This was Mellor’s first chance to play the team that defeated them in the Cup earlier this year and that should have been a motivating factor. However, the surly ramshackle Mellor team that started this game were quite rightly 5 – 2 down at the end of the first quarter. It wasn’t easy playing in the mud of Brabyns but that was no excuse for the poor attitude that many of the team arrived with. However, a roasting from the coach seemed to work wonders and Mellor stopped being idiots and started passing. Drew Bickerton scored neatly at the top of the second quarter, Dan Jones scored his second, Ben Mochan slotted home a nice goal and Josh Poke fired in a typical bullet. Better still the defence were starting to dig in. Rory Fell had a particularly good game in this department. The surface wasn’t easy for anyone and Will Macdonald struggled in a very muddy goal but Mellor had pulled themselves out of a quagmire of bad attitude and were now playing with some flair. The second quarter ended 6-6.
In the third Mellor increased their lead and it was the turn of the opposition to lose the plot. Dan Jones scored two fine goals with Josh Pink and Josh Poke also finding the net. Will Macdonald made a fine diving save and the opposition could only manage one in reply. By the fourth the teams were getting tired and although Cheadle Hulme/Norbury scored 4, (two more than they had managed in the last two quarters) Mellor slammed in another five to walk out worthy winners 15-11. The conditions weren’t great but both teams know and respect each other and despite the mud they both seemed to enjoy a very competitive hard fought game.
GOALS – Dan Jones 6, Josh Pink 3, Drew Bickerton 1, Ben Mochan 2, Josh Poke 3
SAVES – 12
Man of the match – Dan Jones for his energy and fine goals