The Rockingham Redbacks Willow Bridge team took another step closer to the goal of being in the top 2 this week, when they accounted for Blades 3-1 at the Perth Hockey Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The newly laid surface is still on the slippery side but has improved significantly since the last time the Redbacks played at the venue.
Blades playing for pride had nothing to lose and came out and threw everything thing they had at the league leaders, and although they controlled the game for the first 5 minutes couldn’t get on top of the home side. Rockingham dominated most of the first half but didn’t trouble the scorers.
As frequently happens in Hockey when a side dominates and doesn’t score, the opposition score a goal against the flow and this is what Blades did at the 18 minute mark. The Redbacks replied before half time from a short corner, when Prabh Singh pounced on a rebound from the keepers pads to see the game level at half time.
The second half saw the home side control the game and have many shots on goal with no less than 4 hitting the post. The constant pressure on Blades defense led to Rockingham having 7 short corners for the half, and they were able to convert 2 of these into goals. The 2 fullbacks did what the strikers couldn’t and scored both goals. Brad Thompson hit a ball on the base line after the ball took a deflection wide of the goal mouth from the initial shot. This was Thompson’s first goal at this level. The hard hitting Allan Alderson smashed the ball from the top the circle after the first shot was saved by the keeper to put the local side up 3-1.
The win puts Rockingham 3 points or 1 game clear on top of the ladder, with 2 games remaining in the home and away series.
Neville Ford
Team Manager
Leave a Reply