Maidenhead 3 - 2 Mill Hill Hockey Club (From Times Series)

Maidenhead 3 - 2 Mill Hill Hockey Club

6:04pm Sunday 22nd March 2009 in

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Maidenhead 3 - 2 Mill Hill It sometimes seems as though Danny Stockhill has put money on Mill Hill finishing the season in the bottom two.

Every time his side battles into contention the South African is on hand to gift the opposition a penalty flick. So while his powerful long-ball game rarely wins him a mention in the match reports, his defensive frailties ensure his Google biography is full.

Everything was late for Mill Hill on Saturday, the midweek withdrawal of midfield lynch pin Craig McIntyre for personal reasons and goalkeeper Mike Ellis through injury necessitated an eleventh hour (literally) callup for Ankeet Khimasia. Holdups on the north circular and M25 resulted in a tardy arrival in Maidenhead and a late late goal decided the game.

In fact, it's misleading to suggest that the penalty decided the game, the sending off of two Mill Hill players, in frustration at some consistently bizarre umpiring, left the visitors with an impossible task.

Ryan Sclanders, persistently and cynically fouled on every occasion saw yellow for lifting his stick. Apay Obang Oway, standing in at left back made the most of his 10ft reach to adopt an approach to marking as loose as his jeans waistband, but unfortunately his new position was just too close to the umpire for the home truths he uttered at full volume to go unnoticed.

In the face of adversity, Mill Hill had battled back from a two goal deficit thanks to a millimetre perfect flick from Sclanders and a poacher's finish from Nick Warr.

But the scrappy midfield of Maidenhead shoved and kicked Mill Hill's playmakers off the ball just enough to break into the 25 where every attack resulted in a short corner.

The game was a true Odyssey, with the heroes battling against their mortal foes but also the malign influence of the gods. Unfortunately just as they were arriving safely home, a cruel thunderbolt found its mark - the achilles heel of Stockhill.