ALTONA produced a stirring come-from-behind 2-1 win over Camberwell in Hockey Victoria men’s state league1 at Grant Reserve on Saturday.
The Seagulls’ performances to date had been brilliant in patches but inconsistent, and this type of showing would only play into the hands of Camberwell, which is renowned for clinical and systematic play that again has it one of the leading sides in the competition.
Camberwell dominated the first half, moving the ball crisply throughout its midfield and back half.
The Seagulls still had chances, but most were from quick breaks against the flow of play, driven by the pace of Pat Phillips and Sukh Butter up front and the silky skills of Jesse Gatt in the midfield.
The only goal of the first half came from a freak bounce which led to the breakdown of a penalty corner at the Seagulls’ end. Camberwell ran the length of the ground to win their own penalty corner, which they converted for a 1-0 lead. The Seagulls worked well together after the break, their forays forward piling on pressure.
Seagulls co-captains TJ Priddle and Stevie Campbell controlled the midfield and fed the front line. Butter, Phillips and youngster Mitchell Gough had no shortage of supply. It took a messy goalmouth scramble for the Seagulls to find an equaliser as Gatt pounced amidst a scrum of bodies to tap the ball into the back of the net.
The Seagulls lifted a notch, spurred on by an excited home crowd, and the game opened up enough for them to find a winner through Phillips, who scored a backstick goal from a free-hit situation.
