Foundation Magazine 2021-2022 | Mount Kelly

SPORT
1ST XI
SPORT
After a two year spell of no hockey
for the boys 1st XI it was due to
be a year of rebuilding and forging
new relationships on and off the field. The
season started with a tough encounter
against Exeter School away from home.
Mount Kelly started brightly with some
promising counter attacks, Benjamin
Allsop coming closest with a vicious
strike off his back hand. Exeter were soon
to capitalise on the newly forged Mount
Kelly back line and hit back with a couple
of well work goals. The 1st XI, knowing
they had dangerous options from short
corners failed to make the most of their
chances and could not get a clean trap
at the top of the circle. If not for some
fine saves from senior debutant Thomas
Lawrence in goal the margins could have
been much worse, 4-1 to Exeter the final
score.
A competitive and closely fought battle
for the 1st XI against the OMK XI followed
the following week. Freddy Bott the pick
of the bunch for the current 1st XI as he
came up against his older brother and
former senior player George Bott. Luke
Maxa continued his impressive start to the
season with another dominant display in
the midfield where he continued to make
a nuisance of himself. After the OMKs
went up by 3 goals the current 1st XI did
very well to come back and make a game
of it. Benjamin Allsop and Bartholomew
Grainger scoring the goals.
A further two defeats against Exeter
School and Wellington School highlighted
the work that needed to be done and the
changes in mentality that had to be made.
Their next match against West Buckland
School which was a Friday night match
under lights was the best performance
of the season so far. The boys controlled
the tempo of the game much better and
were improved in their decision making
in the final third. A tap in chance for
Thomas Birchell could not be finished
and a calamitous error from captain
William Hutton provided the visitors with
a free strike from the top of the circle. This
ended up being the deciding factor in a
vastly improved performance.
The boys final match of the season
was against Downside School. After
a nervy opening spell captain William
Hutton steadied the ship with a powerful
penalty corner into the bottom corner.
Downside continued to look dangerous
on the break and capitalised with a quick
counter attack. This did not set the 1st XI
back and the boys continued to press for
a winner. William Hutton again fired in a
dangerous drag flick into the top corner
followed by a tap in off the pads for
Benjamin Allsop. This provided the boys
with an important 3-1 victory to finish off
their season.
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