The First signs of “good” polo?

Up in Stratford for the long-awaited game Away @ Orca’s 2nd team travelled 9 brave yet awfully full up Narwhals. Nando’s sitting in stomachs and bags firmly around shoulders we arrived, not to the sight of a team eagerly expecting us, but instead 2 lifeguards demanding that we put our bags in lockers. The following scramble to find someone with a pound coin would best be viewed with the benny hill theme playing in the background. As kickoff drew closer and closer, a pound coin was “borrowed” and we were ready to go.

It only took 22 seconds for the Narwhals to grab their first, and then doubling their lead within another 20. The hot start was quickly countered by Zach “I’m going to sink him on halfway” Finch, who’s major foul on 9 meters led immediately to our opponents first.

As the first quarter kept on, the chances for narwhals kept falling left and right… of the post. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many shots from 2 meters missed in a single quarter. Best of the bunch was Nick “I don’t know how to” Shute, who managed to miss a shot from 1 meter out and with no one in net – He still blames the pass. We ended the quarter with 3 goals (and more misses) but a convincing start for the Narwhali regiment.

Quarter 2 started in the only way it possibly could, with Zac giving away a pen. As Orca grabbed their 2nd, we immediately replied grabbing out 6th, 7th, and 8th within the next minute and a half. As we slowly cruised away, Shute decided to join me in the ‘giving away a pen club’. Not to be deterred, George “Allison” Adam leaped graciously out of the water to save it. Following a standard botched man-up from the narwhals, another 3 goals were scored by the team in black to end the quarter 11-2 up.

The 3rd continued the narwhal’s dominance, winning a pen early doors only for Tim to put it right down the keeper’s throat. It was only time however before narwhals got their 12th, finally learning how to put away their 1v1s. After a wobble on halfway where a shot from 10 meters deflected of a narwhalian elbow let orca have their 3rd, and a shot from 2 meters where the defence really should’ve done better, orca was now in it. Fortunately, although they did not know it yet, that would be their final goal. As the last 3 minutes of the quarter raged on, Narhwals put in another 6 to push the game out of reach.

The 4th quarter came and went like the others. An early penalty conceded and saved – Narwhals scoring on and on, and Matt “Can’t be bothered to Swim” Finch finally got his long-awaited 6th goal, saying he’d never done something like that so many times. Hopefully that only refers to goalscoring. As the game slowly ended, Zac “I’m going to sink him on 2 meters” Finch grabbed his 2nd goal from 2 meters, giving him 2 goals for the season and 2 goals since Covid. As our last goal went in with 3 seconds left, the score said the whole story. Orca 4 – Narwhals 25.

An outstanding away win for a narwhals team down on their form. As you’d expect with such a high scoring game, no one was lost in Lisbon with everyone accounted for. Awards went to Zach for a man of the match worthy double Burridge, with an honourable mention to George for his 2 pen saves. The moment went to John Holah, for begging the lifeguard to give us a pound to use the locker successfully, and fluffer is being shared by Nick and Frankie for an atrocious amount of misses from inside 2 meters, including one that was closer to the corner flag as the goal.

Overall and excellent performance, which can only mean for good things to come in the upcoming weeks.

Forza Narwhali