York Men’s Hockey 2nd XI narrowly lost out 3-2 to a well drilled Sheffield Hallam 3rds outfit on the JLD yesterday afternoon, despite establishing a 2-0 lead through goals from Chris Butterworth and Sam Unsworth.
York started the game more brightly than their opponents, displaying for long periods of the first half the kind of hockey that has seen them take maximum points from recent Yorkshire League games.
After some great work upfront by Joe ‘Big Time’ Hubbard and Danny Williams, Butterworth slotted home the first goal of the game as Sheffield failed to clear the ball out of their D.
York pressed hard after this goal and continued to dominate, despite the increasingly dangerous attacks made by Sheffield, and the experienced Unsworth doubled the lead after some slick passing following a York short corner.
This setback seemed to kick Sheffield into life, and despite some showpiece pass and move hockey from York, they were able to pull a goal back after York failed to clear a cross, leaving outstanding ‘keeper Sam McKinnon stranded.
The last ten minutes of the first half amounted to very little, as the intensity dropped slightly, and York could not convert their superior possession into further goals.
York started the second half well, but Sheffield upped their game, and even Patrick Forrester, who was York’s stand-out performer in a strong defensive line-up, was unable to prevent Sheffield from pulling level ten minutes into the second half.
Both sides were by this point searching for a winner, although York were unable to get fully into their stride, and a sloppy challenge by Butterworth resulted in a Sheffield short corner, from which they converted to take the lead. With ten minutes remaining, the York players pushed high up the pitch, but the earlier fluency about their play was missing and no gaps in the Sheffield defence could by found.
The defeat leaves the side still in search of their first BUCS win of the season, but there are definitely positives to take from the display. Hallam are likely to be one of the stronger outfits in the division, and York will be looking to bounce back with a win against Leeds Met 3rds in their next BUCS game in a fortnight’s time.
Vision MOTM: Patrick Forrester