1st XI hockey team smashes Leominster 7-1 in first league match of 2004 (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

1st XI hockey team smashes Leominster 7-1 in first league match of 2004

AFTER drawing with Devizes in the previous weekend's friendly game, Mitsubishi-sponsored Cirencester 1sts smashed their Leominster hosts 7-1 on Saturday in their first league game of 2004.

In the absence of player-manager Anstee and skipper Tasker, Paul Hobrook took up the mantle of command for this vital encounter.

The start was delayed due to a frozen pitch, and Leominster were keen that it should not be postponed.

The hosts, the only side to have taken three points from Town this season, started the stronger, scoring from a short corner cheaply given away by the Cirencester defence.

Rather than crumble, as they had in the previous meeting, the away team rallied and pressed their opponents hard.

Numerous chances fell to Paine and Dicker, but were all squandered with Paine missing a simple tap-in into an empty goal.

Constant pressure saw Town gaining a number of short corners and, from one of these, Oli Bailey scored his first goal in Cirencester colours.

The goal spurred Leominster on to the attack, and only quick thinking and agility from keeper Webb, back after injury, kept them at bay.

The visitors then settled and good work from midfield youngsters Duffy and Harvey down the right culminated in a sweet strike from Dicker to put his team into the lead.

Almost immediately, a similar move down the left, started from the defence, enabled Dicker to make it 3-1 at half-time.

After the break, Leominster started strongly and a mistake in Town's defence left a simple tap-in for the home centre-forward.

But he failed to score as Webb managed to get a foot to the ball and lift it clear of danger.

Frequent home attacks were thwarted by defensive tackles by Knight, Collins and Partridge and, they couldn't manage it, Webb was there to clear up.

Spurred on by the defensive stalwarts, a move involving most of the team helped Paine take his season's tally to 42 goals with a simple tap-in.

Not to be outdone, Dicker claimed his third and Town's fifth after a defensive blunder.

With no-one in the home defence taking control, the ball was left unattended six inches from the line.

Dicker leapt in and jabbed home his chance before Cirencester then took complete control, allowing Paine to score two more.

In the end, there were hat-tricks for both forwards, but the Total Employment man of the match went to the veteran Webb.

With three points in the bag, Cirencester should be well pleased with their performance.