The 2nd half of the season made a delayed start on Saturday, as the cold spell that froze off last weekends games disappeared as quickly as it came. Sheffield University Bankers 2nd XI travelled north to face league leaders Gateshead HC, but it was Gateshead who banked all 3 points, with a 6-2 win.  This capped off a good weekend for the northerners, as league rivals Lincoln lost to Doncaster 2 XI, sending Gateshead 4 points clear at the top of the league.
 
Too many players bellies must have still been full of chocolates and Christmas pudding as the game got off to an unimpressive start.  Sheffield started the brighter, passing the ball around well and keeping possession without ever really threatening to make an indent into the Gateshead half.  Gateshead’s cogs slowly started turning and Sheffield began to struggle to pass the ball about with such ease.  A period of sustained pressure from Gateshead gained them two penalty corners, both of which they couldn’t convert.  However Hardy made the breakthrough for Gateshead midway through the half with a simple tap in, after some neat passing finished with Traynor slipping the ball past the keeper for Hardy to convert.
 
Gateshead huffed and puffed the rest of the way through the first half, failing to make anything of their chances.  In the end it was Sheffield who created the next goal, unfortunately for them it was in the wrong direction.  Sheffield tried to take a quick hit from the back but in their rush they hit the ball straight to Gateshead and Hardy found himself standing at the top of the Sheffield “D” with the ball at his feet.  Ellis in the Sheffield goal dived but could do nothing to stop the ferocious shot Hardy unleashed into the bottom corner.
 
Sheffield could have been right in feeling slightly unlucky at being 2 goals down at half time, but at least they knew they were still in the game.  Gateshead had dominated possession and had created some slick passing movements but their performance was still very start stop.
 
Gateshead started the 2nd half off with Fleming trying to flick the ball into the Sheffield back corner; although Fleming’s flick had more height than it did direction and he launched the ball into the neighbouring Whickham Comprehensive School.  A new ball was brought out and the game got underway.  Within 15 minutes Gateshead had the game dead and buried as White picked up two early goals.
 
Gateshead’s press had improved and they picked off the Sheffield attack time and time again.  On one such occasion Gateshead stole the ball and after a series of interchanging passes between Traynor, Hardy and White, Hardy passed the ball around the keeper to White to hit into the empty goal.  White’s second was similar; this time Traynor rounded the sliding keeper himself and passed the ball the White to hit the ball into an empty net.
 
At 4-0 down Sheffield were struggling to muster any real sort of an attack, but threw a good bit of fortune they gained a penalty corner and Downham converted it with a right switch strike.
 
This goal wasn’t enough to start up a fight back, as Gateshead hit back within 5 minutes to quench any fiery spirit built up among the Sheffield ranks.  Gateshead broke from within their own half and Traynor fed Hardy at the top of the Sheffield “D”.  Hardy in turn slipped the ball between his markers legs into the path of the charging Fleming, who on the dive slapped the ball hard into the bottom left of the goal.
 
The game ended in a manor that summed up Gateshead’s overall performance.  As Gateshead attacked slack passing led to the ball being given away and Sheffield counter attacked.  Sluggish Gateshead tackling gave away a penalty corner just before the end of the game was sounded.  So the last touch of the game was from Downham who this time pounced on the rebounded first Sheffield shot.  This would do little to console Sheffield and little to help Gateshead’s mood about their own performance.
 
However it is a mark of change that Gateshead are now displeased with a 6-2 victory and are determined to not let their standards drop.  There are some big games coming up with the top three teams all playing each other in quick succession and the next 4 games could decide the season.  Gateshead I’m sure would be more than pleased with 6-2 victorys in any of these games