A MASS-ive win for the Ship. Hurrey called it a 'season-defining' game before the match and so it could prove to be. A Ship buoyed by a 3 match winning streak found themselves up against a team with a 100% record, who had smashed Santar 7-1 in recent weeks and lost only twice the previous season. The squad responded to Hurrey's pleas to turn up early (apart from the AWOL Neil) while the opposition only scrabbled together an 11, minutes before kick-off. The Ship were instantly the brighter team against a youthful opposition and took a deserved lead as Kieran raced down the left to deliver a perfect cross for Alex to score his first competitive goal of the season with an expert glancing header. Despite the good start, Mass equalised swiftly as a Simon Stevens punch was seized upon on the edge of the area and fired back past him with interest. A pattern for the game was already forming and the Ship retook the lead as Simon A and Kieran once again linked superbly, with the former crossing beautifully from the left to be met by the flying boot of the latter, that saw the ball nestle in the far corner. Hurrey was clipped by the keeper when clean through but sadly didn't go down and couldn't score before he beat the keeper to another though-ball but couldn't control his long-range shot. Yet again Mass struck straight back as a quickly taken short corner found a midget at the back post who managed to loop a header in under Simon's bar. The Ship knew by now that they were in for a ding-dong battle but they went into the break 3-2 up as a fantastic, clipped through-ball from the industrious Matt found Hurrey racing into the box and he finished clinically across the keeper and just inside the far-post. The ref had been getting pelters from all directions and half-time calls for level-heads fell on deaf ears as Rob and Digger went into the book for dissent and a decent team-move from Mass saw them respond quickly after the break to draw level again. Hurrey struck a decent chance from the edge of the box straight at the keeper before a good move sent the bullish Alex down the right and he cut back to an unmarked Kieran who finished cooly to nudge the Ship in front yet again. Still Mass weren't finished and they pummelled the Ship, missing a series of big chances before a ball bounced around the area and another equaliser was tapped in. The Ship still felt they could win it and it looked likely when Alex strode past the keeper to face a gaping net, onlyfor him to claim the latest worse miss and somehow slice horribly wide. A physically and psychologically ailing Digger was replaced by Ad and Luke Boland came on for Rob as time ticked on and it was a classic Sunday league goal at the death that settled it. A long hoof from Kev was misread by a flailing defence and Kieran flicked the ball on into the path of Hurrey who found the net to seal Mass' fate, handing the Ship a crucial 3 points. An incredible game and an incredible result but one that represents the Ship moving into a new gear, with new players gelling and back to winning streak ways.
