Cheam M3s 2-2 Teddington Oaks

By Chris Blackmore

Nightmares, flashbacks, dreadful recollections… After suffering a humiliating 9-2 defeat at the hands of Teddington back in November, I was haunted with the memories of insane back-stick corkers, and team-passing moves that were so fluid that they made grown men cry… It would be safe to say I was approaching this reverse home-fixture with a little bit of hesitation and trepidation. At the business end of a tough season, a harsh spanking from a bunch of young men (reminiscent of my nights out at university) would not be what the doctor ordered. However, in what was a heroic comeback, the Tweed Army brushed off conceding twice to snatch back a point with moments to spare!

The game started off brightly, with Cheam producing some cracking work going forward, yet our few early chances ended in misery. Quick mention for our DOTD, as three minutes in Sammy produced an air-swing in front of an open goal that was so painful it made him thank the heavens he forgot his Go-Pro. Don’t worry Sammy, even without the aid of modern technology, I won’t be forgetting that any time soon!

Soon after, Teddington began to find their feet, and it was not long before we were on the back foot. Teddington’s work-rate, alongside a surprise appearance of the sun, was making us sweat more than a dyslexic playing Scrabble. Yet there was no repeat of the whitewash from November, instead the sturdy presence of Steve, Ted, and Root managed to ride the storm and maintain ultimate composure under intense pressure. Barking orders at anyone who was listening, Steve ran an organised back line, and we only conceded through an unfortunate individual error of not sticking to our man. Everyone was giving their all to keep out wave after wave of Teddington attacks, even putting their bodies on the line. I myself took a ball to the face (once again, a throwback to those university days), and Johnny left the pitch as always, bleeding for his club.

It would get darker after half-time, as Teddington doubled their lead quickly following the restart with a smooth short-corner routine. Yet once again Cheam kept their heads up and played calm and composed hockey in a game that seemed like it was being played at a speed that would challenge Sonic the Hedgehog. The turning-point came when Gaz slammed home a ball that was fired into the D, which made Teddington uneasy, and had the home side all fired up for a huge push in the final ten minutes. After some other close calls and even a disallowed goal, the situation was tense. After winning a short corner with only moments to go, our MOTM Bender gave me a cheeky wink as he confidently strode up field from the defence, only to slam a well-worked slip routine past the Teddington defence.

Unlike last week’s painful end against Trinity, it was the Tweed Brigade who stole a point this week. A tough game produced sweet rewards, and I felt a sense of relief and retribution considering the pasting we received only four months ago. If we manage to keep this positivity and energy up for the last three games, then I have every hope of staying in this league!