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Photos: Jack Western
York men’s 1sts strolled to victory in the first round of the BUCS cup against a Sheffield 4ths side which are in the same division as the York’s 3rd team. In reality the game was a mismatch, and despite a spirited effort from the visitors, the final scoreline ended 6-0, as the superior ability of York’s players told.
It was far from York’s finest display, and at times the game descended into mockery, as York treated the game more as a friendly than as a competitive fixture. York’s attitude was far from exemplary, and if they had played to their full potential the margin of victory could have been much greater.
York asserted their dominance early on as Leo Watton forced an early save from the Sheffield keeper. York were controlling possession, but their performance was far from convincing in the early stages, as sloppy passes and poor first touches hindered their play. Indeed Sheffield were holding their own, and looked dangerous on the attack, forcing ‘keeper Chaundy, who was largely a spectator, into action on occasion.
Despite their somewhat lacklustre start, which wasn’t helped by the departure of captain George Richards due to injury, it was only a matter of time until York took the lead. Eventually the pressure told, as Laurie Torrington produced a trademark drag flick from a short corner to hand the home side the lead.
Minutes later another short corner produced a second goal, as Watton slid the ball into the path of Dougie McAteer who deflected the ball into the back of the net. At 2-0 the sloppiness of the early stages had long been forgotten, and York grabbed a stranglehold on the game, crushing the hopes of the visitors.
York continued to assert their dominance, limiting Sheffield to occasional forward bursts, whilst peppering the visitors’ goal whenever possible. It was no surprise when Kris Siva added a third on the stroke of half time, and by this stage the result was beyond doubt.
The pattern of the game continued in the second half, as the contest turned into a procession, with York showing off their skills, but sometimes losing their structure and work ethic, which could be punished by stronger sides.
Torrington had a drag flick brilliantly stopped on the line, before Watton scored an exquisite individual goal, showboating by beating five or six defenders, rounding the keeper and slotting home. Phil Ratliff added a fifth after an excellent passing move, and Kris Siva rounded off the scoring with a scuffed sixth, which trundled under the keeper and into the net.
York were unable to turn their control of the game into more goals in the closing stages, and will undoubtedly be pushed much more in future games, but for today the performance was satisfactory to brush aside the opposition.
After the game captain Richards commented: “It was a bit scrappy at times, but we showed glimpses of excellent play”. Watton added: “It was a sporadic performance which turned into an exhibition of ego boosting”.
The beauty of the cup is that minnows can play giants, and upsets can occur which create a legacy for years to come. However this mismatch never threatened to become one of those memorable encounters, as York remained in cruise control throughout, whilst comfortably securing their progress to the second round.
Vision MOTM: Laurie Torrington
awful game to watch. awful hockey.