Games

We lost our friendly game against the Blues 10-15 bu we won our first official match 11-9 against Hitchin here's the game reports.


Friendly (I really scored four goals :) ):

It was bright sunny day at the Blues, great playing conditions, and with a number of other matches being played also a great atmosphere. In typical pre-season friendly form both teams were markedly below strength; Purley were missing their complete attack line (AWOL), 'keeper (honeymoon!), and captain (swollen eye from a bee sting), and the Blues were missing at least 3 key personnel and their 1st choice 'keeper.
For Purley this match saw the first appearances for Dave Copple in defence, and Dave "Gordie" Bennett, Purley's new LDO (that's coach to you and me). Naturally, being on a team with so many Daves already (and none of them actually called Dave) the first order of the day was to give the new LDO a nickname – Gordon Bennett, or Gordie for short (non UK readers might want to Google that reference).
At the start of the first quarter Purley moved the ball quickly and efficiently around the pitch, which led to a 2-0 lead. However the Blues responded leaving the first quarter at 3 a piece in what was becoming a very competitive game.
The Blues came out strong in the second quarter, forcing stand-in Purley 'keeper Riaz to make some big saves. The Blues continued to pass around the Purley defence which paid off with 4 goals, before a solo move behind goal allowed Dave Cluney to feed Dan Afoke on the crease, bringing the halt time score to 4-7.
The Blues dominated the start of the third quarter taking a lead of 4-10 lead, but the Purley team pulled together under Dave Cluney's leadership, and goals from Rob Clark and DC reduced the deficit to 7-10 by the end of the third quarter.
In the final quarter it was down to Purley to take the game to the Blues, but despite a hard effort on the field from Purley, and goals from Bennett, Clark and Cluney it was not enough. Final score 10-15.
Despite the result, the relatively inexperienced Purley team had much to take from this encounter with the Blues, who are tipped as a serious contender for honours this season. It was a game which saw many of the less experienced players get some quality game time (and they all stepped up to the mark), allowed Dave "Gordie" Bennett to settle into the team, and brought a superb Captain like performance from DC. Special mention to Riaz from Maidstone for stepping into the pipes last minute for Purley and having a fantastic game.
Goals: Dave Cluney 4, Dave "Gordie" Bennett 3, Rob Clark 2, Dan Afoke 1 Ref: Blues x2

Hitchin:

The start of the 2009-10 league campaign saw Purley heading into the wilds of Hertfordshire to play Hitchin. Purley's 17 man squad saw the long awaited return of Andy Booth, the first league appearance of new American coach Dave "Gordie" Bennett, and Paul Terry returning tanned and refreshed from his honeymoon (congratulations to him and Helen). All in all, the Purley team had a good mix of experienced players laced with a number of younger players.
Playing conditions were good, with a hint of gusty wind. Purley put into practice their summer training sessions, which paid off with two goals coming from Dave "Gordie" Bennett. Continued possession saw Purley ending the first quarter 3-1 up.
It was more of the same possession, quick passing and off the ball movement from Purley in the second quarter, with Wes enjoying his freedom behind the cage, moving, passing, and feeding the cutters well. Goalkeeper Paul Terry’s precise passing and Purley’s well worked clear led to a number of off-sides by Hitchin, and Purley were able to capitalise on the resulting man-ups to finish off the second quarter with a comfortable 7-2 lead.
A confident Purley side came out for the 3rd quarter, extending their lead by 1 goal coming from Guy. For the first 10 minutes of the quarter Purley continued to dominate possession, and really should have put the game comfortably beyond Hitchin's reach, but though they created many scoring opportunities they failed to take any of them. This allowed Hitchin to respond back with 3 goals, generated from good movement off the ball for which they are known, before Mike Barrett added to his already growing tally to give Purley a 9-5 three quarter time lead.
Final quarter and again Purley started off with Mike Barrett scoring to give a lead of 5 goals. Hitchin rallied together at this point and started to eat away at Purley’s lead. Despite Jesse and Dave "Gordie" Bennett both hitting the pipe, Purley struggled to kill off Hitchin’s momentum, and the tension grew as Hitchin pulled the score to 10-9 in the closing stages. Rob Clark had been having a great day facing off, winning the lion's share of possession, and this became crucial towards the end of the quarter. A face-off win from Rob, and a quick string of passes saw Jesse firing one in off the pipe to end the match with a Purley win 11-9.
A good work rate and team effort from all for Purley’s win, though the made it difficult for themselves by not closing out the game at the beginning of the second half, which allowed Hitchin to fight back well towards the closing stages.
Goals: Mike Barrett 5, Dave "Gordie" Bennett 3, Jesse O'Hanley 1, Dave Cluney 1, Guy Francis 1 Thanks to Ref: Hazel; CBO: Sevan