Colts vs CALA

The Colts would be lining up against the bottom of the league, but the game would be a milestone matchup, as Edinburgh CALA M3s would be the last team we had yet to be played in East four, and hopefully beat them as well.

The team sheet would have some surprises, with captain Waugh leaving out three of his regulars from the spine of the Colts team. Alasdair Swan would return to the side, but would be trying to show the young team what a veteran could do up front. Will Evans would be pushed from left back into the center of midfield, to test his abilities. Would this prove to be madness in the Colts captains’ selection?
Would Calum Wood continue his dominance and claim a third ‘Man of the Match’ in a row? Seventy minutes of hockey would tell.

With the number of changes in the side, the Colts took time to get into their passing style of play, with CALA playing hard, wanting to avoid another defeat. Will Evans had other plans, stripping the ball in the center of the park and drifting forward into the D. His shot was at goal, but the defender helped it on its way round the flat-footed keeper. 1-0.

The rest of the half would be an even affair. The Colts winning a number of Penalty Corners, which they were unable to convert, perhaps with the absence of three players from the routine. For the second week in a row, Waugh would have a finger in the face and threats of ‘you’ll know it when I smash you!’. Always the professional, you could only hear laughter coming from the captains’ mouth, though a new mouth guard may have dampened down a few choice words of his own.

1-0 at half time. The score line was not reflective of the efforts from the Colts, nor the ability within the team. A switch of formation to a 3-4-3 was decided, as we all thought that we could really dominate the opposition.

With fire in their bellies the Colts started the half like a rocket. Ricky Tandon would play the ball out right, with Andrew Mortimer smashing past the keeper from a tight angle. 2-0.

Our third goal would be the second for Evans, after a quick injection from Swan’s PC, Will would stop the ball himself before striking back past the goalie. 3-0 and we were flying.

With CALA been pended back into their own half, the Colts were free to press attack after attack. Calum wood beat two players at the top of the circle and passed the ball of left, where Waugh would deflect the ball as it passed under his shoulder, just barely creeping the ball into the bottom corner. 4-0.
Our fifth and final goal would come from an unlikely source. Alasdair Swan would cap a good performance up front, with a goal, by diving to his right and sweeping the ball inside the right post, then quickly subbing himself off. It was Swanny’s first goal in eight years. So congratulations. This first goal in eight years should really have been his second, as minutes before he had found the back of the net with a volley into the ground that bounced back up and into the roof of the goal. Quite the finish in my opinion, however the CALA defence complained that the ball had been hit too hard and the umpire decided to overrule his own decision and chalk off the goal. Go figure?
The game would finish 5-0 to the men in Maroon, with a very positive second half performance. The Colts have now proved that they have the spirit and ability to beat all of the teams in East Four.
Well done to Will Evans who claimed the ‘Man of the Match’ award this week, thankfully stopping Woody from getting his hatrick and the endless gloating, which would surely follow. No fixture for the Colts this weekend.