Hard fought win in season opener

Leighton Buzzard 3s 3-2 Ramgarhia Slough 1s

After the excitement of clinching promotion in their last game of the 2017 season, the 3s’ opening league game in MBBO Div. 7 pitched Leighton against the other promoted side Ramgarhia Slough.

In a close game both sides played some good passing hockey, with Josh Law and Gethin Barlow making telling contributions on their debuts for the home side. Leighton missed a couple of early chances but then mid-way through the first half Stu Boneham broke away down the left. As he side-stepped the last defender he rolled the ball across the D for Chris Bourne to calmly flick the ball into the Ramgarhia net. Leighton worked hard to maintain their lead but a quality attacking move saw the visitors equalise just before the break.

The game stayed even, with Jim Galloway making decisive clearances in the Leighton goal and player of the match Laurence Leech winning the ball around the Leighton D and driving his team forward. Clive Warncken moved further up field and the extra pressure told on the Ramgarhia defence. A short corner was awarded for a misdirected challenge on Peter Gale. The result was a slick interchange between three Leighton players: injector Stuart Hart fired the ball to Simon Childs who laid it across for Warncken to slap the ball hard and low into the Ramgarhia goal.

A third Leighton goal followed when Boneham and Warnecken combined for a series of “1-2s” that enabled Boneham to burst into the D, take the ball on his reverse side and fire a diving shot beyond the keeper. It was a goal that Leighton needed as ill-discipline cost them a green card for Hart and then a goal for the opposition. With five minutes to go there was just the one goal in it and all to play for but determinedly Leighton managed to slow the play down and see the game out for a hard fought and vital win.

Final score: 3 - 2 Leighton Win
Player of the Match: Laurence Leech