The Isle of Man men’s over-35s hockey team battled to a 7-3 victory over Chester in their first England Hockey Championships match last weekend, combining clinical finishing with stubborn defending in a demanding contest.

With only one substitute and the sun beating down, the Manx squad showed impressive discipline and stamina, rotating positions throughout the game to manage fatigue.

The island side made a flying start. Andrew Winstanley opened the scoring from a penalty corner after five minutes, before Andy Whiting doubled the lead five minutes later with a clinical drag flick from another short corner.

Chester had a goal disallowed before pulling one back in the 17th minute as the first half developed into a back-and-forth battle.

Isle of Man captain Jamie Brown showed outstanding resilience after being sandwiched between two players and taking a blow to the face and head. He returned to the action and scored in the 26th minute, with Karl Moore adding another two minutes later to put the island team 4–1 ahead.

Chester responded with a strong finish to the half. A penalty-corner goal in the 33rd minute was followed by another just before the interval, leaving the Manx side with a narrow 4-3 half-time lead.

Whiting restored the two-goal cushion in the 38th minute, converting another penalty corner. Chester continued to press, but the Manx side produced an outstanding second-half defensive display.

John Verrall and Gareth Craig stood firm against repeated attacking overloads, with Alex Birch contributing across defence and midfield as the team adapted and rotated. Behind them, goalkeeper Sam Spooner made several key saves to keep Chester at bay.

Andrew Harding’s hold-up play and distribution helped relieve pressure and retain possession, while fellow wingback Sam Moffat made important runs to help the island side move forward.

At times, all 11 Manx players were working inside their own 22 to repel sustained Chester attacks. Keeping the hosts scoreless after the break was a superb collective achievement.

Up front, Anthony Bentley-Roberts contributed to the attacking effort alongside Moore and Winstanley, while Kyle Caine provided valuable fresh legs as the small squad worked hard to maintain its intensity.

Winstanley’s powerful runs, tireless work and intelligent link-up play offered a crucial outlet. He supplied the assist for Moore’s second goal in the 57th minute, giving the Isle of Man team breathing space at 6–3.

Whiting completed his hat-trick in the final minute, converting a penalty stroke to seal the 7–3 victory - a scoreline earned through hard work at both ends of the pitch.

Man of the match was Winstanley for his goal, assist, outstanding running and relentless work up front.

Isle of Man scorers: Andy Whiting (3), Karl Moore (2), Jamie Brown, Andrew Winstanley.

A huge thank you goes to the whole squad for committing to the trip and playing their first match only two weeks after forming the team. Getting everyone together and delivering such a strong performance was a fantastic effort.

Special thanks to Kyle Caine and Kim Carney for team management and trip organisation, Paul Kinrade-Hunter for travelling as umpire and handling feisty opposition to decisions, Sam Spooner for driving and Jamie Brown for captaining and organising the squad on match day. A brilliant team effort on and off the pitch.