UEA FC 5 vs 2 Hockering FC

<p>The 3s had to graft to overcome a resilient Hockering FC, with an outstanding performance from Harry Read to help UEA achieve their first league game of the season.&nbsp;With there being six new players drafted into the side the first home game of the season could have been an onerous one.&nbsp; <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">UEA started the game with a few nerves but it was evident that the new boys were fitting in well to both the standard and the team. UEA were relatively untroubled for the first twenty minutes before a goalkeeper error from a corner followed by a goalmouth scramble gave Hockering the lead. This did not deter UEA from continuing to play their normal passing game with Evans being the main factor for this. UEA quickly bounced back with a good ball from Audinis from midfield to find Read who laid it off&nbsp;for Max Holland to apply a smart finish. This clearly gave UEA momentum and they quickly found confidence in each other. Thirty five minutes in UEA quickly applied their second with a quick counter attack which was lead by Alif, Read and Holland linked up well again with Holland applying another smart finish. With De Bruin having relatively little to do he stayed alert to make a full stretch save from a long-range effort. Just before the half time whistle UEA had a half chance, which was taken superbly by Chris Swann from outside the box, again Read with the assist.&nbsp; <p class="MsoNormal">At half time UEA went off in high spirits and knew full well that Hockering would come out of the blocks at one hundred miles an hour to try and quickly reduce UEA's lead. Ten minutes after the break Hockering did just that after a dubious decision whether De Bruin had two hands on the ball or not and the shambles of a goal was allowed dispite the UEA protests. The game quickly became heated as a few above board challenges began flying in as Hockering tried to steal an equaliser. UEA found it hard to keep control of the game and consistant long balls from Hockering were giving the back four more trouble than it should have. At points UEA got them selves into trouble with wayward passing and not talking to eachother. The referee at this point had seemed to lose control of the game but kept his head and the team who shouted the loudest did not affect his decisions. After continued pressure from Hockering UEA soon found a way to release the pressure through a fantastic ball in from Evans to find the head of Read who flicked it over the keeper. Read thoroughly deserved his goal with his continued excellent trickery and hold up play throughout the game. This goal firmly put UEA in charge as Hockering's heads dropped. Despite this frustrations still ran high and a horror challenge from one of the Hockering midfield on Ricketts could have ended his season very early, luckily the ref had full view of this and a straight red was rightly awarded. With ten minutes remaining a UEA corner lead to the Hockering keeper to drop the ball after a failed catch which fell to the feet of Max Watson who slotted home UEA's fifth from eight yards. With the additional man and three-goal advantage the game tapered off in the end. <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp; <p class="MsoNormal">UEA kept their heads throughout and thoroughly deserved the win, hopefully this momentum can be taken into the next game and the team can further gel. &nbsp;