Ed Whybrow has a go at goal for Potters Bar

OLD Southendians men’s 1sts travelled to Potters Bar Hockey Club and played out a 3-3 draw on a crisp winter’s day, quite a contrast to the previous encounter between the two sides when the weather was sweltering.

Potters Bar's Ray Li

The Essex side started the East League Division 2S game the better of the two teams with some strong, clean passes across the back and throughout the middle of the pitch.

Catching Bar off guard one of the midfielders ran straight through the middle and won a short corner.

A well worked short led to the hosts being 1-0 down in the first five minutes.

Shortly after this Bar found themselves 2-0 down from a well-worked bit of passing around the D.

Eager to get back in to the game, the home side won a flick which was saved from Ed Whybrow’s effort to the right of the keeper.

More misery was to follow as Rob Donoghue was yellow carded for obstructing a player.

This worked to Bar’s advantage as it caused them to change tactics and sit deep allowing them to hit Old Southendians on the counter.

Shortly after this a string of short corners followed which eventually led to a goal after several attempts in which Mark Turpin smartly lifted in to the net.

Within two minutes of the first goal John Cuff dispossessed the centre back and coolly rounded the keeper levelling the game at 2-2 at half-time.

The second half started as the first ended with Bar full of confidence and sitting off the defenders leaving them with no spaces to play around.

This again led to another mistake from the Old Southendians backline with Tony Sayers busting a gut and striking a shot at the keeper which was deflected back in to his path and he coolly rounded the keeper slotting it in to an open net making it 3-2 to Bar.

The rest of the half was an even affair with Bar sticking to their tactics and Old Southendian trying to press higher to get back in to the game.

This almost came from a short corner but was stopped on the line from Donoghue.

Straight after this Bar almost snatched a fourth with Turpin trickling his shot narrowly wide of the post.

Unfortunately Bar could not hold on to the lead as Old Southendians pulled a goal back with five minutes left to play.

All in all this was a great team performance against a team sitting in second especially after going two goals down so early on.

This will give Bar great confidence going in to the second half of the season and hope to spur them on in their fight for survival.