Chard A draw with Mid Somerset (5-5)

This game had everything, including outstanding individual goals, excellent saves from both goalkeepers, high standard passing hockey and, for Chard, a Harvey Dening hat trick, the perfect present on his birthday.

Although most of the match was played in dry weather, the pitch was treacherously slippery and several players from both sides lost their footing risking twisted ankles. The fleet of foot and slightly built forwards of the home side coped better but, for Chard's more mature players, the surface posed real problems when changing direction. Chard's organisation was tested early on when a clearance by keeper Ian Rockett hit captain Tom Eames square on the knee from close range. With no substitutes, Chard reshaped their defence and Eames hobbled up to the Mid Somerset end of the pitch to slowly work off the pain. It almost proved to be an inspirational reshuffle as twice the ball fell to him inside their D and twice his goalbound shots were saved at full stretch by Mid Somerset's keeper.

When Chard broke the deadlock, it was courtesy of some magic from veteran midfielder Trevor Goss. From outside the right flank of the D, he dribbled past three defenders and stabbed the ball into the net, wrongfooting the keeper who was expecting him to cross to forwards who were queuing up expecting the same. Mid Somerset got back on level terms, awarded a questionable penalty flick which Rockett was desperately unlucky not to save. With two minutes remaining in the first half, Chard went back in front, Jason Goddard applying the finishing touch in another goalmouth scramble. But any hopes of going in ahead at the interval were dashed within a minute as one of Mid Somerset's young forwards deftly slipped away from a couple of challenges, stepped into the top of the D and fired home before any other Chard player could get a stick in the way.

From the start of the second half, Mid Somerset played a forward up in Chard's D at all times and from their first attack they went close to taking the lead, the ball striking a forward's feet with the goal at his mercy. Chard picked up where they had left off from much of the first half in terms of slick passing and movement, particularly down their right flank. But is was the home side who scored next and Chard found themselves in the unexpected position of playing well and still having to come from behind. Their response was calm and swift. Goddard, who was the architect of so much in creating Chard's attacks crossed from the right for Dening to equalise.

The true test of Chard's mettle was still to come. They were severely punished for losing possession inside their 25 metre line and then momentary hesitation as the ball ricocheted around the D before being turned into the net from close range. Within a minute Chard were two goals behind, the ball dropping kindly to Mid Somerset's centre forward from a half clearance by Steve Mahoney. It took time to come to terms with this double blow. Time was ticking away and Chard looked despondent and out of ideas. It was Goddard who threw the team a lifeline with an audacious piece of individual skill with under five minutes remaining. Collecting the ball on the half way line, he sprinted down the wing outpacing all efforts to tackle him, then turned in along the backline before, with a precise pass, teeing up Dening to make it 4-5. Perhaps conscious of Chard's scoring potential, Mid Somerset had continued to pile forward even when two goals ahead. This tactic backfired spectacularly. Pressing for another goal themselves, they lost possession close to Chard's D. Eames collected the loose ball and fired a Hail Mary pass upfield to Dening lurking at the top of the home D. He slipped his marker and calmly blasted the ball past the advancing keeper to complete a stunning comeback.

Team: I Rockett, T Eames (capt), N Gage, R Millett, S Mahoney, T Goss, J Goddard, J Green, R Squire, G Eggle, H Dening.

Thanks go to match sponsors the Bell and Crown.