Men's 1s vs Mid Sussex 2s

Another pre-season friendly, this one signalling the start of the season with classic hockey weather: bursts of rain so fierce it left water streaming down faces and into eyes. Between squinting through the drizzle and questioning life choices, Hailsham still managed to bag a win.

The first goal began with Antonia, who tore down the right wing at such pace it was like watching Usain Bolt with a stick. Just as things got exciting, a Mid Sussex defender channelled his inner Conor McGregor (complete with bonus misplaced rage) and clattered him in the D. From the resulting short, one Middies player tried a bold new technique: saving shots with his foot on the line. Unsurprisingly, the umpires weren’t impressed. Agnew stepped up for the penalty flick and buried it with ice in his veins: 1–0.

The next stage of the match devolved into what could generously be described as “stick-assisted rugby.” Rham and Higgs were chief enforcers, dishing out the contact, while Ruthven picked up a card for debating umpiring standards a little too enthusiastically. Not to be left out, Rham and Gurr collected green cards of their own, giving Hailsham a nice little set; like a loyalty scheme, but with far fewer rewards.

Thankfully, actual hockey returned and, once again, Antonia was at the heart of it. After a bobbled interception from his own pass, he recovered brilliantly and rifled the ball into Higgs, who slid it across goal for Smith-Jones to tap in. A tidy finish and a deserved 2–0 lead.

Fun fact: Antonia ended the game with a 100% shots-on-target ratio — efficiency you rarely see outside the top divisions.

At the back, Moore was immense, pulling off a string of brilliant saves; repeatedly flinging himself around and spreading his legs at every opportunity to block whatever came near. But with literally the last hit of the game, Mid Sussex slotted in a consolation into the bottom left corner.

Final score: Hailsham 2 – 1 Mid Sussex.

Man of the Match: Ryan Moore

Least Selfish: David Antonia