Cochrane shines as Mens Hockey triumph

After a strong month of preseason and a healthy intake of freshers, the first BUCS game of the year for Newcastle 1's against Lancaster 1's was met with anticipation, excitement and the appropriate level of romantic infatuation from the spectator bench.

From the starting whistle Newcastle showed their quality, moving the ball around swifter and smoother than a tin of syrup on a fighter jet. A well executed short corner routine led to Northern Irish international Patric Cochrane drawing first blood and putting Newcastle a goal ahead within 10 minutes. Lancaster showed brief moments of dangerous play but all of these were safely seen off by a back line rivalling the security of Fort Knox. Hungry for more of the spotlight, P Cochrane picked up the ball on the opposition 25 yard line, stalked into the top of the D and buried a demoralisingly quick reverse-stick past the keeper’s ear into the roof of the net.

Towards the end of the second half, a quick counter-attack from Lancaster saw the visiting side win a short corner which they converted, creating the illusion of a close game by making the score 2-1. However it didn’t take long for 5th year dentist and official club-grandad Andy Wortley to shatter that illusion with a very uncharacteristic goal sending Newcastle into half time with a 3-1 lead.

The second half saw the same composed Newcastle side dominate possession and P Cochrane sink another past Lancaster with a well placed short corner. With his hat-trick finally completed, P Cochrane seemed much more open to passing the ball and linked up with Fresher James Burwell, allowing him to claim his BUCS debut goal. As the game drew to a close the benefit of those preseason fitness sessions began to show and finally, with the opposition blowing harder than hurricane Katrina, team first-aider Ben Stainer was able to dial the scoreline up to a 6-1 victory for Newcastle. Fortress Longbenton remains unconquered.