Cirencester Polo - Warwickshire Cup Match Report
The fourth of the Warwickshire Cup matches got under way on Cirencester’s Aston Down fields today with Charlie Gordon-Watson’s Felix taking on Guy Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears. A very close game overall, characterised by tight marking and strong defence; the score was rarely far from level throughout with Black Bears just creeping ahead to run out the eventual winners 7 – 5.
The 19 Goal Black Bears team received a one goal start on the board and nearly made a quick second in the opening minute of the first but it just caught the post and sent it wide. The majority of the chukka both teams were held scoreless with shots going wide for both sides. The whistle went late in the chukka however yielding a spot hit for Felix which James Beim converted to leave it one a piece at the end of the first.
Early in the second chukka Guy Schwarzenbach hit a great pass to Alec White, the play broke down however and was picked up by James Beim; Beim backed it to Rob Archibald who picked it up on the volley and took it all the way around the Black Bear’s defence to score a fantastic goal to nudge Felix back to the lead.
Some missed opportunities for Black Bears towards the end of the second as a 40 yard penalty taken by Clarkin was met by Beim who sent it over his own back line. Clarkin took the safety 60 as well but sent that wide of the let hand post. Keeping the score 2 -1 to Felix at the end of the second.
The tally of goals began to increase with slightly more pace in the third with Zavaleta levelling the score once more to two all with a 30 yard penalty. A penalty 4 in favour of Black Bears was taken by Clarkin and sent high and dead on target to take them 3 -2 into the lead.
Towards the end of the third, James Beim took a hit in, tapped it forward and released it but didn’t quite get the shot he wanted. He found Rob Archibald, Archibald continued to take it down the field striking an under the neck shot, confidently finding the posts seconds before the hooter went to finish the period, leaving it level once more at half time.
The game opened out in the fourth and began to flow more, James Beim found his way past Alec White towards goal but the Black Bears defence sent it back, only to be picked up however by Rob Archibald who backed it to Guillermo Terrera, Terrera continued it on its way with a big back to goal to find Charlie Gordon-Watson who hit a fantastic under the neck shot at an extremely acute angle to find the posts and take Felix back into the lead.
Soon after, Juan Zavaleta left the ball for Clarkin who took it all the way to goal, Archibald attempted to hook him out of it but Clarkin managed to find his way through despite the traffic to make it four all. It was not level for long however as Clarkin hit a near-side backhand to Schwarzenbach who was hooked just in front of the goal and could not quite get the shot he wanted, the ball stayed in play however and popped backwards to land on Clarkin’s stick who put it straight back and through the posts making it 5 – 4 to Black Bears going into the fifth.
Tight marking and strong defence returned in the start of the fifth with just the one goal from Black Bears just before the end of the chukka; Clarkin hit the ball up field to Schwarzenbach who hit a very tricky under the neck shot which bounced in off the post just before the second hooter.
Black Bears continued to edge the gap further in their favour going into the sixth and final chukka with Clarkin showing picking up a fantastic bouncing ball at waist height and continued to take it all the way to goal with Archibald unable to catch him. Felix have a final strive to level with a 40 yard penalty on target by Beim but it was too late as the final hooter went to end the game 7 – 5 to Black Bears.
The tournament continues on Wednesday at Godolphin take on Treewsbury Farm at 2pm.
Posted: 30/07/2012 18:22:21
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