History was made on Saturday as the Men’s 5s played the very first league match on Old Loughtonians’ newly laid Pitch One — and marked the occasion in style with a 5–1 victory over Chelmsford 5s.

Max set the tone today with an early morning matchday tune selection of DMX " X Gon' Give It To Ya" and boy did we respond. Rob Simmons, a stalwart of OLHC, not only a coach and captain for many years but also a founding member of the Willows, cemented his legacy by claiming the honour of scoring the first competitive goal on the new surface just three minutes in, the perfect ending to a masterfully orchestrated section of play right from the pushback and to the joy of his team mates cost him dearly in the bar. Chelmsford equalised in the 18th minute, but Max Tripper restored the lead from a penalty corner in the 23rd to make it 2–1 at half-time.

The second half was all purple. Phil struck six minutes after the restart, Simmons doubled his tally just two minutes later, and Mark Barry rounded off a devastating spell in the 45th minute. The 5s controlled the game throughout, moving the ball with pace and finally reaping the rewards of well-worked short-corner routines, earning 9 in total and converting 2.

Goals: Rob Simmons (2), Max Tripper, Phil Beauman, Mark Barry
Man of the Match: Percy (4 votes) and Alfie (3 votes) — excellent call-ups from the 7s and 6s.
Dick of the Day: Virtue — for appealing to the umpire with the immortal words, “He nudged me!”

A superb performance, a landmark day for the club, and a result that sets the tone for the season.