I think the biggest change has been the belief with which we have begun to play with, regardless of the pressure we are under to win matches.

Our first game back was away against Laren. We probably didn't deserve the 2-0 lead we had but nevertheless we were ahead and growing in confidence. Our corner defensive team kept us in the game saving two off the line to keep Laren goalless going into the break. In the second half we played to far back in our own half and after 15 minutes Laren eventually opened their account. We created far more opportunities in the second half, I hit the cross bar from a corner with my third flick of the game. Having scored my first two I guess I shouldn't feel to unlucky but that would have given us a two goal cushion again. With just two minutes remaining Laren pulled their keeper to give them another attaching option and seconds later they equalised from a long corner which we defended poorly. There was some controversy in the final play of the game when we claimed to have hit a Laren foot in the circle but the umpire declared it to be just outside. The game ended 2-2.

The match against Pinoke this previous Sunday didn't start out like the Laren game but it definitely finished the same. We came back from being 2-0 down to being in front 3-2 with just seconds remaining in front of a big crowd in Den Bosch. Pinoke were awarded a corner, the only one of the match and Justin Reid-Ross put it away in the 71st minute to end the game 3-3.

Confirmation of Pinoke's 71st minute equaliser
Source: www.hoofdklassehockey.nl

Obviously this raises some serious questions about what we are doing in the final phases of games, it's been addressed and I hope that will be the end of it.

Our game today has been postponed, so our next fixture on the 18th March is at home against second on the table Bloemendaal.

Here is how things are looking on the table, still a mountain to climb but it's not over yet!

Hoofdklasse Stand 14.03.2012
Source: www.hoofdklassehockey.nl