University Hockey: York 2nds 2-0 Bradley 2nds

By Roger Baxter

The York men’s hockey seconds were better than the scoreline suggested as they cruised to a win over a poor Bradley side in the York district league on Saturday. Scoring one goal either side of half-time, they were dominant throughout.

The home side began well, and were denied, not once, but twice after two long drives that found the back of the Bradley goal were disallowed after being judged to have hit an attacking York foot. Nonetheless, York managed to take the lead midway through the half, courtesy of Duncan Sills firing home on the reverse stick for his first goal of the year, a statistic driven home loudly and exhaustively by the pitchside support.

Though that same support base were of the mind that York ought to have been further ahead at the break, they were also united in their acclamation of their team’s performance. Such a shaking off of any Christmas pudding-induced rust put York in stark contrast to their somewhat mediaeval opposition, who puffed away manfully but at times simply could not keep up.

York, however, were still in search of a second goal, and continued their excellent and unceasing pressure. They were rewarded. After the ball broke to James Lewis in the area following the blockage of three attempted shots, the striker let fly with a swashbuckling drive on the reverse that slashed through the Bradley goalkeeper’s dive, doubling his side’s lead.

From then on York stayed in control of the game, with any efforts by Bradley to stage a fightback categorically snuffed out by the home defence and the always-alert Shin in goal until the final whistle. Such an impressive manner of victory can only bode well for the prospects of the seconds, who have been rewarded for their efforts earlier this season with a red-letter day away to the much higher-ranked Leeds 2nds in the BUCS Cup this Wednesday.

Sam Unsworth, team captain on the day and Man of the Match, said that the 2nds “have had a great season so far” and “couldn’t feel much more confident as a side.” Vision certainly hopes that they can go one better than the York 1sts and manage to slay their proverbial Goliath.