An 8-stong Soton team faced their rivals from Weymouth at home last Wednesday.
With a recent spate of bad games, the team were keen to have a better result,
and avoid another defeat. Historically, Weymouth have been a tough team to
beat, playing a slow, physical game that we’re often unable to overturn.

The first quarter set the scene for a rough match, with 4 majors being awarded
between the two teams. However, Soton opened the scoring early, with a clean
goal from Richard. Weymouth were able to pull back a couple of goals
themselves, leaving the score at 1-2.

The second quarter followed the same pattern, with Weymouth conceding 3 majors
to our 1. Unfortunately, our man-up still doesn’t seem to be able to capitalise
on the advantage, and we only converted 1 goal (a Ben Kinglsey-Smith Richard special),
just as Weymouth did. Weymouth slotted in another goal to leave the score at
2-4 at half time.

The third quarter was the quietest in terms of physicality, with only 1 major
given to Weymouth. Divall managed to find the net once, but we couldn’t stop
Weymouth putting away 2 more goals.

The fourth quarter showed off Weymouth’s standard type of game – one of their
players was wrapped early on, having received his 3rd major of the game – in
total, they were given 6 majors, to our 3. Divall put away 2 more goals, before
the game went to pieces, as usual.

Unable to take the pit defence pressure, and upset at seeing him score 2 tasty
goals, one of the Weymouth players decided to try to reduce SUWPC’s attacking
strength by “having a word” with Divall. He first tried strangling Divall with
his hat, before pushing him under the water and trying to punch him.
Fortunately, the Weymouth player clearly hadn’t listened in physics at school –
and the higher resistance of water over air prevented contact, but left him
wrapped with a 2-game ban.

On our side, naughty TJ decided to get himself wrapped up in the last seconds
of the game for “dissent”, something that has caught us out a couple of times
in the last few games.

The final score was a disappointing 5-7 lose to Soton’s 1st team. However,
SUWPC will not lose heart and will come out fighting in their next games on
Tuesday and Wednesday.

Goals:

3 – Will Divall
2- Richard Glanville

Majors:

3 – Alex Perry
1 – Robin Liquorice (?! this isn’t recorded on the match sheet details)
1 – Andrea Ricci
1 – Mitchell Clarke
1 – Owen Stephens
1 – Mysterious unnamed #11 (was it Costas?)