Colts v Fidra M2s

After a week off due to a frozen pitch in Perth, it was good to get back to action back at Fortress Tipperlinn against Fidra Lion's M2s.

The pre-match team talk focused on the value of communication and individual responsibility - heavy stuff! Duly ignoring his own message, new Captain Tony Allan found himself inexplicably in the opposition D 10 minutes into the game. After some great work by Ricky Tandon cutting along the baseline and laying it back, Tony stifled his nosebleed, shut his eyes and duly blasted it straight at the keeper. Fortunately there was just enough power on the shot to see it cross the line and gently kiss the backboard.

This early strike helped settle the Colts who had just survived a scare at the other end, with Fidra narrowly failing to finish a good team move at the back post.

Goals change games though and the Colts were by now very much in the ascendancy, using the full width and length of the pitch and playing some lovely expansive hockey. A second goal followed from Ricky Tandon, who expertly converted from fully 36 inches after good set-up work by Calum Wood. The third came from Euan Burgess with a perfectly struck reverse stick effort from the edge of the D which left the Keeper helpless. Two very different goals but both very satisfying from a coaching standpoint, and proof that despite the protests of the old duffers in the squad, it is sometimes a good thing to switch onto the reverse.

A fourth followed before half time and this time it was Danny Tandon getting in on the act. Danny Tandon.... what a hit son, what a hit. A lovely straight strike from the lad at top D C'MON!!! He scores again. (Thanks Danny for your "guidance" on how to word that).

Fidra pulled one back before half time, just to remind the Colts that they were in a game. A strike from a short corner, conceded after some questionable defensive work from T Allan, obviously keen to prove that he had successfully converted himself into a striker.

At half time all the talk was of treating it as a nil-nil and it was great to hear the young guys taking control of the discussion.

Complacency set aside, the Colts set about their task and indeed took the second half 2-1, to result in a final score of 6-2. They coped well with a much improved second half Fidra performance and the learning point was to keep playing good, expansive hockey and not get sucked into one on one battles. The second half goals came from Woody with another well placed strike from the edge of the D, and Danny T with an unforgettable second (unforgettable in everything except that fact that the details of it have sadly been forgotten so cannot be included here).

Overall a very satisfying and mature performance, showing great game intelligence to identify and exploit the opposition's weaknesses. Onwards and upwards!