There was a familiar look to the Tendring 2 team which warmed up for this match against Exiles (aka Essex Police) as for the first time this season coach Porter had most of the players which played in the previous hard fought win over the Brentwood Bombers at his disposal.

Following a late starting whistle, mainly due to Exiles only managing to bring along 5 players, the match got under way with both teams looking to take the early advantage. Tendring 2 looked the stronger of the two teams in the opening exchanges however once again the errors of previous games crept in and Exiles were able to keep a foothold in the set, with each team continuing to side out. Darren Deex and Mitch Brown struggled to find their rhythm through the outside but Beth White and Rob Sharman were linking up well through the middle and it was this combination which brought some consistency to the Tendring attack, which they eventually closed out 25-21.

 

Following the frustration of the 1st set Tendring came out flying at the start of the 2nd, with some great setting from Dan Saunders and Beth White enabling some powerful attacks from Deex and Steve Cole, who replaced Mitch Brown at the interval. Tendring raced into a 16-7 lead and coach Porter made a double substitution, with Deex and Sharman making way for Alan Kempen and Keiron Davies. Exiles began to find their way back into the set and the frustration crept back into the Tendring game as the former overturned the deficit to a 23-22 advantage. Porter made a late double substitution and when Deex powered a shot down the line it seemed to have paid off. However in the following attack Tendring could only find the net and Exiles found themselves levelling the match at 1-1.

 

Porter then made some changes to the lineup, with Mitch Brown and Alan Kempen coming back into the game. Following a slow start to the 3rd set, Tendring eventually found their feet and Brown continued to dominate at the net until his sister (playing for the opposition) produced a massive block through the middle to halt his participation in the set. Steve Cole came on in his place and impressed once again through the outside. At 9-9 Keiron Davies then produced a most remarkable service run, claiming 12 successive points and being the main reason that Tendring closed out the set 25 – 10.

 

The 4th, and final, set continued along the lines of the 3rd, with Keiron Davies once again demonstrating that a consistent, tactically placed serve can cause havoc in the opponents defence. Dougie Garner also made an impact on the game (and the floor) with some great defensive skills to ensure that the team closed out the set 25 -13 and the match 3 – 1.

 

This won’t be the hardest game Tendring 2 face this year but once again the experience gained during match play will no doubt go a long way in determining where this young team end in the league this season. Next stop… Sarfend!