Hockey: Scrappy start to match leads to victory

Jan 15 2009 by George Topp, Lanark & Carluke

ON a wet and windy Newton Mearns hockey pitch, Clydesides season resumed on Saturday following the winter break.

With title challengers Glasgow University and Lochaber going head-to-head on the same day, it was important for the district side to maintain their 100% league record in order to benefit fully from at least one of their rivals dropping points.

However, it was not an easy task for the local side, who faced a tough test against fourth-placed Ansar. The task wasnt made any easier by the absence of their captain and senior defender Steven Slaven, who was unavailable due to the flu.

Understandably, due to the weather conditions, the match got off to a somewhat scrappy start with both teams failing to settle into any sort of rhythm.

While Clydeside were the more dominant of the two sides, some poor passing prevented them from keeping possession for any significant period of time. Ansar were also making life difficult for them in the middle of the park, and a well-organised defence meant that the visitors struggled to create any clear-cut chances.

However, the home team rarely threatened to break into their opponents circle and this gave Clydeside the confidence to push further forward and ask questions of the Ansar defence.

The visitors finally got the break through their efforts deserved in the 12th minute when a free hit was awarded just outside the top of the area. Jackson Sim played the ball short to Paul Brand, who turned away from his marker and placed the ball low into the goal.

Despite going a goal behind, the home team continued to play deep and frustrate the visitors. But when Sim played a fast pass from the right hand side of the area, poor marking left Colin Jackson free on the goal line with the simple task of directing the ball over to double his sides advantage.

Ansars frustration started to show at this point and a lack of discipline led to Clydesides third goal.

A push on Brand just outside the Ansar circle resulted in a penalty corner being awarded. Mark Amos played the corner out to Brand at the top of the area, who, in turn, hit a hard, low shot into the bottom left corner of the goal. Jackson scored his second of the match in the 33rd minute to give the visitors a four-goal advantage going into the half-time break. In a carbon copy of his first goal, Sim was again the provider of the next goal.

The worsening weather conditions meant that the second half was very much an uneventful affair, with Clydeside only able to add one more goal to their tally for the day. An own-goal by the Ansar captain meant the final result was 5-0.

Clydesides next match is away to GHK on Saturday. When the teams met at the start of the season the local side ran out 7-1 winners.