Cheam M3 3-2 Epsom M4

They say you can’t win anything with kids… And whilst that may have been true for most of the 3XI’s season, it certainly wasn’t the case on 24th March! Cheam’s 3XI side pulled off a great result against Epsom’s 4XI, in a Division 1 scrap towards the bottom of the table.
The match started at quite a pace, with the possession in a constant back and forth, and my FitBit going haywire before the minute-hand had even hit double digits. James Morris, who had spent most of the season abandoning the 3XI to further his education at university (which as a teacher, put me in quite the quandary), opened the scoring to give Cheam the lead. The Return of the Morris Dancer had been foretold, and he shimmied his way through the Epsom defence to slot in low and hard in the far corner. GAME ON!
Epsom were clearly stunned and frustrated, with tempers beginning to flare on both sides as a stalemate ensued for the rest of the half. Umpires were on hand to remind everyone to keep their heads and remain calm. And then… It happened.
Much to my surprise, and to the astonishment of Epsom’s captain, I was ‘Green Carded’ (for the first time in my hockey career) for having the audacity to be upset at someone body-checking me whilst I was running a defensive short-corner… How dare I!?
Isolation.
Despair.
Loneliness.
As I sat on the side-lines taking in this new sensation, realising the true horrors of seclusion and separation, I vowed to improve my behaviour and never commit such a heinous crime again. I returned to the field a reformed character and a better man. I like to think of those two minutes as my own moral rehabilitation.
The second half was more of the same, with Epsom beginning to get a serious foothold in the game, and Cheam’s defence managing to soak up a lot of pressure. However, against the run of play a tidy finish by Neil Weston managed to double our lead, and victory was just about in our grasp. Yet this breathing space allowed complacency to creep in, and Epsom bit back with a decent short-corner finish. Once again, the game was on a knife-edge and the pendulum of momentum swung back in Epsom’s favour.
Cheam needed a break, we needed a boost, we needed a hero. Up stepped Ryden Nelson… After a breakaway run, the ball was slapped across the goalmouth and into the mixer. Ryden, bombing in off the right-wing, managed to get his feet round the ball, and muster up enough strength to push it in from outside the post. BOOM. 3-1! A lovely finish from a tight angle, and a well-deserved goal after such a tiring season. Unfortunately, Grant Stephen felt bad for Epsom and decided to deflect one of their shots into our top corner to bring it back to 3-2, but Cheam 3XI managed to hold out and snatch the win, the first since November.
It was a heroic effort from all involved and a really good way to end the season (barring one final game on the 14th April), however I must turn my attention to the Colts who played in this match. David Williams, James Clack, Ryden Nelson, and Adam Ross all had fantastic games, each with their own merits.

• Ryden got the winning goal, after teasing Epsom with some other great chances.
• David was crucial in linking play together in the final third and keeping the pressure on Epsom’s defence.
• Adam made a series of incredible saves to maintain Cheam’s lead.
• James was outstanding and blunting any Epsom attack down the right-hand side.

It was a phenomenal effort by these four lads, and a performance that shows how bright Cheam’s future is. After what has been a difficult season, with these boys playing in a division that is four steps up from anything they had experienced before, this win was a joy for all involved and proof that they can handle the challenge.

MOTM: James Clack - After telling me he was a midfielder/winger all season, his first match in his actual position at right-back was nothing short of a masterpiece. Composure on the ball and confident in the tackle, James was excellent in a match full of great performances.