Exciting Roller Hockey Action: Manchester Takes Top Spot, Invicta Dominates, and Herne Bay Secures Victory
The Bay Sports Arena was the venue for the final PL2 games this weekend, featuring a match between Plymouth RHC and Herne Bay RHC. Plymouth arrived with only five players, while Herne Bay fielded a full-strength team, making it a challenging start to the day for Plymouth. Herne Bay took the lead within two minutes, with Freeman scoring the first goal. They quickly followed up with two more goals, with Hopkins netting twice in two minutes. However, Plymouth managed to score a long-range shot, and J. Williams got the final touch to score their only goal of the game. By halftime, the score was 6-1 in Herne Bay's favor. In the second half, Herne Bay continued their fast-paced gameplay and utilized their full team to score more goals, resulting in a final score of 13-1 in Herne Bay's favor. The game was refereed by A. Bowyer and J. Thomas.
The second game of the day featured Sheffield Wildcats RHC versus Manchester RHC. Both teams were aggressive from the first whistle. Manchester took the lead after four minutes through Servent, but Sheffield quickly responded with a goal of their own from a great forward pass by Whitton to Gash, who finished the with a nicely taken goal. Manchester hit back with three more goals, and although the game seemed to settle, Sheffield's Gordon was given a blue card, allowing Bowyer to step up and take a well-converted direct shot. By halftime, Manchester had scored one more, making the game 5-2 at the halfway mark. Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse for Sheffield as they were overwhelmed by a well-drilled and disciplined Manchester team. The final score was Sheffield 5-22 Manchester, with Servent scoring an impressive eight goals himself. The referees for the game were K. Hopkins and C. Botting.
Manchester RHC in action
In game three, Farnham RHC, who were at the bottom of the table with -1 point, faced off against Middlesbrough, who were sitting at the top. Despite the discrepancy in standings, the match proved to be a hard-fought battle. L. Pickering scored the first goal of the game, but Mills soon equalized for Farnham. The first half ended with Farnham leading 3-2 over Middlesbrough.
After the break, Harry Pickering came alive and capitalized on Farnham's undisciplined play, as they racked up team fouls and saw their captain, Miguel, collect two blue cards. The game concluded with Harry Pickering netting four more goals in the second half, leading to a final score of Farnham RHC 4-7 Middlesbrough. The referees for the match were A. Bowyer and C. Bassom.
In their quest for the top spot, Manchester faced off against Farnham RHC in game 4. The match was largely one-sided, with Manchester quickly taking control of the game. By halftime, the score stood at Manchester 10, Farnham 1. While Farnham put up a slightly better display in the second half, the final result was still heavily in favour of Manchester, who won 15-4. With this victory, Manchester claimed the top spot in the league, and Servant maintained his position as the top goalscorer, adding another 7 goals to his personal tally. The match was officiated by referees P. Williams and K. Hopkins.
Game 5, with only two more games to follow. The match-up was between Herne Bay and Sheffield, with Sheffield hoping for a stronger showing after a heavy defeat in their previous game. Despite a better performance, Sheffield was unable to turn the tables, and the final scoreline saw Herne Bay victorious with a 7-2 score. The match was officiated by referees C. Bassom and J. Thomas.
In game 6, the third-place team, Invicta, faced off against Plymouth. Invicta came to the match with a full squad and quickly asserted their dominance. Plymouth did their best to frustrate Invicta, but after 7 minutes, Botting broke the seal and Invicta never looked back, scoring three more goals through Greenwood (2x) and Butcher (1x). Plymouth did manage to strike back with a goal from Swabey, but the halftime score was heavily in favor of Invicta, with a scoreline of 8-2. The second half saw Invicta finding their rhythm, with Captain Martindale leading the charge by scoring 7 goals, securing second place in the top scorers list. The final score was Invicta 19, Plymouth 2, solidifying Invicta's position in the league standings. Referees K.Hopkins & C.Bassom
The final game of the day featured Invicta, who had already secured third place, and Sheffield Wildcats. The game started off slowly for Invicta, and Sheffield had a few chances early on. However, Invicta struck first, with Botting scoring a lovely shot in the top corner. Within a minute, Whitton for Sheffield hit back, but Invicta quickly regained their footing and started changing the team to keep everyone fresh. The first half ended with Invicta leading 6-2.
The second half saw Sheffield frustrating Invicta, prompting the coach to replace all four floor players with a fresh team. The effect was immediate, and within a minute, Invicta struck again through J. Shelton. The floodgates opened from there, and Invicta dominated the rest of the game. A great moment in the match came when Sheffield took their goalkeeper, Amelia Thomas, off with 10 minutes left. Thomas is on loan from Invicta, and she received a standing ovation from both teams for her great performance. The game ended with a dominant display from Invicta, with a final score of 17-2. The referees for the game were C. Bassom and K. Hopkins.
