Brooker looks for double to maintain promotion push

Manager Steve Brooker will be looking for Banbury to complete the double over Trojans to maintain their promotion push.
Banbury's Kieran Symons slots home a penalty corner against Tulse Hill & DulwichBanbury's Kieran Symons slots home a penalty corner against Tulse Hill & Dulwich
Banbury's Kieran Symons slots home a penalty corner against Tulse Hill & Dulwich

Banbury made it eight South Premier Hockey League wins on the spin with a 4-3 victory over Tulse Hill & Dulwich.

George Brooker’s thundering winner kept Banbury’s promotion hopes alive with a 4-3 victory in Saturday’s division two fixture, in which Kieran Symons completed a hat-trick.

Banbury started the game in sparkling form, winning three penalty corners in the first ten minutes.

But Symons failed to convert any of them and it was the visitors who scored with their first visit into the Banbury D when Arthur Mitchell was quick to finish a break down the home side’s left flank.

But Symons made amends when he slotted home a penalty corner for the first of his three goals to level. Banbury continued to dominate play through Steve O’Connor, back at his midfield best despite a week of illness.

But, with more chances missed, it was the visitors who went into a halftime lead when another rare visit into the home D was converted by Gregor Rosenkranz.

Banbury started the second half as they did the first with more sparkling play. But this time it brought reward as Symons grabbed his second goal ten minutes after the restart and bagged another for his hat-trick only two minutes later to give Banbury the lead.

It was only outstanding work from the Tulse Hill keeper and almost inexplicable misses by the home forwards that prevented a landslide of goals until the 65th minute when Brooker’s unstoppable reverse-stick shot stick found the top corner.

With the visitors having no substitutes to rest tired legs, they fought valiantly on to score another break away goal through Mitchell in the dying moments.

Brooker said: “We have, again, come away with three points after a mixture of brilliance and below par finishing.

“The promotion dream lives on with another home game against Trojans and the hope of repeating our victory there earlier in the season. We just need to be at our best for more of each game.”

Related topics: