Rampant Shefford go second with win over local rivals

Shefford and Sandy Men’s 2nd team produced a clinical away performance, dismantling Blueharts 5s 7-1 in div 5SW of the East League.
Having had some success with a more aggressive pressing game in recent weeks the pre-match chat was all about putting Blueharts under immediate pressure, looking to play the game in the opposition half and making the most of penalty corners. The opening phases went exactly to plan with S&S 3 goals up in 10 minutes.

Within a minute S&S had won the ball deep in opposition territory. The chance appeared to have been lost when the home GK was able to leave a long pass into the D, only for the ball to rebound off the post with Reed pocking home from a few inches.
Minutes later S&S were 2 up with a sweet penalty corner routine straight from the coach’s manual being converted by Angel at the far post after the ball had been swiftly moved around the D.

At this point Blueharts were well and truly on the back-foot with S&S winning the ball high up the pitch and stretching the defence with sharp movement until an opportunity arrived. Soon S&S were 3 up, another team move finding Price on the byline, who pulled the ball back for Devlin to score with a 1st time slap.

The 1st half continued in the same pattern, Blueharts struggling to get out of their half as S&S were content to keep the ball moving, often through Pennington and Hepburn who were running the midfield, and threatening more goals with the forward line running the channels well. Number 4 was something of a rarity, Joannou slotting home on the reverse (not his strongest skill), before Price completed the scoring for the half finishing off another team move from close range, with Reed the provider having drawn the keeper.
The second half wasn’t so straight forward for S&S, with Blueharts finally creating some chances of their own, with both Sole and Robbins called into last ditch tackles early in the half. Having weathered the initial pressure S&S made it 6 with a fine solo goal from Angel who dribbled past a few defenders before slotting past the on-rushing keeper.

With S&S’s defence finally part of the game Turner decided he should carry the ball out of defense, using his speed to take him half the length of the pitch through the Bleuharts defence and into the D to square for Price, who’s poachers instinct saw him get to the ball before ‘keeper and defender with a deft deflection on the reverse.

Devlin was then unlucky not to make it 8 with a sharp turn seeing his shot on the reverse come off the post.
With Blueharts keen to get a consolation goal, S&S looked like they had ensured a clean sheet when they weathered a late run of penalty corners, including one smart defensive deflection by Riley, only for a scrappy last-minute deflection to creep in at the corner.
The 7-1 result was perhaps the most professional performance the 2s have produced this season, and spoke of a stable team that all played to the game plan, leaving them 2nd in the table and looking forward to the visit of St Albans this weekend.

Team: Payne, Robbins (capt), Sole, Turner, Riley, Hepburn, Pennington, Joannou, Angel, Price, Reed, Devlin.