..... as Marine Sticks Show Class

The first round of the Areeba sponsored Greater Accra Hockey ?A? League ended at the National Hockey Pitch on Saturday with Marine Sticks of Ghana Armed Forces maintaining their 100% record. The Mariners have won all 6 matches in their seven team competition, adding Ghana?s representatives at the just ended Africa Cup for Club Champions, Trustees of SSNIT, to their list of conquests.

The game lived up to its pre-match hype which was dominated by insinuation casting on the part of the players of Trustees who declared that they would not fall to the Mariners and would go ahead to break their 100% record. The match started on a fast note with Trustees carrying the game to their opponents in an attempt to register an early goal and establish their dominance. Marine kept their composure and thrilled the crowed to some sweet free-flowing hockey. They didn?t have to wait too long as they tore the defence of Trustees apart in the 13th minute creating a chance for a shot at goal. A Trustees defender had no option but to block the goal-bound shot with his body resulting in a penalty stroke. National star Edward Oblie sent a powerful flick to the blind side of keeper Djokoto to register the first goal of the match.

Trustees were undaunted and committed more players to attack with the defence pushing up to secure the midfield. Marine however kept their rhythm and composure and thwarted the raid of Trustees. In the 27th minute, Trustees missed a penalty corner they earned from their incessant raids and the Marine counter attack was swift and sweet. The defence won the ball, sent it straight to the midfield to Oblie. The forward-liners took?off in typical fashion leaving the Trustees defence in their wake. A criss-cross by Ghablah and Patrick Taylor created an opening for Oblie who released the ball to the attackers to finish off the job by easily displacing Djokoto for the easy tap-in by Taylor for the second for Marine Sticks. At this stage Trustees were bemused and brought themselves to terms that they were heading for a defeat. They therefore altered their game plan to fortify the defence and prevent more goals from being scored till the end of the first half.

The second half was equally thrilling but it was the Mariners who dominated proceedings. It came as little surprise when Joe Blankson hit the backboard in the 56th minute from open play to seal the doom of Trustees. The Mariners held on to the score-line to end the match 3-0 in their favour.

??? Young Leslie Banor Powers Exchequers to a Sensational Win

In the second match of the afternoon, young striker Leslie Banor, who graduated into the senior ranks from youth hockey barely two years ago, made himself, his technical handlers and team mates proud when he hit the backboard of the defending champions CEPS three times (7th, 40th and 59th) to give Exchequers a sensational win over their rivals. The game which was nearly marred by some physical play which resulted in three yellow cards was exciting and full of thrills. Exchequers played well and seem to be finding snippets of their old form that made them the most dreaded hockey club in the country. The win takes Exchequers into second place, 4 points behind Marine Sticks who have played a game less. At the end of proceedings, a joyous Nat Botchway, Assistant Team Manager, carried his young striker and waived his usual white handkerchief saying the Exchequers spirit was back. Leslie was given a hockey ball for keeps for registering a hat-trick in the league competition.

In other Areeba ?A?-League matches, Reformers thrashed Police 3-0 in the men?s competition while in the Ladies competition, Extinguishers and Reformers drew 1-1 and the same score-line was registered in the CEPS versus Police clash. The Senior League was on recess as the teams joined Citizens Hockey Club celebrate their 20th Anniversary with a special tournament which was won by runaway Areeba ?S?-League leaders, Multistix Hockey Club.