Double Domination for Warwick Hockey

Warwick Hockey spent the Day 3 evening crushing Coventry and furthering Warwick’s Varsity lead at The Place, with the women’s team dispatching 7 past Coventry without conceding, while the men’s dismantled the Magenta Army 8-1.

In the women’s, Warwick started the game on the front foot. Well I say that, I’ll be straight with you. I was late. *Glares at sport editor for directing him to Westwood rather than taking personal responsibility for not looking it up*. Only 10 minutes though, so let’s say Warwick started the game on the front foot. What I do know is that it was 0-0 when I did get there.

In the women’s, Warwick started the game on the front foot. Well I say that, I’ll be straight with you. I was late.

I arrived to see a Coventry player take an air shot (which would prove to be one of their very few chances of the game) and for Warwick to spring forward on the counter attack, winning a penalty corner. The visitors took full advantage of the opportunity, with captain Ellie Martin driving past an onrushing Coventry defender to slot home. Just a few minutes later, Warwick had doubled that advantage.

Image: Facebook/Tim Nunan

Yet Coventry defended doggedly for the first half, managing to limit Warwick’s chances to shoot from distance until the break. However, they contributed little going forward, resorting to desperate long ball tactics in a failed attempt to relieve Warwick’s pressure, a tactic which didn’t seem to go down too favourably with their own fans, who turned to playing football on the touchline for their own entertainment.

Immediately from the restart, Warwick reasserted their dominance. Alice Gil was central to this, driving Warwick forward and pinning Coventry in their own half, and as a result it wasn’t long before Warwick extended their lead. Another Warwick penalty corner, and another Warwick goal as Roxy Fisher directed the ball past the Coventry keeper after the hosts failed to clear.

Indiscipline and tiredness were beginning to creep into Coventry’s play, consistently committing cynical fouls and conceding penalty corners. 3-0 soon became 4-0, which then soon became 5-0 as Warwick refused to let up.

3-0 soon became 4-0, which then soon became 5-0 as Warwick refused to let up.

Astonishingly, Coventry did manage to manufacture a chance, only to be repelled by a strong hand from Warwick goalkeeper Hollie Iles. But any dreams of Hollywood comeback were crushed as Alice Gil finished from another Warwick penalty corner, before then producing Warwick’s moment of the game. Rubbing salt into the very deep Coventry wounds, she scooped the ball over the Coventry goalkeeper with a sublime piece of skill, to the delight of the strong Warwick away support.

It was an utterly dominant display from the Warwick side, comprehensively destroying any potential Varsity upset. The game drifted towards its inevitable conclusion, and Warwick left the pitch jubilant.

Star Performer: Ellie Martin – an all-round dominant showing from the captain, making sure Coventry were camped firmly in their own half, while chipping in with 2 goals of her own.

30 minutes later, and 10 degrees colder, the men’s outfit began their dismantling of an inferior Coventry outfit.

Within minutes, Warwick were 2 goals up and Coventry’s hopes of David overcoming Goliath were ruined. Rob McGeachie was at the heart of Warwick’s play, bossing the midfield with the powerful presence of Sam Fisher, who was breaking through the Coventry defence at every opportunity.

Coventry were simply unable to hold out the Warwick onslaught, and it soon became 3-0 as Chris Bartlett rifled home from a distance. By the time I’d finished a Twitter update it was 4, as Casey Dennis’ mazing dribble down the right led to another goal for Chris Bartlett. Coventry heads were firmly slumped, making no genuine effort at attacking, content to just launch the ball forward for momentary respite.

Coventry were simply unable to hold out the Warwick onslaught, and it soon became 3-0 as Chris Bartlett rifled home from a distance. By the time I’d finished a Twitter update it was 4.

Half-time came and went and the temperature lowered further, as I looked on enviously at the Warwick supporters who’d brought blankets to the game, genuine ingenuity. Meanwhile, Warwick continued to pile on the pressure, scoring another soon within minutes of the restart as James Morrison finished a well after some skilful stick work down the Warwick right. The match was becoming ridiculously one-sided, with Coventry barely featuring in the Warwick half. Mathias Swerdlow made it 6-0 with a close range shot.

But then the unthinkable happened. Not quite the women’s football comeback, but Coventry did actually score with what was essentially the first chance of the entire game. Limbs flailed among the Coventry supporters in celebration of their quintessential consolation goal.

Coventry’s goalkeeper smacked the post with his stick after the latter, which essentially summed up their entire evening.

Unimpressed with even their moderate jubilation, Warwick responded rapidly and ruthlessly, scoring in a matter of seconds and then again no more than a minute later to finish the game 8-1 victors. Coventry’s goalkeeper smacked the post with his stick after the latter, which essentially summed up their entire evening.

Star Performer: Chris Bartlett – the club president set an example which the rest of his team more than followed, dictating play and grabbing a couple of goals for himself.