The snow again devastated the Slazenger League programme this afternoon, with only six matches being played. TalkHockeyRadio was at Havant for one of the two surviving fixtures in the Men’s Premier Division, to see Havant’s meeting with eighth place Hampstead and Westminster. This is the third time we have seen Havant play this season and the previous matches left us puzzled as to why the Hampshire side was languishing at the bottom of the table. After today’s performance our puzzlement has been replaced by astonishment at the result, after what was a truly dire exhibition. Havant’s get-out-of-goal card was their Egyptian international Ezz (pictured) whose 27th minute equaliser nearly broke the backboards. Hampstead had taken a 12th minute lead via Will Naylor and the irony of this match, and there were many, was that the sides went into the break with the Londoners 2-1 up, after an overtime penalty corner was converted by David Eakins, despite the balance of play being in the home side’s favour. Eakins increased the score to 3-1 shortly after the re-start and after that Hampstead were virtually parked in the Havant half for the next twenty minutes. But the revival – and boy, what revival – came with less than ten minutes left. A shot by Mohamed Ezz, after his one-man effort penetrated the Hampstead defence, reduced the deficit to one, and a minute later Paul Rabe found himself unmarked with a sitter right in front of the Hampstead goal. We were in fairy-tale land here, and a draw would have been more than just result, but the saga was not over. Three minutes later and Warren Gilmour’s shot from a penalty corner hit the backboards. Havant managed to hang on until the final whistle to record their first win of the season. Final score 4-3. The sizable crowd who braved the winter weather were rewarded for their perseverance, but better sides will continue to punish Havant for play like today’s. Havant now move off the bottom of the table and are replaced by Southgate, who did not play today.
The only other Premiership match was at Bowdon, where Cannock twice went ahead, only to see their lead wiped out. Final score there, 2-2. Cannock are currently four points ahead of Reading at the top of the table but Reading have a game in hand. East Grinstead and Beeston, on 17 and 15 points respectively, have two games in hand.
There were two surviving matches in the East Conference and these involved the top teams. Oxted beat Ipswich 5-1, whilst Indian Gymkhana punished bottom-of-the-table Chelmsford 6-1. In the North Conference all three of the leaders played today. Belper, on 28 points, visited Formby, and put six passed them for a reply of one. Brooklands move ahead of University of Durham on goal difference after their 1-0 win over the students. Only Whitchurch versus Exeter University survived in the West, with the University getting the better of a 2-1 scoreline.
Photographs of the match between Havant and Hampstead and Westminster will appear on our main web site tomorrow. www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk
