A blog for and about hockey goalkeepers and goalkeeping, trying to expand their coverage, given what a niche market it is! Was a little disappointed that there is nothing like this around so thought I'd have a bash at remedying that! Written with a slightly Gonzo journalistic approach.
Thoughts and analysis of the elite. All opinions are my own; can't be bothered with anyone else's after all!
Showing posts with label Goalie analysis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goalie analysis. Show all posts
Having made the effort to claim the services of an up and coming goalkeeping star in their young French goalkeeper Edgar Reynaud, it seems strange that Canterbury are still rotating their goalkeepers to ill effect. With little other options around (Cowling having left etc.), the Kent side had no alternative but to turn to their greybeard goalkeeper Simon Triggs, who has been registered in the official team list as an insurance policy. Up until now, that has been the case, but the squad have deemed fit that the time is right for him to get some starts to try and rebalance the ship. Thus making him the oldest starting Premier league goalkeeper right now at 43!
Triggs notably has had international experience in his playing career, along with seasons at the top level, and Canterbury are hoping he can ignite a spark to see his side surge out of the relegation zone.
For such a tall guy, it is noticable that his ready stance at such a compact approach sees him lose 'visible surface area' (couldn't think of a suitable phrase; i.e. standing out would see him cover more seeable shootign space!) and requires a more split save, extensive approach. Whilst his veteran status helps calm the defence, it appears his technique needs a little tinkering with and adapting to offer the same abilities as a modern-taught goalkeeper.
In their first game for both team's, neither team managed to break the deadlock and it finished tied. Whilst Cortes made some key stops, there wasn't any real times when the goalkeepers were really tested to draw out some amazing saves.
England's goal
Brogdon's goal had precision and power to beat Spain for their first goal conceded. Wide and low to Corte's left, it was a tricky shot to deal with anyway. And the clogging of the D by other English players to his left post would have affected his decision making/reactions as he expected the chance for a deflection or pass. Organising his defence to leave more room to move and to narrow Brogdon's angle of space to move into would have assisted in responding to the shot. Rather than moving simply laterally, attacking the shot with a dive as football/soccer goalkeepers would, via the basics, could also have helped a little.
Barry Middleton could have made it 2, but his shot clipped the outside of Cortes' left post, before Cortes made an athletic jumping save to tip the ball over the crossbar with his glove hand. Helping make up for his height, this stop was also crucial as it was in a difficult spot to reach above his helmet, just under the bar. Showing that staying deep requires not being passive, Cortes made great movements with good agility to get across his goalmouth to stop the following attempts.
Spain's goal
Unfortunately for England, Spain's comeback goal was something English football fans would know more about from their goalkeepers. Pinner and his defence left a ball into the D; assuming the England defender had got enough on it, and with the 'own goal rule' removed now, felt it wasn't enough danger. But, it was, and the points will be paid for later down the stretch as it effects placings in the table. Hopefully Holcombe won't be seeing this in September, but schoolboy errors like this can't be allowed at this level. Communicating even at the basic level to make sure that the defender deals with it properly is better than nothing.
Sure, it was the slightest of touches, but it just proves the need to deal with anything, whether or not it seems 'safe'. But Pinner's change in style, where he seems flat footed like David Seaman's critics would complain about, isn't helping. Negative and not proactive, staying deep like this meant he couldn't reach the ball with his foot, even though he did have the time and space to react. Pushing out on the diagonal with the foot in a split would have stood him a better chance than anything.
Although hockey has a different approach to that say of more mainstream sports, there is still a lack of real depth to England's goalkeeping. Both in attitude to having competition but also in talent available. And whilst many might question this comment, Chris has various scouting traits in his favour: his age, his ability and his growing confidence and reliability for his team, it's not too much to suggest, even by long shot, that he could be part of the extended training squad/GBSL teams going forward. Patrick Smith is still a deputy for Fair, Bailey is doing well adjusting to the Premier league, even though there is work to do still, so there needs to be a way to bridge the gap between GB international and benching reserve or even travelling, just as with English football right now.
Scott was an important member of his team in the playoffs, making some key stops that secured the points to see them go up and return to the Premier league. Obviously they didn't do too well in the first time round with Scott at the helm, but it's a tight division, and having been developing well in the North division with regular playing time (goalkeepers need games to develop, training only does so much!), he should be more well drilled and comfortable with expectations on him going into the new season.
Tall and imposing, Scott has good reactions and athleticism, making some acrobatic diving stops against drag flicks especially in the game against Southgate. With strong technical foundations throughout his game, from consistent ready stance to angles and positioning, he has the cornerstone to go far. It's just a case of how much he wants it and how far he wants to push himself.
Another reflection learnt from the season past, is how important Simon Mason is to Guildford. A wily veteran of the league and practically a legend of English goalkeepers and goalkeeping history, the multiple Olympian is still going strong. On another team, Mason could be winning titles or topping tables, a true competitor like that of Schmeichel, but at Guildford he is arguably the difference maker. Showing just how important it is to have an elite level goalkeeper to steal their team points and earn points with their performances over the course of the season. Something that has helped the Surrey side avoid what seemed like inevitable relegation due to poor results early on and an injury to Mason (the injury again affirming how important he is to the team).
Just like Brad Freidel had an "Indian summer" after signing with Tottenham under Redknapp, Mason is still going strong. If he continues to play like this, with the fitness and mental awareness/focus to keep going, who knows when the day will be when he does actually retire!
To save me from writing an analysis report akin to War and Peace (and you from having to read it!), I'll bullet point what makes Mason so good right now and useful to his team mates.
Still has the athleticism to dive across and save in extension
Flexibility also still intact to do the splits and recover quickly!
Agility - able to sprint out to reach attacks and
Rebound control refined through countless experience to really limit opponent's scoring chances to a minimum
Years of game experience combining with desire to compete and technical experience making him nigh unbeatable (i.e. to score against!)
Reaction speeds are still in tact to be able to play against the fast pace of hockey (a high paced reaction sport where goalkeepers have to able to react instantaneously, versus say football which is slowed down by the offside rule and trap)
Still 'in his prime'; is on a 'hot streak' that would benefit a high level team and keep him on the radar of others
A team player able to communicate strongly to his team to explain to them what he wants them to do to close down shooting lanes, angles etc. and provides constructive feedback and knows how to get the best out of his defenders
Leadership skills that have helped him play a greater role in his team, helping them to do their job with greater structure and understanding; providing positive psychology to keep battling
Strong mental attitude - has battled through poor results, plugging away rather than folding in, in order to help his team as and when they need him, especially in crunch deciders
With no recent video footage, here are some photos to illustrate. The following pictures are of Mason making a spectacular double save sequence stop at a crucial short corner against Havant, reacting in miliseconds to get back up and dive across to save again, in which they turned them over for a 1-0 win, which is more than proof that he is a more like a mere spring chicken in goal!
Ultimately, Guildford cannot survive the national without ex-GB goalkeeper Simon Mason. Without Mason they lose points, lose confidence and could end up relegated. They will soon be looking for a replacement and given the lack of options and goalkeeping depth in hockey in England compared to say the structure of football or other sports, it will require scouting and the right fit. Make no mistake (as they say!), Mason is a quality goalkeeper of elite status; without him Guildford just won't win, arguably. It would be like HGC losing Vogels to retirement or similar (although Vogel's replacement Van der Ven is a very good replacement!). And as each season goes by and he ages, Mason gets closer to retirement and Guildford get closer to a time of rebuilding their back line, with a new man under the crossbar, one who might not "fill his boots" so well.
With the season done, the votes are in for the best XI for each division of the NOW Pension's English national league. And with the focus of this blog purposefully centering on goalkeepers, it's a ! And as for votes, Pinner was voted best for the Premier division. Hibbert for East. Rob Turner for North. And Mason without a doubt the best in the West. You can see the rest of the team sheets here: link
Pinner the best?
With Pinner making some eye catching saves in international games recently (which from a non-goalkeeper and spectator view can seem better than getting it done with a technically sound approach which can seem more dull), I think this is a reflection of his selection. For a goalkeeper to be considered the best around, they've got to "shut it down" and get the job done when it counts the most, to be the 'best gun in town' (cowboy style). With a strong defense in front of him and a high scoring team, getting clean sheets out of a power house is not the same as playing so well you can guarantee your team points when the squad in front of you is technically poor (a la Cesar at QPR). So on the this one, I can't say I honestly agree. Is there another goalkeeper worthy, or is voting made harder by lack of options?
Pinner getting bored in game with little work to do!
The potential truth doesn't really reflect the reality of Pinner getting voted. Not in an overly critical way, just stating... Just watching Pinner play here, you can see some of his weaknesses (that can constructively be worked on). The first PC he goes the wrong way, something you don't want to expect of a goalkeeper considered top of the range quality; expecting the level of focus to see them follow the ball in the correct direction. He does work well with his defenders and communicates well, but fails to make the most of his size. Perhaps learning off a mentor like Mason and the way he makes the most of his height, rather than passively sitting deep all the time, could draw the best out of his abilities.
To be fair, goalkeeping in the Premier division has been a pretty mixed bag. Ironically a goalkeeper who has more work to do has the chance to prove their ability, because they going to have to pull off more saves than the psychological agony of making sure you achieve that one game defining save at perhaps the end of the match! Harry Gibson had been called into action repeatedly over the course of the season, making a difference even if his team couldn't score enough to save them from the brink of relegation.
Jamie Cachia has been solid for a team that has just been promoted, proving he can play at this level, making a series of outstanding saves in some of the final games of the season for example. So, no, I don't really think Pinner is up there just right now. More in the sense that because there has been no clear cut out standout goalkeeper capable of doing everything required to be that. Reading's Bailey can make some flukey saves, and then fall to pieces, not helping his team to keep it tied and confident and so on. Without Kindler Canterbury were in a state of goalie confusion (although they were really before then); Stubbings was able to make spectacular saves or keep the scoreline down, but conceded quite a few. Smith struggled too, Fair coming in to save the day in the second half of the season to avoid the drop.
So all in all, it has been quite the mixed bag this season for the ten best team's goalkeepers in English hockey.
Hibbert a fair choice
For me, Chris Hibbert has been worthy of accepting the best voted goalkeeper in the East conference. Hibsy has helped Southgate for quite some many promotion winning seasons, which have essentially seen the team yo-yo between Prem and conference over the past five or six years! Hibbert may not always make the 'best looking' saves but he has arguably been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in English hockey for a decade, not making too many glaring mistakes or errors that cost his time.
There have been some quality goalkeeping performances but the competition for Hibbert's voting place was a bit weak. Although saying that, a good second choice would have been David Forrester, achieving his own tally of clean sheets, whilst Brighton's Dave proved his ability to play at this level. Phil Carr had a bit of an up and down season again with Oxted, struggling with concentration issues, with others not being obvious stars this season. But for goalkeepers at this level, the level of high performance needs to be consistent across the season, not just one game!
A save like this is definitely highlight and ability worthy, but Allan would be one of the few elite goalies, if he could pull this off more regularly:
Hibbert has been a rock for his team, just like you would want your goalkeeper to be, if you're the team coach (at whatever level!). Supposedly retiring at the end of the season, I can't see how Southgate will cope without him, just as Mason makes Guildford Guildford and Turner is Bowdon's rock. Without them, the team has no chance; the idea of the first player to be selected actually a great goalkeeper to lead them team ahead of them and be that much of a difference maker, "building from the back"!!
Mason the best in the West
Simon Mason being the top voted goalkeeper in the West conference is pretty unanimous choice. Only goalkeepers like those at Isca, Fareham and Havant have had as match work to do as Mase has lately. Mason's level of ability to read the game and command the players in front of him, as well as making match winning saves, has been the difference maker. At the season break for Christmas, it seemed as if the Surrey side were doomed for relegation. But rebuilding a squad around their solid goalkeeper between the posts, with his ability to keep things tied up, such as a surprising win at home against Havant, allowed them not only to avoid second bottom place, but also to ensure they pushed on up the table.
Mason's performances have not just been proof of the need for a quality goalkeeper but also his own levels of athleticism and goalkeeping ability. Let's not forget that Mason stepped aside at Reading to allow Nick Brothers the playing time (Brothers has since retired due to work commitments and Mason is still playing, an interesting point of reflection), convinced to join Guildford by Ian Jennings and continue his hockey career. Mason has repaid the side with this opportunity, and whilst football commentators are scratching heads over goalkeeping choices, the same could be said of England's hockey choices. Although it might sound strange, Mason still has 'it' and could arguably still play to a higher level than the one he is competing in.
The ever present commanding presence of Mason.
Turner solid for Bowdon
Rob Turner is another goalkeeper like Mason or Hibbert. A constant in Bowdon's games and plans, the former England trialee and member of the GB Super Leagues (a sort of equivalent of the Australian Hockey League for development and scouting selections), he has also be consistent and reliable. Without him Bowdon would not be able to push promotion as usual, although unfortunate this time round. I don't have too much knowledge of the North conference, but having seen footage of Brooklands' goalkeeper don't think he would have been in the runnings.
Turner in his own time in the Prem, closing down an attack in close.
So in summary, I agree with three out of four choices. Having seen Mason play so well this season, and knowing how well he has been playing, versus say that of Pinner (who has been up-and-down, probably due to commitments and the difference in standard of international hockey perhaps). Arguably I think he's like the Dino Zoff of hockey; he's still got it and probably do for quite some time so long as his body stays in good shape! Interested in the analysis levels of scouting, he could definitely still play to an incredibly high level; his wisdom from age and experience merging with his talents and communicative abilities. Not knowing enough about the North conference, but knowing how strong Turner is week in week out at the back for them, it's not surprising he was voted top, whilst Hibbert is and has been too.
And on top of this, I think the voting scenario a great idea. It's a nice touch to the season coverage (which could still be built upon, definitely so!). In the NHL, goalies are voted for the Vezina Trophy according to how well they have helped their team, which is arguably the strongest factor in picking how well the goalkeepers have performed over the season. And there are also records for goals against averages and shutouts. A kind of incentive but also a tool for the analyst to work out who has arguably been playing objectively better (but best to factor in best scoring chances!).
Dave Bockett-Pugh has been Brighton's first choice for a while now, helping the Sussex side to promotion to the national league for their first time last season and his experience has been a difference maker in the side making this leap to national league level hockey. There will always be question marks about goalkeepers stepping up to this standard of play (in any sport), but he has risen to the challenge and shown he has got what it takes, even at this stage of life/career (not old in goalie terms, but from a really talented youngster there is always that level of expectation to be playing to this level on, say for example).
With Brighton's solid defensive line (conceding an incredibly low goals against average during their promotion winning season) a big difference maker in turning the tables on other more experienced teams (of and at this level), the relationship between back four and goalkeeper, with the right levels of understanding and communication is key, something that would have helped them keep a high scoring Southgate at bey in their away game, for instance.
And their solid defensive unit has allowed them to push forward with confidence and rigour, shown in their comeback today against Oxted this Sunday afternoon. By being able to keep things solid at the back, it gives the side the chance to look to score goals without fretting and worrying over goals being conceded against the run of play. Compare that to say East Grinstead and the Brazil or 'run and gone' style of play (i.e. just try and outscore opponents as with Gretsky's Edmonton Oilers team in the 80's for another example) which requires the goalkeeper to have a certain type of approach and mentality to 'come up big' when they don't have the support of a strong defensive core, and doesn't seem to work in the national league of English hockey, as EG show.
And whereas EG struggle to up the ante without a goalkeeper to do the lion's share of score limitation, Brighton's system shows the key difference of a strong midfield and defense all working in tandem with their goalkeeper leading vocally from the back (picking out breakaways from the best view on the pitch), to make up for not scoring like Holcombe do. In this sense, they can afford to score only a small amount of goals, confident in the fact that they will not concede a ridiculous amount. A lot like Mason's Guildford at the moment, the defense and goalkeeper can steal games without fears of having to outscore their opposition by a huge amount.
Dave dives across to his right to make a key save with his left hand at a PC to keep the score down.
Phil conceding a weird goal for Brighton's second that any goalkeeper would have nightmares about.
Dave was a difference maker for them today and having been able to deal with a lot of shots thrown his way, was interesting to see how Brighton came back from Oxted's two goal lead to tie things up and then go on to get a point out of the game by its closure. Was unlucky against a flick where he committed left but the taker went across to his right (managed to turn up late so missed the first one go in...).
Goalie ratings
Dave = 4.8/5 [always tough to grade goalie performance in this weird way, but had a very strong game today]
Arguably Dave had a lot more to do than his goalie opponent at the other end. There were a few breakaways that he dealt with well, forcing the shooter wide, as well as some cracking saves getting across to his right low for a PC drag flick save and making the splits to save with his left kicker to save low at the left corner against a shot smashed near the post, whilst Dave also made some key challenges closing down attacks that could otherwise ended disastrously.
Phil = 3/5 [seems a bit harsh but didn't have a 'blinder' in goal]
Phil suffered from quite a bit of bad luck today. The first goal was the result of an interception he stormed off his line to reach, only for the ball to get lifted up and over and into the top of the goal, with scrambling defenders unable to do anything to stop a goal being scored. And the second was from what seemed to be an awful bounce, otherwise it was a deflection/flick that outsmarted Phil for the tying goal, but either way in his decision making, decided to leave his feet early to cover low, which left him aghast as the ball went up and over him. Other than that he played with a cool head, a technical approach and kept out a few chances that could also have caused trouble.
East Grinstead managed to topple Canterbury again, this time in their home fixture, although it wasn't the free running 9-1 game they managed last time. Whilst Canterbury were first to tally, they seemed to break down defensively, consistently scoring and then failing to hold the lead. This kind of struggle between pushing up and defending seemed to be their downfall and the team structuring and unit play that helped them achieve their success last season seems to be causing problems this one. If they could keep their lead, from having been now able to catch a game in person, they would be well on their well to clicking as a team and running away with it. And if so would be higher up the table than they are, currently doing themselves a disservice with their play.
Having struggled last season and early on this season for a little while in the 2s, Diccon Stubbings was back in goal for the Kent side. I was expecting Kindler to be playing (and tbh was hoping he would be so I could get a look-in in person), so I assume the coaching staff are looking to shake things up at the back to try and see what they can do to improve performances and get better results. Stubbings seemed able to make a few spectacular saves, but then struggled with shots near him or at times when he would have been better to step off his line and close down the attacker. Tactical decisions, important at this level, like changing the corner defence, with someone needed on the right person, with him unable to extend to reach out to that exposure with the low drag flick that beat him twice, could have helped things as well.
In spite of his stance for short corners, which seems to have been changed again ever so slightly, rather just having his hands limp at his sides lackadaisically, he wasn't able to reach the low, excellently placed drag flicks from East Grinstead's attacking section. Game psychology could be another area for question, as he seemed to get caught up in the tidal wave of goals allowed that can easily put off a goalkeeper from performing at their best, which ironically their team needs of them. He was unfortunate to have faced a spot flick very early on which he could do little to stop, but at times his use of the rhp and choice of rhp perhaps, intending to use its blocking surface to its maximum, was an obvious weakness, as he was beaten past his outstretched hand.
Stubbings' PC stance.
Potton didn't have much to do, but made a double save that almost became a three save sequence at a corner, as the ball bounced up and over, managing to get across to get something on it, to no avail unfortunately. But that battling instinct is something not always seen in his play, which is a good sign for desire and will to go the distance. He was also well beaten by a well placed flick into the top right corner exactly, showing a vulnerability with height/positioning awareness, and continuing the argument about attacking depth at corners according to reaction time and reaching the ball from a close angle, as demonstrated in this save at 5:30, link: Jenniskens save
It wasn't really the best game goalie wise to see for analysis/interest, although the score line would have made it entertaining for the home fans. East Grinstead continue to show that given their strengths as a high scoring team, goalkeeper isn't going to be a massive issue, a lot like Brazil really, until it gets to the clash of the titans in the league/Euro Hockey League etc. Whilst Canterbury prove they need to be able to hold a lead, instead of constantly shooting themselves in the foot by breaking down negatively.
Having taken over from Lee Ible (Welsh international) at Brooklands MU, the young Chris Scott has been making a good enough impression "in between the sticks" even if he hasn't set the league alight. With competition for the Premier League starting to hot up and English hockey refinding its form, Brooklands are not the same side they were, but are still challenging to win the league in the North division of the national domestic competition. Making the most of his size as one of the taller goalkeepers in the league, he covers a lot of goal. A young goalkeeper, it may be a while into he gets in tune with the position at this level, but has shown strong fundamentals so far. Kit wise Chris favours the tube style hi-control rhp and wears ice hockey elbow pads on both arms.
Ible in his playing days for Brooklands in an away game against East Grinstead.
You can watch him in the clip below in a goalie duel between himself and Jamie Cachia of Sheffield Hallam before their promotions:
One of the North conference's key stalwarts "in between the posts", is
Rob Turner, who has been at Bowdon for quite some time now. For me, he's
the reason why Bowdon have stood a chance of bouncing back to the
Premier League after their demotion the season before last (with them
being pipped at the post at the last game of the season, against Sheffield this season gone) and being in
the top flight for so long regardless. Without him, they would
definitely struggle and his level of consistency has often gone ignored
and under rated. Among other achievements, he has been in the England
training squad (I read it somewhere at least, not sure about
confirming!) as well as having previously taken part in the GB Super
Leagues.
Turner with his unorthodox crouching stance playing for Bowdon against EG a few seasons ago.
About three or four seasons ago, Jamie Cachia joined Bowdon and featured
in a few cup games, with Turner holding onto the starting spot; Cachia
has obviously now found home at Sheffield Hallam where he has gone from
strength to strength, but being a junior international did little to
oust him from the coaching staff's assurance. But performances speak for
themselves, and like a deeply rooted tree in strong weather, he has
been as steady
as a rock for quite some time now. He doesn't always appear to make
those awe inspiring saves, but does not look out of place. Although the
odd clanger, mainly in situations against strong drag flickers with a
good level of deception (going the wrong way here: link),
he has maintained a strong level of consistency throughout his career.
Having decided not to "hang up the pads" just yet, Bowdon will be
looking for a replacement soon though as this might be his last for
their first eleven (although conjecture at this point!).
Equipment wise, he uses the Mercian body armour (or at least, shoulder
pads) and favours the Obo fatboy goalkeeping stick for weight of
clearnace/balance. Prefering to thin down arm protection, he is the only
goalie in the English national league to use lacrosse elbow pads
(perhaps even the only goalkeeper in the English system to do so), and
sometimes uses the inner part of Obo's current elbow pad design to offer
some protection to the inner arm at least. He also has a habit of
switching between the tube style Obo hi control and larger blocking
profile Obo hi rebound rhp over seasons, with what seems like a habitual
season lasting changeover from time to time!
And style wise, he has an interesting lowered stance, almost a crouch,
when faced with screens. Although he isn't the tallest goalkeeper
around, he doesn't seem to be greatly affected by height when
athletically diving high.
Nevertheless, he will be a talent that Bowdon will surely miss when his playing days are finally over.
Another standout point goalkeeping wise from the recent early round action of the Euro Hockey League, was James Bailey's struggles in Reading's game against Rotterdam. Not up to the ability of his previous experience of the Euro Hockey competitive format, the youngster seems to be struggling to "up his game" against higher level opposition. With Reading playing strongly in front of him, when he is exposed to strong chances, it is possible to diagnose points in his game that become undone by smart shooters. While you will see him making those audience thrilling saves, he often seems to struggle with the basics, which, at this level, are simply giveaway goals.
What Reading need and have needed is and was a stronger, perhaps older but more experienced goalkeeper, ready to move away, or out of the way, when the next generation of talent is ready to take over. Much like when Mason stepped aside for Nick Brothers to take over the mantle at Reading, one wonders if Reading have pushed things forward too early in terms of his development. Clubs need to be wary of destroying the confidence of a goalkeeper by pushing them on too quickly: confidence being so key to a goalkeeper performing at their best. Whilst a young starlet goalkeeper might display great positives early on, if they don't have that life maturity or unbreakable spirit when faced with adversity, things can get a bit bumpy and difficult in the journey to developing into an elite, world challenging, goalkeeper. England need to be careful of how their treat the current crop of future goalie talent, wary of burning out possible stars, as has been happening in the football sphere.
On a technical level, it is simple fundamentals and basics that Bailey has been struggling. While a goalkeeper is going to be called upon to make spectacular saves at some point during a game at this level, the basics are just as important, as is the consistency to perform at the same level game in game out over the course of the season and beyond.
On the shot between his legs, he could have turned in with the leg, rather than trying to bring his legs together, making a snapping action in the save attempt, which does little to help him. Against a high glove shot, he is unable to raise his glove up in the miliseconds he has to respond to it, remedied by a higher glove positioning and aggressive push into the save. Bailey mainly seems to fall foul of being overly passive and not attacking the shot. Whilst it is important, Bailey seems to be wary of stepping off that depth to try and challenge the shot, sitting deep and expecting to be able to block. Goalkeepers are more than save makers and he needs to attack shots. Time and again does he hinder himself and hamper his chances by not stepping out to challenge. By staying that deep he exposes too much of the goal, leaving a wide space to exploit by shooters with international level, world class accuracy.
As you can see here, even though he opts to push out in the splits, it does little to help him, given he cannot reach the ball at that distance from him (with too narrow an angle) and ball speed of about potentially 90mph:
Playing on a high scoring team like Reading means that they can normally get away with goalie mistakes. But if they want to go far in the Euro Hockey League or in the NOW Pensions National Premier League, they need strength behind their back four. Young goalkeepers are going to make mistakes, it's part of sport (and life for that matter!), but the maturity to take on board (constructive) criticism and develop a strength of character like Marc-Andre ter Stegen in football, is what is required if Bailey and others like him (Smith, Stubbings et al) if they want to succeed in the direct immediate, rather than long term potential for their playing careers as goalkeepers.
With videos finally being uploaded on the Euro Hockey League website, one of the best showcases on display was Harte's string of consecutive shot stopping against a short corner, which suitably demonstrates technical ability and that fiery desire not to be beaten. On each shot Harte is in great position, allowing himself to get behind the shot to cover and make sure he has the best chance for success. He doesn't take himself out of the play or look small, but looks big and makes himself hard to beat (which is what you want to achieve as a goalie!). And more importantly is incredibly swift like quicksilver getting to each save as the next shot cames at him as fast as they do.
The series of saves starts at 0:41 where he begins initially with a good reaction dive out to his right, blocking with the rhp strongly, before getting up incredibly quickly for the instantaneous secondary save, going from the upright splitting across, again getting a piece of it with his right hand, before springing up again to cover the near post, again blocking with the rhp, this time from the upright. Each save demonstrates good angle coverage and positioning, attacking each shot, along with good hand-eye co-ordination with a great visual connection to each shot. This level of technicality, along with the desire not to be beaten are what makes the elite stand out from the crowd. His quickness, acrobatic athleticism and high energy play sees him be unbeatable at the short corner against Rott Weiss. It's a great display that any goalkeeper can learn from. Just watch and learn!
Has the so-called "sophomore slump" finally caught up with Germany's one and only young and shining star Felix Reuss? That's something I wonder when taking into account how well he has played over the past two seasons in domestic competition and then Euro Hockey and then onto international success. Considering his great form last season, it's surprising to see faltering at the moment in the european competition format. Having not seen footage of his current play in the Bundesliga, I'm unaware of how well he has been performing domestically.
The "sophomore slump" as they call it is the curse of the young goalie in US lexicon, the dreaded struggle of being unable to push their own performances to outdo their breakout season. With higher demands and greater expectations and pressures, the young goalkeeper, who may not have emerged or matured as greatyl as an older goalkeeper in the psychological sphere of dealing with these external factors that can affect play, the goalkeeper may hit a slide and consequently have a poor season. There are various examples in other sports and hockey, say John Ebsworth at Surbiton in the English leagues who went onto play for England but then saw his form evaporate.
In these times, it's key for a goalkeeper to readdress the situation, calmly re-evaluating their game without over doing it in turns of self criticism, to ensure they get their confidence back to regain the sparkling form that saw them gain respect so early on.
You can see Reuss struggling with save making in the following clips, as he battles with the fundamentals and decisions going against him:
Having seen East Grinstead in action two weekends ago, one thing that stood out when reconsidering their goalkeeping situation, is that concentration is going to be an issue for anyone stepping in between the posts for the team. EG have always been strong going forward and playing in a concise form, playing with a team structure, which means break throughs in through the defence are going to be difficult. And for goalkeepers, having little to do except move around the area and go adrift in their thoughts, is going to be an issue, as it's difficult to keep apace with the action. But if a breakthrough does occur, the opposition will be going to make the most of the scoring opportunity and try and put a goal on through, especially if chances are few and far between.
One of the goals conceded against Beeston which could have been stopped with a different selection of saving technique and greater alertness.
So when considering goalie performance, I think it's a case of concentration. Without much to do, Potton can struggle because of this, and because EG play so well, with regards to England call ups a change in pace and team play means having to come off his line more or be more active requires two different styles of play for differing roles. And concentration is one of the biggest and possibly often overlooked elite skills for any goalkeeper. If a goalkeeper is to play behind a potentially table topping forward playing team, they need to be able to be alert to the danger and "wake up" and respond to threats as they happen, rather than working into a rhythm through quantity of shots faced.
A goalkeeper with a reduced workload can often struggle with this, so it's something to be worked on off and on the pitch. Rather than a specific technique related to the act of save making, it is a case of the brain working and the goalie "being on the zone" even when the ball is nowhere near their D. Psychology can be considered a technical aspect of the game, even if it is just not as apparent, but still just as important. And for Potton to really push himself, I think it's more a case of staying alert for when he does need to be called on, as the key link in the chain.
So it only took a weekend, but Kindler is back playing at his optimum. Having seen nine go past him last weekend against East Grinstead, any goalkeeper's nightmare, whether or not it was the defence's fault (i.e. it's more annoying if there's nothing you can do about it if the defence were making things difficult by not giving a clear channel for expected shot etc.), it's good to seem him bring that psychological edge to play better and provide his team a win as competition hots up and every game begins to matter, pulling them out of the relegation zone with the three points. Hopefully this will see him continue apace as he and Canterbury look to have a strong season and achieve what they managed the season gone!
The Wombles of Wimbledon coming are we... with Tom Millington, the great young goal-ee, and a more than capable defensive back three [edit: that's what happens when you're made to study poetry and rhyme at uni! Plus, I've always believed in this concept with channeling the angles, failed attempt at a jovial chant like you might see - hear! - at Exeter uni, but hey ho!].
Sadly you don't get many chants at hockey (which is a bit of a ledown, especially for goalies!), but Wimbledon look dominant after finally cracking the egg of getting the team of Olympic stars to gel, spurned on with their battles against Holcombe for the top spot (which was right down to the wire and final game of the season), and they have a really strong starter in the shape of Tom Millington, a goalie that should be starting to come into his prime at the age of pre-30 wisdom and fast paced youth, with about three seasons experience under his belt as a consistent national league starter. At the age of 25 and being so dominant with his performances in goal, only Cachia, Bailey or Scanlon really have that weight of experience and grounding behind them as youngsters ('Scanners' playing prem from 21 onwards, and I will exclude Pinner for this statement!) in the whole national league, though Tom is probably the only one in the league that has gone away and been working away on his over-all game as well as fitness levels and agility and physical strength, in order to take over the league with his man of the match goalie displays.
His performances last year were some of the strongest in the league for quite some time, drawing commendation from players and goalkeepers alike, impressing national league veteran Chris Hibbert with his displays that got them into winning the league and then promoted. And having cut his teeth on conference level national league hockey, it's high time he had a crack at the premier league to see how much he can come into his own. He excels at short corners, which are one of the main areas of elite level requirement at this level, and for some reason again you don't see much of this, but should be, like in Potton's Euro display against (link). And it is a useful strength to have, especially if you want to stay out and dominate each and every game. At this level most goal attempts are going to come from short corners and defending them needs to be a strength, rather than being so exposed in field play (which isn't going to happen much due to the counteractive elite defending!), so it is more than a necessity; so he is already in a good place with his technical game.
Millington stepping out on one of the many short corners he did so well defending last season.
As you can see for yourself in the clip below, he is able to react from his feet in a standing position if facing high drag flicks, or athletically get down or across to save lower placed flicks. With the intelligence and insight in reading the game, this is going to set him apart from the competition at this level.
Though, having said that his angles look a little off at times and he can sometimes get caught on the short side or acute angle, out of position, just as Brothers struggled with (link). Which, at this speed of the game, will be dreadfully exploited as players see a weakness to make use of, and can target it with their elite precision. But, then again, the qualities in his self confidence and awareness and ability to battle on instead of caving under the weight of goals conceded, he carries on almost regardless, which is what a team really needs in the goalkeeper if they want to battle back into the game. Though, if there is an Achilles heel, it is in his local of communication with his defence, staying very quiet and almost non-existent as a presence behind his defence, which he needs to work on if he wants to play as a refined defensive unit at a higher level (moving from conference to prem anyway!).
Interestingly he has moved brands quite a bit, going from Obo at Lufbra
to a Merican glove with Exeter (although still in Obo!), then changing everything with Mercian sponsorship; moving from his Obo gloves with a tube style right hand glove, rather than the newly popular blocking rhp glove. And he is now one of Monarch's new sponsor signings, helping them
push the brand along with their D30 range to new heights, weaing much more square pads than in the curved slide-easy approach with Obo.
For the season upcoming, I think he should be able to help Wimbledon do more than simply turn up to games and with their experience (with Olympians in the squad) and a well drilled almost professional set-up, they could even end up mid-table if they really work at it. He could have stayed with Exeter when he helped them to promotion, but opted to go to Wimbledon and play and learn on the go, where he grew and grew. So now with this new opportunity after being part of a promotion winning side, it is time for him to shine, otherwise it's a chance wasted. He could easily push for contention in the GB depth, in the Olympic cycle and build-up, having been involved with England and GB U21's whilst at Lufbra, if he impresses at this level. For now, though, he just needs to concentrate on bringing the game he had last year to each and every game he plays this season.
David Kettle was one of Surbitons standout players as they reached the lofty heights of second place after being in a state of uncertainty and darkness over previous years. Being with him a desire to learn and competitiveness and a want to dominate the league and the games he plays him, he has added an extra umph to the Surrey based, historically great, club. And more importantly, he has fought for accreditation rather than empty words, also coming across into his international displays as he tries to push Wales up and through the world rankings. His game time has been well earned by strong performances, rather than some kind of reputation (which can often be seen in English national league hockey for some reason) and Kettle has really shone out with his battling displays. Always looking to improve and develop as a goalkeeper, he has gone from strength to strength, and hopefully he can recreate this this season and ever on, onwards and upwards!
I have written a lot on David and how much I rate him as one of the best in the British Isles right now, so don't want to repeat myself! And looking forward ahead and to this season and beyond, he has set himself up for another great, especially as he will have his first bite at Euro Hockey League game play, so I can really see him building off the merits of this season past and pushing himself to crack this egg just as well as he has his first starting role in the premier league. But unless he carries on in the same vein, I would cautiously worry (not overly so, don't think I need to!), that he could end up plateauing as seems to happen with goalies at this level as they push themselves to set the standard, and then don't keep pushing it, and therefore never end up as world class talent.
So to keep you intrigued rather than bored, I'll leave you with a link to some of his cracking highlight reel saves (put in a highlight reel, so ironically not just a namesake; those highlight saves that actually get you into wanting to play in goal in the first place!!) and let his ability speak for itself, so I can focus on writing some other blog posts! It's also great for seeing attacking fundamentals with him diving into rather than back against shots and closing down players and using his pads to cover rather than putting his arms in danger (if you play without arm pads, this is dreadfully important and useful to learn off technicality wise).
Sheffield Hallam made an astute and well intended signing when they managed to get hold of Scottish international Jamie Cachia. Planning for the long term, they picked a young goalkeeper with a lot of promise and talent, that is now starting to be properly be realised, and their scouting abilities and forward thinking mindset paid off with Cachia taking the Yorkshire based side into the premier league for the first time in their history. At the time Cachia had been at Bowdon, backing up veteran choice Rob Turner, getting game action in cup rounds, but unable to break into the starting XI on a league basis. So Hallam snapped him up quick and he has repaid them in kind for giving him the breakout opportunity with some solid goalkeeping behind their back four.
And Cachia has been on top form for them as they made the push to premier league team. He has put in some great goalkeeping displays (that any goalie can learn from!) and looking back at his progression from junior to national league starter, he as come on leaps and bounds, being a difference maker for quite some seasons. With Scotland looking to make the most of the Commonwealth Games, the time is now and Cachia is well set for the immediate future, with opportunities at international level coming his way right now (as with the World Hockey League where he and Allan split starts). Ready to fill in Allan Dick's big shoes, he is going to be a strong option for Scotland when Allan does retire (but that's down the line, not exactly immediate!!). Proudly displaying the colours of his homeland, equipment wise he has made the switch from a TK rhp to the Obo hi rebound, making use of its larger surface area for blocking purposes, and still retaining the same stick and ground work technique despite the change in size, especially when logging or attacking in an indoor style, for instance, as demonstrated below.
You can see him in action below in one of the premier league qualifying tournament games, against Southgate in particular, whilst watching be aware of, and note, his positive aggressiveness and vocal presence [edit: can't seem to embed the clip, which is really annoying me!]
Interestingly, he is probably the only starting Scottish goalie in the premier league (touch wood!), but that is until Tommy fights for starts at HWHC as I can't see him wanting to be there simply to warm the bench, especially in this weather!! This season shows a lot of promise for Cachia and therefore Scotland, as he seeks to mark his mark on the league, coming up against talent he has probably paid against already, in international games. And I can see Sheffield managing to stay up through force of will and analysis of opposition and a game plan with realistic targets to ensure they get as many points as possible. They will bring a structured game plan to their ambition of remaining in the premier league for as long as possible, rather looking to rebuild straightaway and Cachia will be well on his way to pushing the Northern side as far up the league as they can possibly go.
With Jamie Legg leaving the Berkshire side for conference side Richmond, Reading have sent a message essentially showing their intent going forward and support for England's current second choice (having been drafted in recently for the WHL and other games, getting his debut kept coming on at half time against Germany, replacing Pinner for the half split), entrusting the youngster and potential future star James Bailey with the command of their backguard. Building off the back of his performances in his debut in the Euro Hockey League, beating Dutch stalwarts and powerhouse Rotterdam in the penalty shuttles in over time, before going down against KHC Dragons, the former Old Loughtonians product is well on his way to being part of the world's elite, if only he makes the most of the opportunities coming to him.
Having signed with Reading whilst doing his Master's, James was still playing with Bath in BUCS games mid-week games, having got three seasons in with the Buccaneers team after joining them at the spritely age of 18 and being the clear cut chosen one (not like the Matrix though!). With the level of quality being so differing, he may have struggled psychologically and with the differences in speed and quality. And this is important for the Berkshire team considering they don't have a 1B goalie to turn to; the role that Legg filled. What the ice hockey analysts call in terms of having a 50/50 split between goalies starting and a solid second option that can 'step between the pipes' and still get the points if necessary.
If Bailey was to go down with injury say (as with any of the teams where the gap between incumbent and reserve choices is huge), then Reading would be a quite a tight spot and tricky situation. The other drawback is that there is no competition for the spot, meaning Bailey could drift in quality without being pushed from competition in the goalie ranks, as have been seen so many times with English national league goalies over so many seasons. With the World Cup taking place next year, the Euro Hockey League and the NOW Pension's league will be a great practise ground for the rising star seen as the next England number one. Reading have got quite a few new signings as they look to return to being one of England's hockey powerhouses after slipping in form in comparison to their glory days, and Bailey will be fortunate to play behind such a strong squad where the goal scoring talent will make the difference in the form of recently capped international Dan Shingles and the incredibly gifted, experienced and talented ex-East Grinstead Darren Cheesman.
Whilst he stumbled early on with cheap goals through the legs and so on, Bailey was able to turn the ship around and help Reading get up to third in the season finishing. What's interesting here is that Reading didn't put Legg back in when Bailey struggled and faltered, which would have got them points but caused trouble for Bailey's confidence. Confidence being such an important factor in a goalie's performance. Versus that of how Canterbury managed the similar situation with Stubbings, where he was benched and Cowling was brought back into the squad.
One of Bailey's Achilles heels is his ability to watch through drag flicks, which was really exposed when he was called up to England U21's in the Junior World Cup four years ago and exploited by other teams, especially India, as written about before. Rather than watching all the way through as say Stockmann does, he struggles to make the saves, possibly not having the elite skill of "silent eye" (explanation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPZCCpmRObw), going the other way against flicks. Turning and pushing the body weight in the other direction is going to make well executed world class drag flicks a real difficulty, as the goalkeeper is already commited to going one way and cannot switch to the appropriate side properly, moving the glove away from the ball if standing and putting themselves "out of the play". As you can see here against the Dragons, where he goes right against a high flick out to his left:
Barry Jukes is still around at the club and has been the reserve choice for quite some time, for the outdoor league, as well as for the indoor season, through Nick Brother's playing days and beyond. Not the funnest job (or sporting role) in the history of sport, but this humble position plays an incredibly important role in sports psychology and mentoring/relationship scenario, wherein the Goalies Union takes care of helping out the first choice for the betterment of the team and provides a strong presence in the dressing room. Chris Osgood in ice hockey for example was great at this and was able to consistently help out the goalie ahead of him on the team sheet. It's a team game and helping out your team like this is such a crucial and overlooked role! You may want competition, but the second choice doesn't always like the way the first choice treats them if snidy about it (re. Lehman and Almunia); but with a positive and encouraging outlook, it makes life better, rather than pointlessly difficult, for everyone involved.
They have also picked up new goalkeeping option from Richmond, in the form of Gary Noble, with Legg being a sort of trade in terms of Gary having been at Richmond previously. This is a good chance for him to make an impression and be a solid second chance, if the prefered option for the 2's and also to be involved in a higher level of hockey at training and for travelling and being part of the squad at the upcoming Euro Hockey League games. That and his experience and maturity will help Bailey out as he grows as a person and player.
For the upcoming season, Bailey is in a great position to really impress. He could outdo Pinner in the Euro Hockey League and get further and perhaps try and pull off a medal winning tournament as Brothers did when he was there. He just has to want it and to stop listening to overdone praise and look to self criticise to better his own game and work on it to be the best around. Should Bailey falter, I don't think Reading will turn to any of their other goalkeepers, but if he was to get injured, I could see Noble taking the opportunity by the hands and "stepping up to the plate" as it were to deliver the goods, but the lack of competition is still a fierce worry.
Loughborough are another team where the talent base is strong but not as such perhaps in goalie terms, only in the sense that during one season alone they had the GB starter (McGregor, who was, at the time) and two prospects that are now premier league starters in their own right (Potton and Millington), like the depth that was there for Exeter University last season, with three possible starters and only two spots available, meaning competition was incredibly tough. But for now, it's a case in point of a young talent , like Jimi Lewis in the hockey scene, or Buffon/Casillas/Afinegenov (Russia's recent elite goalie) et al. Harry burst onto the season last season, having been given the chance to shine after the retirement of Scottish and GB international Ali McGregor who with his memorable performanace at the Beijing Olympics, was seen as heir apparent after Steve Bayer's retirement. McGregor had purposefully taken up such an opporunity to recreate his game and pushed himself to compete at this level of the game, rising from sixth to first choice from an ironwill of determination and refined game play.
And now, having mentored him for a season, McGregor chose to leave hockey for the time being (focusing more on his teaching career), much like Mason moving away from Reading to pave the way for Nick Brothers way back when. Rather than the curse of the sophomore season for the young goalie, wherein a youngster fails to do as well as their did in their debut season, I think Gibson should be able to build on the experiences he has; game experience being worth so much more than any training session can provide, for any goalie and really go for it this season. He has the desire, the competitiveness, learning mindset and the coaching (with goalie input too) in the mix, so it's a case of pushing himself and setting his own targets for personal achievements.
Whilst he did have a few bad games last season (not in the same regard as Stubbings possibly), that's going to be expected of any young goalie; sometimes the nerves can get to you and have a knock-on effect in a negative way on performance. In this case and instance, the coach needs to show their commitment and trust in the goalie and allow them to battle it out and ride out the storm in order for the goalie to return to their best, as Arsene Wenger should be doing, say. And with regards to Harry's form, there is a lot of great raw qualities to build from and refine. He helped Loughborough battle through some tough games, and whilst some of the performances weren't representative of his true ability, he was only 19 at the time in his first ever national premier league season! Being the youngsest starting goalie in the league is no mean feat and something to be lauded, applauded and encouraged. He was able to show that age is just a number and goalies can still be awesome from a younger age now given the quality of coaching and analysis not available in years gone by.
Loughborough is a great hockey powerhouse (starting to be challenged in form by Exeter, Cardiff and others) and has been the catalyst for producing quite some quality goalies. Tom Millington studied there, as did Potton, Phil Carr did and so on. So the uni set-up is actually one of the best goalie producers in the British Isles. With Harry away on international duty for the U21's in India not that far off, they will probably need cover in the shape of their second choice, who played in the indoor leagues and didn't do too badly either, which is bonus as they don't want to lose costly points in their national league campaign this season. His form has gained interest from all the right people to the point of being selected to play for England A in friendlies over the summer, another step up the ladder for the future.
McGregor in his playing days in a game post-Beijing.
For this season, I think Harry will do well and can go above and beyond last season's successes if everything clicks. I'd like to see him push Lufbra back up the table, back to where they were in 2009 say when they were competing in the Euro Hockey League and were doing incredibly well in the competition format, but it will be up to him and the squad to work together to make that a realistic achievement.
Ian Scanlon, the oft under appreciated and represented (in my opinion at least), starting goalkeeper for the North London premier league side, is one seemingly outside of the England coaching radar. Having been at the club since his university days [Edit: An interesting tidbit though about Ian Scanlon is that he has scored
roughly 130 goals for LSE (London School of Economics) whilst at uni
there and can drag flick pretty well; have faced it when doing a bit of warming up, plus the choice of uni
means he's a smart one as they say!], having been at Brooklands MU before that, and being around the squad when Welsh goalkeeper was there, having the chance to develop quickly early on and mentored by Lee Ible who was first choice at the time (and is now at Oxton and still involved in the Welsh international set-up).
He is also starting to get places now that age and maturity is quicking in, over and above what you was able to achieve stepping straight into the premier league at the age of 19. In the follow-up clash this season past he kept East Grinstead to a single goal which is an achievements in itself, a reflection of how far he has come from those babysteps. Asserting this in his play and self confidence, his is often dominant at corners (an incredibly cruicial part of the game at this elite level) and strong out to challenge against free balls. Prefering to play without arm guards, he has lightning quick reflexes and strong self confidence, very important for competing at this level accountability wise. Also notable is the fact that he has taken Hampstead on long cup runs for three seasons in a row (or more, can't remember!), and they even managed to turn over Beeston, their bogeyman opponent this past season, falling at the final hurdle to Surbiton though.
On the flip side though, he does falter in his consistency at times, in terms of sometimes being amazing, sometimes not "turning up to the game" with that same fiery desire to win, where playing all out every game would be better than losing track, which is where the criticism comes from, from those that voice it. One key problem though is his self doubt and hesitation, especially against drag flicks, which seems to be his Achilles heel. Over thinking where he would be better off reacting out of instinct subconsciously, he is often giving away unfortunate cheap goals by over commiting and ending up unbalanced and in the wrong direction, unable to shift back across to make that all important save.
But for me, he is still a solid choice when "on his game". Even the
world's best struggle with consistency, like Cortes has; great at the
HIL and international games, then tails and sometimes Ian plays running
boiling like a lost person in the Arizona desert, then lukewarm and
cold. Even though some see his performances as sub-par, he has kept
Hampstead out of the relegation zone and away from the danger of losing
that important and hard earned status, year after year, for four seasons
now (and many believed they wouldn't be capable of staying there), and
seeing as they are always bombarded (for some reason it's a lost , but
important for discussion), I even might dare to say that Scanners is
often let down by HWHC, especially in the runaway demolition away
against East Grinstead where the opponents were let loose and were just
free scoring and free to do as they pleased. Sometimes I feel that he
has the most work of any of the national league goalkeepers, but without
a scoring stats system like in ice hockey, there is no quantified.
For me, personally, I wonder if he had a permanent goalie coach and competitor to keep on task; as humans we need accountability and target setting and review and feedback to make sure we are always improving. Having trained with him when he was preparing for the Junior World Cup in Malaysia, I have seen his level of commitment, desire and hard work, but it seems like it's not being pushed to its optimum best. But without regular goalie specific related analysis week in week out, his form seems to drop and wobble in comparison to the breakout season he had at the spritely age of 21 when he fought out Mat Simkins for the starting role. He performed well in a squad that was all over the place, in the U21's tournament and kept them in games where they shouldn't have been so, so I don't know why on earth he was dropped, and I was surprised to see Bailey thrown to the wolves where he was embarassed and outplayed, as demonstrated below (not fair or easy on a young 17 year old struggling with drag flicks at the time):
'Scanners' looking pretty imposing and annoyed at that very same EG game after letting in the only game post penalty corner!
His stance is quite compact for a tall goalie, almost hunched down for all shots he faces, but it works with a good balance of movement and explosivity. As demonstrated below, with a set body position on angle and challenging properly. Similarly with his glove positioning, he is able to get low for diving saves, or quick enough in raising to make a high stop.
In terms of back-up options in the reserve goalies, again, there hasn't much competition. The signing of Coates did just what it was meant to (in terms of lighting a fire under Scanlon), as he battled for his spot, and kept the number one shirt (metaphoricall, he prefers number 23 for some reason!), and continued apace after the Australian joined in January. But this is where the super signing (no jokes, I highly rate Tommy) of Mr Alexander comes in. Showing his ability right off the bat for Indian Gymkhana, his intensity showed an immediacy of ambition as quality as he offered stability between the posts, shutting out opposition after opposition, clicking his new team just at the right time to safe them from demotion and put them right up the table where they should have been to start off with.
Whilst it is great experience for third choice Leech being at such a strong club as Hampstead, I can't see him getting much opportunity to assert himself. Given that game experience is worth more than any training session, if he wants to push for national league level at some point, he will probably need to look for a transfer at some point, a la Tommy Alexander and similar, making the most of learning behind two great goalkeepers and seeing how they train and play and treat the game seriously.
For the season upcoming, I can see some great things happening as the battle for first place commences. Given it's the only 1A/1B (i.e. equal status goalie duo) set-up in the whole national league, it's like the equivalent of a pro football team have a star starter join them to battle it out, like if Arsenal signed competition for Szczesny. This is the competition we need at national league level it's a shame it's the only scenario right now. Either way, HWHC are going to have a decent goalkeeper behind their back four and thus strong defence, and I can see them starting to build a better squad off the back of this and finally doing themselves proud and pushing up the table and stay there for a good while, now that they have begun to manage this in recent seasons.
