If you are looking for metaphors to describe a game of hockey, this one was a slippery eel. Playing the Russians of Dinamo Elektrostal, every time East Grinstead got a hold of the game, it seemed to slip from their hands.
Fielding only one of their current GB internationals - Glenn Kirkam - East Grinstead looked sharp in the opening encounters, and could easily have gone ahead had it not been for the efforts of Rogov in the Russian goal. Indeed, during the entire match ‘Grinstead must have easily beaten their opponents on shots at goal, but too few either beat Rogov or ended up between the uprights.
It was very much against the run of play that Dinamo scored first, and fifteen minutes into the match English side appeared on the rack when they trailed 3-1, the EG goal coming off the stick of Daniel Koschyk. A second goal before half time – skipper Scott Ashdown the scorer – put a bit of sparkle into their game, and Dave de Prez equalised five minutes into the second half.
This is where our metaphor with the eel comes in. Having drawn equal, it took Elektrostal three minutes to retake the lead. Dave De Prez scored again, only to see the Russians take the lead again less than a minute later. Scott Ashdown stepped up to convert a penalty corner only to see Zhirkov score his second of the match after two minutes.
East Grinstead nearly fell to a late goal by Elektrostal but the ball went wide, and the match ended in a 5-5 draw.
East GrinsEast Grinstead play their next Pool B match later today, against the Austrians of SV Arminen.
