Latest from Stourport Hockey Club
The drama started early in the men's 2nd XI 2-3 defeat by their visitors, Harborne men's 3rd XI, in their Midlands Division 4 West match, the hosts going a goal behind almost immediately from the push back.
Things got worse for Stourport when they fell further behind within the opening 20 minutes as Harborne added a second, leaving Stourport with a mountain. A well-judged tactical change by Stourport at half-time proved to be the turning point, as Stourport emerged for the second half with renewed energy, purpose, and clear determination to get themselves back into the contest. Stourport pulled a goal back in the 40th minute when coach Elliot Foweraker produced a moment of real quality. Picking up the ball near the halfway line, he spun past his marker, drove forward through the Harborne defence, and calmly slotted a precise shot into the bottom corner to pull a goal back.
Ignited by the goal, Stourport continued to build the pressure on the Harborne goal, and this momentum led to an equaliser shortly afterwards. Midfielder Harry McIntyre stepped up to finish off a strong team move to score his much-anticipated first goal of the season, and bring Stourport level. Despite this comeback and the spirited performance, Harborne scored a late winner in the dying minutes of the match. Although the impressive response from Stourport deserved more than a 2-3 defeat, the character and resilience in the second half provided plenty of positives to take forward into the next fixture.
The ladies' 1st team fought out a hard-fought encounter with their hosts, St Albans 1st XI, in their Women's Conference Midlands match. Stourport had to fight back twice to secure a point in this 2-2 draw. St Albans started well, taking the lead in the seventh minute, before Stourport strung several passes together and equalised through Sophie Thompson after 20 minutes. However, St Albans responded by scoring a second five minutes after the equaliser, leaving them chasing the match as they entered the second half. Stourport equalised, through Thompson's second as the clock was ticking down, and despite both sides pushing for the winning goal, they had to settle for a point.
