44 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2011 Next month Next month


returning to Helmand


● The ever-reliable PO Micky Warriner blocks a strike from the RAF’s Rob Machin in the RN’s 9-4 drubbing of the airmen as the Senior Service took the indoor title


Last man in Basra – the only British serviceman in Iraq’s


second city


Magnifi cent Micky keeps Army at bay


THE Navy men lifted the Inter-Services


indoor


hockey title after two thrilling encounters with


Second- generation wizardry – inside the Merlin Mk2


Plus


farewell parades for Ark Royal, Chatham and 800 NAS


The long walk –


the Army and RAF. The team took to the ‘pitch’ against the latter with the airmen already a match down; they lost 2-0 in the opener against the Army, writes Lt Cdr Alan Walker, RNHA. That opener probably took a fair bit out of RAF legs because before the fi rst ten minutes were up, the Navy had put four goals past the RAF keeper for no reply courtesy of a brace from Mark Dixon and a strike apiece from Danny Makaruk and Mark Stanton. By now the RN were stroking it about full of confi dence, wondering if and when the RAF were going to turn up.


With six minutes of the half remaining the RAF came out with all guns blazing. A fi erce shot hit the RN post, then another strike produced a great save from Warriner in the Navy goal. The RN coach sensed that the besieged were coming out to fi ght and called time out.


From the restart, the Senior


Service reasserted themselves when superb work by Lee Milton – the RN U23 skipper in another incarnation – won a corner after a splendid tussle with the RAFs no- nonsense Sagrott; it was well saved by the RAF keeper.


The time-out appeared to have nipped the RAF revival in the bud as the clock ticked down the fi nal three minutes but with around 60 seconds left, the Air Force’s Ben Lowe pulled one back.


With just 20 seconds on the


clock, the airmen had halved the defi cit to add an element of respectability to a scoreline which


did not refl ect the overwhelming balance of play to the Navy Sailor beware: if they can score two in a minute, they might do it again... The second period began as the


fi rst ended; an unstoppable shot from the Light Blues and it was 4-3 to the RN. This was the critical point of the


match; if the RAF had equalised they might have dragged their weary legs to score more. As it was the Navy restored their


two goal lead with 16 minutes left. Two minutes later it was 6-3 courtesy of a Makaruk strike from a corner won by Stanton. The latter sealed his hat-trick with nine minutes left, before two more strikes – Dixon also completing a hat-trick, while Tim Lomas stuffed the ball past the despairing keeper; the RN had an unassailable 9-3 lead. The Navy clearly thought they had done enough with two minutes left and let the end go a bit. The ever-dangerous Sagrott had the fi nal, defi ant word for the Air Force. slotting past Warriner to close out the game at 9-4 to the Senior Service.


fi rst goal in RN colours for Richard Jenkin. He trebled his tally before the break in a blistering seven- minute spell which gave the Navy a 5-1 lead over the soldiers at half- time.


The fi nal 20 minutes of the championships began with lots of RN pressure on the Army goal which eventually ended with Jenkin slamming a short corner into the roof for his fourth. The soldiers struck back


Attack became the best form of defence for both teams. Micky Warriner was still keeping the Army out as the fi nal whistle went – and the sailors were crowned Inter-Services indoor champions for 2010.


match the men’s achievements; they suffered heavy defeats at the hands of both the RAF (6-2) and Army (5-0). The soldiers lifted the ladies’ cup after a tight victory over the Air Force.


Sadly the ladies were unable to


through Vincent – 6-2 to the RN; no-one knew it yet but this game was only just getting going. A short corner certain goal


was stopped on the line by Duke. Unfortunately he got a bobble and another short corner, leading to a penalty stroke which Vincent put in the roof again for his hat-trick. The Army now had their tails up and won three short corners on the trot. All were saved by the unbelievable Warriner, before a Navy break-out produced a near miss from Jenkin up the other end.


In return, the troops forced another short corner;


Army began quietly enough until, out of the blue, Adam Duke ran through from the back to lift the ball over the keeper to give the Navy a 1-0 lead. Three minutes later the soldiers


were on level terms when the outstanding Shane Vincent put away the Army’s fi rst corner. Two Navy corners in rapid succession brought brilliant saves from Dan Cattermole in the Army goal.


was on fi re and won a corner which Makaruk dispatched in the usual style for a 2-1 advantage. It was soon 3-1 courtesy of a


The deciding clash with the


the bright young Vincent roofed again – 6-4 to the Navy. There was still time for Vincent to score his fi fth and pull the Army back to within a goal of the sailors.


crucial: Jenkin knew it more than most as he tried a shot – and missed.


As usual RN skipper Stanton


Quick as a fl ash he regained possession and aided by a great advantage from the umpire made no mistake in putting the ball past Cattermole on the deck in the Army goal for 7-5 to the RN. With two minutes left, the Navy called a time-out: the need for cool heads was never so important.


The next goal was going to be inevitably


talking – 3 Commando Brigade’s final work- out before


Plain


Published by Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth and printed by St Ives (Roche) plc.


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