Jones scores 600th goal
Gorleston 7, UEA III 1DESPITE the final scoreline Gorleston will be disappointed with their performance at times against the students' third string who are rock bottom of Division Four and have already been relegated next season to Division Five of the NE14 Hockey Men's East League.
Gorleston 7, UEA III 1
DESPITE the final scoreline Gorleston will be disappointed with their performance at times against the students' third string who are rock bottom of Division Four and have already been relegated next season to Division Five of the NE14 Hockey Men's East League.
Playing under floodlights in the murky conditions, Gorleston started well enough and after six minutes Martyn Vaudin burst through some weak defensive tackling to open the scoring.
But then, with the midfield quartet of Jason Austin, Andrew Lilly, Jamie Higginbotham and Nick Mobbs easily smothering the students' few attacking options, wave after wave of Gorleston moves broke down on the final pass or were foiled by Richard Beastall in the UEA goal, who had an outstanding afternoon.
Nor was his side's cause helped by injuries to key players which at times saw UEA reduced to eight fit players as the injured trailed over to the nearby James Paget Hospital for treatment before, to their credit, returning to the fray.
After half an hour Gorleston added a second goal with Adam Stone firing home a short corner rebound. Three minutes into the second half, with UEA down to nine players, he repeated the performance at the other end of the pitch.
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At this point Gorleston again lost their game plan and in the gathering fog too many attacks were wasted as the direct approach foundered on a combination of Richard Beastall's athleticism and wild shooting.
As frustration mounted it was inevitable that the students should get their moment of glory and 20 minutes from time James Hawkes broke away to beat substitute keeper Dale Kemp.
At last Gorleston pulled themselves together and with their extra-man advantage moved the ball about more fluently and with purpose.
Mark Vaudin restored their three-goal lead, cutting in from the right wing before Jamie Higginbotham scored twice from close range to put the scoreline into appropriate perspective.
For the icing on the cake all that was needed was for Peter Jones to notch his 600th goal for the club and that he did with the final strike of the match - a
short-corner special which left even Richard Beastall powerless to prevent.
No match this week with the Easter break before Gorleston
play their final three games -
with promotion still very much their goal.
