A biting chilly day ended with shared points

On a bitter day both teams overcame the biting wind to produce a competitive game that ended in a 3-3 draw. This was a game that perhaps the Dragons were unlucky not to win but partially held back by a number of injuries.

Bourne Deeping took the initiative in the first half despite the head wind but were thwarted when a youthful Long Sutton took the lead from a penalty stroke after a goal bound shot struck a Deeping player on the line. They were quickly back on level terms when a shot from Lewis Gray was deflected in by the evergreen Steve “Muddy” Waters.

The change at half time gave some relief to The Dragons, now playing with the wind. Eliot Bates capitalised on this with a tantalising run up the right wing from his own half to the baseline, pulling the ball back for Lewis Gray to score his first goal for the 5ths.

Sadly despite a number of fine saves once again by keeper Joe Ashby, Long Sutton levelled then went ahead. The first after a wicked deflection gave him no chance, the second when poor defending left him exposed and was completed by a well aimed lob.

The Dragons still had the lion’s share of the game especially concerning penalty corners but as so often this season failed to monopolise on this advantage sufficiently. It was with relief when at last they managed through Richard Gray to convert one to equalise the score.

Both teams continued to try for the winner with Kristian Rushworthy showing good initiative and flare in attack whilst Mark Lovejoy regularly closed down the Long Sutton attack. On a hard day both teams ran themselves into the ground and perhaps once again The Dragons can think how they need more urgency in defence and to make better use of their attacking moves.