Abergavenny mens’ hockey team braved Saturday’s turbulent weather to secure another three points with a 1-0 away win against Newent ‘A’.

The game started easily enough for Abergavenny, with fluent passing moves and crisp play up front easily cutting through the Newent defence.

Early shots on goal were either wide, or easily saved, but the writing was on the wall. A neat interchange of passing from the back freed up a little space in midfield, which was exploited by Luc Greaves and centre forward Rhys Holland. A crisp 1-2 and a smart finish by Holland left the keeper fishing the ball out of the back of the net.

The crisp moves continued, though further pressure in the Newent ‘D’ just failed to result in a goal.

However, sometimes Abergavenny are the architects of their own downfall, and slowly but surely Newent started to come into the game. A series of rash tackles led to three Abergavenny players being shown the sin bin simultaneously, and Newent pushed forward. Superb running and excellent teamwork by the seven remaining outfield players made it all for nought, and the halftime score stood at 1-0.

The second half saw renewed Newent pressure, and a series of short corners all well defended by Abergavenny. Further rash tackles were the order of the day, with another three sin bin appointments. But the visitors held firm for a 1-0 win, leaving them sitting comfortably in the league and with momentum to hopefully gain more wins as the season progresses. The large squad of 15 players was captained by Chris Taylor.

Abergavenny hockey club is a local sports club that support a men’s team, two women’s teams and a thriving junior section, all of which play competitively and for fun. New members are always welcome and the first training session is free for new members. Find us @abergavennyhockey on Facebook or Instagram.