MPA Vs. MCC [RD 8]

Waverley 1 defeated MCC 0

The MPA panthers met MCC on S-2 at the State Hockey Centre in a must win game to launch the teams resurgence into the top four after a slow start to the season – with only two wins in the first seven rounds of the season.

We entered the match weary of MCC, who are always a surprise package, in a pivotal point of our season.

As the game started the heavens opened and the pitch was flooded with a constant downpour of rain throughtout the match. It was known that whichever team adapted quicker and fought out the scrappy match was going to win.

Both teams began aggresively without resolve as both defenses held strong on the slow pitch. The panthers began to take control through the midfield with Mackintosh, O.Preston and Eddy all stamping their presence on the game – Yet, the persistence and continued forward penetrations were unrewarded on the scoreboard leaving the struggle at 0-0 at half time.

The teams re-entered the fray after the break and continued to slog it out on the now underwater pitch. Each team had a couple of chances to break the game open with a couple of open goal shots failing to find the netting.

Finally the Blue Boys grasped their opportunity after a goal mouth scramble saw the ball pop out onto the left side – a desperate diving backstick from Stu Ritchie beating the keeper and finding the backboard to take Waverley to a 1-0 lead with less than ten minutes remaining.

Waverley continued to hold possession for the remainder of the match to see out the win, even with a last minute scare with MCC unable to convert a given goal.

The team will take a lot of confidence out of the hard-fought win and will build on the momentum they are taking from strining a couple of wins together.

Team – Greaves, Shelton, Mutimer, Hawes, Green, Hocking, Mackintosh, Ritchie, Eddy, Dallimore, O.Preston, Knee, Annetts & Ashton