Triumphant Diamonds

Andover Diamonds chalked up their maiden victory in the Wessex Masters League Division 1 with a four-nil win over Winchester. For the first time this season, Diamonds managed to put together two great halves, back-to-back, for a complete performance. Every member of the team played well and exhibited some outstanding passing hockey.

The home side attacked from the start, and in the thirteenth minute, Lance Mitchell picked up the rebound from a Richard Hoo shot and slotted it through the goalkeeper’s legs for the opening goal. The substitutions were being expertly managed by Mike Boyne, which made a difference as he replaced the goal-scorer with Richard Romer-Lee who scored with his first touch a minute late to make it two-nil at half time.

The Diamonds continued to build the pressure in the second half and it seemed inevitable that they would score more. Winchester, on the other hand, never looked like scoring as the Andover defence were magnificent. Rob Oostendorp, was like a wall which the visitors could not breach, taking the ball off attacker after attacker.

In the 49th minute, a free hit taken by Mike Nutley, deep in his own defensive area, was passed through six team members to reach skipper Glyn Hacker on the edge of the Winchester “D”. He drew the goalkeeper and passed the ball forward to Romer-Lee, who calmly slotted it home for his second. A few minutes later, a similar passing movement, involving most of the team, resulted in man of the match, Romer-Lee, firing the ball into the back of the Winchester net to complete his hat-trick and a well-deserved win for the Diamonds.