24/03/2019
Rochdale 0 - 6 St Helens
PROMOTION!!!
We did it, in what was probably the biggest game we’d played since forming 3 years ago we went and put in a performance to match! Arguably the best and most complete 70 minutes we’ve put together at exactly the right time.
Going into the game Rochdale sat behind us in 3rd and knew that a win today would put them in a great position to pip us to that second automatic promotion spot. So for them it was all or nothing, anything but a win would bring about an end to their season. So we went knowing we were on for a tough game against a very good team.
The game started as we expected, both sets of players knew what was at stake and probably sat back waiting to see how the opposition would go about things. We though decided early to go on the front foot and started to create chances, great build up play was just missing the final touch. At the other end defensively we were dealing with whatever Rochdale were trying, working well covering spaces and doubling up when necessary. So the deadlock was broken when following good work from Peter Jones a flick was awarded after the ball was stopped on its way to goal by a foot. Pete stepped forward and calmly scored sending the keeper the wrong way.
That would signal a bit of a strange spell in the game where the Rochdale umpire decides that the grief he was receiving from his own players wasn’t worth him continuing and there was a 10 minute break whilst this was sorted. Eventually he was able to carry on and it was from here really St Helens took a grip on things and forced the play at every opportunity. There wasn’t a single player who wasn’t on top of their game today and it was no surprise when Pete Jones made it two nil, another top finish buried into the top corner....showing lightning does strike twice with it being put away into the same corner as his goal against them earlier in the season. Then on the stroke of halftime following up on a Danny Taylor strike, Ruan Pretorious tapped in from a yard out to give us a 3 nil lead at the half.
In the fixture earlier in the season Rochdale took a 3-1 lead into halftime only for us to score 5 unanswered in the second, so we knew letting our foot off the gas could see us caught out. So we set about putting together another similarly impressive half, and that’s just what we did. There was inevitable pressure from Rochdale at the beginning of the half but we were solid defensively, as good as we were going forward we were every bit as good at the back in keeping them out. Some great defensive efforts from Adam Griffiths expertly dealing with a lobbed effort on goal and John Lloyd clearing his lines over and over really set the tone for the defence. Lucas Delanchy again continued to impress in a defensive role and Neil Howden diligently marked whichever centre forward they tried using, keeping them quiet throughout. After dealing with the pressure we again began to impose ourselves on the game and through Phil Travis, Mick Maloney and a second for Ruan we put a score on Rochdale that left them reeling.
They knew the game was crucial and simply can’t have imagined that we’d turn up and play the way we did. We do tend to play our best hockey when the pressure is on and that’s just what we did today. The win gives us a 2nd spot at worst and with 2 going up a guaranteed promotion place, however that isn’t what we started this season looking out to do. Winning the league has always been our aim and it all comes down to one last game, 1st placed Northern come to play 2nd place St Helens with the winner being crowned champions. A cup final in every respect and we’re going to focus all week on being the best we can be and taking the game to Northern.
Tonight though we can enjoy a top, top performance and a promotion that’s been hard earned. If you read these reports and haven’t ever seen a game then next weeks the time to change that, it’s a home game and we’ll want all the support we can get!
