Monday, 1 August 2011

Day 6 - Fourth Hockey Match

Adams turned up in the morning ready to play for the second time in less than 24 hours, against a once again strong Barbados u21 team. On paper it was yet another monumental task, however we all know paper has never won a hockey game before. We started strongly and applied pressure to the Barbados U21 team, which won us two short corners, the second of which Tom Widdows scored with a well placed flick. The Bajans tried a variety of tactics but were unable to break down a stubborn Adams' defense. Concentration eventually wavered unfortunately and the home team seized the opportunity, quickly scoring with some individual skill and luck. The half ended with a barrage of Adams' chances. The half time whistle blew before this could come to any consequence however. 1-1. All level. After a quick break, Adams' went back out for the second half fired up and more determined than ever with the prospect of our first win on tour. Lower temperatures a sea breeze both played in to the hands of the tourists, leading to a high work rate with the forwards running the international standard defense ragged. The intensity increased from both sides with a frustrating lack of end product. 70 minutes came to a close with the scores still level. Penalty flicks were in order. After picking themselves up from a fruitless second half, Adams’ rose to the occasion, winning 4-3 in a tense showdown of skill and composure. This meant Adams' won their first game on tour. Pete Grech was awarded man of the match after his instrumental work which has been evident throughout tour. Tour 2011 debutant Ian Armstrong also had a strong game orchestrating play from the midfield, pulling the strings in an overall fantastic team performance.

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