Right boys the full story.

It was a typical boys night out, just one or two ( you know how it is) when 7 of us went to society and got a kitty on the go. This lead to two bottles of vodka being bought this included straight vodka in the mouth. Thats when things took a turn for the worse and my memory gets a little bit fuzzy. This is when the night took it's first victim Neil Down had a tactical chunder (T.C) and ruined his chances with a lovely lady. But once in the big L things really got flying. Crueso was assumed missing until i was told he'd abandoned us for other people, Paul Got hit on by another male, neil down got thrown out, and i did what rob did on a previous night out. So paul was getting "pestered" by a very gay male on the podium. Some attemps were made to help him out, but a ginger assassin saw that he made a friend that evening. And kissing the gayboy didn't get rid him, did it paul? As i found out neil down got thrown out, either because he was in a fight or due to being drunk and disorderly, and in the morning i found out he was still alive and had woken up in a pile of his own spew. Good boy. And i punched the punching machine and followed through and hit the machine. All in all it was a good night out.

P.s where did meldrum spend the night? that is the big question, where oh where did he go?

RGU 1 - 2 ABERDEEN UNI

MOM: Tony
DOD: Neil Down

Scorers: Chamois

Right, before I start I gotta point out that this whole game went by in a fair aul haze and my recollections will very possibly be biased, erroneus or just plain poor!

Granite City Challenge! All that needs said. The RGU team that pitched up on this scorching Wednesday was very possibly the strongest squad ever displayed in an RGU hockey team sheet. With the squad size dictating for the first time that Messrs Maley, Nabil and Paul be enforced to cheer on from the sidelines, the 16 man squad were clearly well up for this long before the first whistle.

The re-introduction of Russell, Goose, Tables and Jamie, having been relieved from placement duties, brought with it a sense of solidarity in every position and efficient cover available on the bench.

What a game as well! With the RGU team determined to provide the closest challenege to AU's supremacy in this fixture and commitment evident throughout the starting XI, 5 subs, coaching staff (ok just John Boy) and support.

Relaxed passing, loud communication and growing confidence over the first half provided 3 sterling opportunites for RGU - Marty failing to finish off a swift break after a superb square pass in the D from Ryan, Chamois failing to catch a volley following some patient build up play covering most of the field and Rob forcing a good save from a Top D shot when broken free.

I challenge anyone not to have been thinking this was a great chance to cause an upset!

It wasn't all that one sided though, credit must go to a brlliant first half display from the back four (Goose, Rory, BT, Crusoe) and Tony as they frustrated a AU attacking lineup clearly not short of impressive talent. Most notably a stunning save from Tony with his stick following an Ian Selkirk drag flick drew cheers from the partisan RGU crowd.

The second half however seemed a bit more reserved from the RGU line up, with the team producing fewer and fewer clear cut chances and relying increasingly on long hits out of the back to provide space. AU pressed hard and provided chance after chance, either snuffed out by sharp defending or saved well by Tony.

AU finally broke the deadlock however; a clinically deflected shot smashing the backboard in the middle of the goal with little anyone could do but try to hit back! 1-0

Good on the lads from RGU, every player stepped it up and following a slight improvement in play, RGU got level with an improvised short corner routine. The sluggish advance of the AU runners lead to Chamois taking time over a strike on the D, and with a deflection from the AU defence, the fall trikled into the corner, 1-1.

It soon became very, very clear that 1-1 would be good enough for every single RGU player, defence became desperate, with a mini boost as Selkirk was yellow carded. At one point (photographic evidence of this) there were 9 of the RGU XI in their own D as time seemed to slow right down.

5 minutes left .... heartbreak for RGU, a questionable deflection from a strike into the D found a way through Tony's legs (hard luck having on several occasions pulled off save after save) and AU celebrate 2-1, with little time for reply from the lads in red.

And so it ended, 2-1 (THATS RIGHT 2-1). Great result for RGU Hockey! Against a team clearly superior in personal ability, and against a uni with enough players for 3 squads INCLUDING a National League team.

Progress is being made year on year with this club. Surely thats clear from the progress shown from just four years ago. Credit goes to a team who were so close to almost pulling off possibly the biggest shock of the day and still providing a result that means every player could walk off feeling like they did the Team justice.

As always lads, comment away!
Chamois

Scorers:
BT
Meldrum (PF)

MOM: Neil Down
DOD: Chamois

Report:

Finally, a game IN Aberdeen, and with only two weeks till GC Challenge, a game against Aberdeen 2's to give a mini taster of the game to come.

Who knows how many of this seconds team will have fought their way into contention for a starting spot come 18/3/09, but this was a great opportunity for RGU to prove a point, get some match practice and sharpen up before the 1st v 1st derby.

And it may be biased, but every player on the pitch justified their selection and put claims infor their own place on the starting XI, every player brought out the best in themselves and the tightly fought award of man of the match was evidence of this!

Easily the best performance by RGU this year. The early periods consisted of swift passing round the back with outlets Neil Down and Crusoe being found at ease. The up front work ethic of Martin, Paul, Ryan, Dave and Sean in the first 30 minutes showed spaces were available and were found on several occasions.

With Meldrum carrying an injury and the work rates high up front, it seemed the front three were being alternated every 5 minutes, without showing too much disruption, Ryan falling back into centre midfield as required and proving very apt in this department. The half time break hit at 0-0, with free shots narrowly missed by Dave and Maley, and the keeper saving well with his stick from a Meldrum drag flick.

It was clear both teams were competing for this one though, with the AU 1sts on the sideline, tensions rose, with green cards inevitably coming for Rory (twice for basically being confrontational) and Chamois (not so justifiably).

The breakthrough came through a well worked short corner routine, the left switch to BT flicked at pace into the goal. 1-0. RGU could now relax a little bit, but continued to push forward. RGU thought they might have extended the lead after Ryan bundled in at the corner, but this was disallowed by Blair and his notable 'to the book' approach.

RGU scored their second soon enough from the Stroke Spot, after some great work by Sean up the left hand side, bursting into the D and drawing a blatant foul from the AU GK. Let's just ignore my own open goal miss (whistle had already gone). Stroke put away to the Right hand side by Meldrum. 2-0

Although the last 5 minutes was carried out within RGU's half and after several short corner routines, (one saved superbly by Tony's Left boot) RGU saw out the rest of the game reasonably comfortably with a morale boosting first league victory of the year!

Summary :

Team performance much improved with strong communication, good play up front and pacey passing the key.
Neil Down owned AU right winger all game, the last time Crusoe managed a pass to Chamois he was playing for AU, Rory's a big moan, Sean ignores Marty, Clansman didn't get hurt!, and Rob's excuse for not stopping reverse stick is his weak wrists.....

As always if I missed anything out, feel free to comment.
Chamois