LEEDS men hockey first team needed penalty flicks to edge past a tough Newcastle side and book a quarter-final place in the trophy cup on a wet evening at Weetwood Park.
The Gryphons were forced to come from behind twice as they battled against their Georgie opponents who, despite currently occupying top spot in the league below, challenged Leeds in what was a very physical cup match encounter.
As the full time whistle went, the game was poised at 2-2 after the men in green had grabbed a late equaliser through Will Flett’s powerful drive from a short corner after Josh Mailling had cancelled out Newcastle’s early opener.
Both teams took time to settle into the match, with the wet conditions meaning that the game was played at a fast rhythm. The Gryphons started brightly in the opening exchanges, threading through a ball to Flett although he was unable to latch onto it. Newcastle rarely threatened the Leeds goal during the first 10 minutes, with the rainy conditions resulting in a fast playing pace in the middle of the park.
After ten minutes played, Leeds set off on a counter-attack from a resulting hit-out, with the lively Will Kenney-Herbert darting off down the left-wing to cause problems for the Newcastle defence, which eventually won the ball back and produced a flick to their centre-forward down the other end. The ensuing loose ball deflected off a Gryphon defender which allowed a brief chase in the D, but Gryphon goalkeeper Savvas comfortably ushered the ball out of play.
Moments later, however, Newcastle were in the Gryphon’s half again and caught the home side napping. Having worked the ball across to the left-hand side, a cross was pushed into the D and found an unmarked Newcastle forward who latched onto it with his stick for a tame goal in the bottom right-hand corner, in what was a passage of play that Leeds wanted to forget.
Leeds, somewhat taken aback by the fact that their opponents had capitalised from their first shot on target in the game, responded with a counter-attack which eventually resulted in a long corner won by Mailling. After a prolonged period of possession in Newcastle’s half, The Gryphons then won a short corner, from which Newcastle’s goalkeeper made a brilliant save only for the ball to be gathered by Leeds and passed out to Mailling at the top of the D, who wasted no time in picking out the back of the net with a superb goal to equalise at 1-1.
But Newcastle showed why they are on course for promotion from their own Northern 1A league – they were proving difficult to break down and were relentless in robbing the ball from The Gryphons in midfield.
Leeds closed out the half with some strong passages of attacking play, winning a short corner which saw Golding’s two powerful drive both saved by the hand of Newcastle keeper before winning another.
Newcastle, however, came at Leeds again at the start of the second half, with Savvas being forced to get down low to save. The Geordies kept possession in the Gryphon half and eventually won a controversial short corner after the two referees had carefully consulted each other. In what was Newcastle’s first short corner of the game, they again squandered no chances and the receiver flicked the ball neatly into the right side of the net to edge in front at 2-1.
Leeds, nevertheless remained buoyant and spearheaded a number of attacks, with Mailling being stopped in his tracks having dribbled the ball towards the D and Justin Brown tackled after latching onto a down field flick. As Newcastle remained defiant in defence, they were becoming increasingly frustrated with Leeds’ hurried pace of play, and their number 47 was sin-binned for dangerously tackling Kenney-Herbert, by which time Leeds were playing rather horizontally, using the width of the pitch to try and break their opponents’ defence.
A long corner which resulted from deep possession eventually made its way to Matt Proctor but the number seven saw his shot blocked before the ball was whipped away. Brown led a few dribbles from midfield, holding the ball up nicely on one occasion down the left-hand side only for him to become boxed in with no help available. The game was further spoilt when Newcastle, having only just regained their sin-binned man, this time saw their number 80 sent from the field.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, Leeds were rewarded with a short corner, which was passed out to Flett who drove the ball magnificently into the top left corner before wheeling away in celebration.
At 2-2, the final whistle blew and the match was to be decided on penalty flicks. Newcastle stepped up first and confidently scored, only for Tom Precious to cancel it out. Mailling, Wilkinson, and Flett followed suit, before Newcastle’s number 28 saw his shot heroically saved by Savvas. Kenney-Herbert, who had looked in-form all throughout the game, stepped up and secured a hard-fought Gryphon 5-4 penalty win.
Leeds overcame a huge mental test in coming from behind twice to beat their Geordies, who must be given credit for their spirited performance and who at times, arguably looked the better side for having been more clinical than Leeds in front of goal.
Fiona Tomas
Featured image: Fiona Tomas