Fledglings earn friendly win

Eastcote Eagles 2 – 8 Leighton Buzzard Fledglings

In a break from the league fixtures the Fledglings played a friendly against Eastcote Eagles. Eastcote generously lent Leighton a GK, in a game that was played in an excellent spirit, with the younger players of both sides starring.

Leighton opened the scoring inside five minutes when Tom Handley crossed to Tony Farnfield; Farnfield’s shot was well saved by the keeper but Joshua Gale chased down the rebound and fired a reverse strike back into the Eastcote goal. The Fledglings doubled their advantage shortly after. In Leighton’s best goal of the match, Farnfield exchanged passes with Gale and then played the ball to Handley who crossed for, man of the match, Joshua Farnfield to score with an emphatic finish.

Eastcote had been playing some good hockey of their own and it was no surprise when they pulled a goal back with a well taken finish. As half-time approached Leighton restored a two goal advantage when Peter Gale skillfully deflected Kane Sanders cross past the Eastcote keeper.

The first half had been close but Leighton’s better movement and finishing was to be the major factor in the second half. Soon after the restart Joshua Farnfield took a quick sideline ball and passed on Joshua Gale, cutting in from the wide left he laid the ball back to Handley. Handley’s shot was “half-stopped” and as the ball looped into the air Sanders expertly volleyed the ball low to the keeper’s left. But again back came Eastcote, scoring with an expert short corner strike.

However, any danger of a comeback was soon averted: Josh Farnfield crossed for Handley to score, striking the ball into the goal from just beyond the “p-spot”. Farnfield then scored two himself, the first from a Peter Gale pass at a short-corner, the second a direct strike on goal following Nick Marshall’s injection at another short corner. Leighton’s eighth goal came from a Peter Gale finish, played in by Sanders who crossed from the right edge of the “D”. With ten minutes to go Leighton continued to run hard but the closest they came was when a Peter Gale lobbed shot cleared both keeper and cross bar.

Although Leighton converted many of their chances today, the game was closer than the score line suggests and the result would not have been possible without the excellent defensive work of Nick Marshall, Pete Marshall, John Field, Jordan Field and goal keeper Darryl.

Final score: 8 - 2 Leighton win, Eastcote Eagles lose
Player of the Match: Joshua Farnfield