Under-strength Penarth end season with dramatic win! (From Penarth Times)

Under-strength Penarth end season with dramatic win!

Hitchin 7 - Penarth 13

PENARTH travelled the four hours to Hertfordshire to play Division One's form team and came away with a memorable victory.

The win - against all the odds - secured Penarth second place in Division Two and ensured the season ended on a high.

The hosts were understrength for the game on April 2, having lost three of their four American imports as well as Welsh defender Chris Bishop to injury.

But Penarth were also struggling - and as far from their strongest side as they had been all season.

Without their regular keeper and a host of other absentees, Penarth played the entire match a man down with only two recognised defenders and two regular attackmen.

The visitors quickly went two goals behind, but a fine effort from Rob Proctor allowed Penarth into the game.

Andy Morgan and Andy Ford were asked to alternate into attack and play with a defensive long-pole, and Morgan capitalised by firing the ball into the top corner to draw the teams level.

A superb feed from Rod Stanford found Will Barrett unmarked on the crease after a trademark backdoor sneak, and he edged Penarth into a 3-2 lead.

There was a second for Barrett before the hosts pulled one back.

Gareth Willis then broke downfield setting up Barrett to go clean through and stretch the lead to two goals.

Chris Lee in the Penarth goal did well, but the home side then came from behind to stretch out a two goal lead.

Penarth created a vital goal out of nothing as Matt Wills attacked from behind the cage, drawing the attentions of two defenders before sliding the ball up to Stanford who found the corner of the net, leaving Penarth 7-6 down.

In some of Penarth's best attack play of the season, Proctor levelled the scores with a bullish drive from behind the goal.

Barrett scored twice before Proctor added two more, then there were two further goals for Barrett, equalling his season-high tally of seven.

This was a dogged and well-crafted win for the visitors, made all the sweeter for their lack of numbers.

Man of the Match was shared by long-stick defenders Andy Ford and Andy Morgan, but this was a day of magnificent team lacrosse. The three points secured a second place finish in Division Two for Penarth as they leapfrogged London rivals Spencer to finish the season on a high.

Penarth goalscorers v Hitchin: Barrett (7), Proctor (4), Morgan (1), Stanford (1)