In the 3rd game of the season, Servette entertained Stade Lausanne in Geneva. The match started with Servette dominant in possession, keeping the ball well and frustrating the Lausanne team. This possession allowed for some good attacking chances, but there was no end result for the Servette team.

The breakthrough finally came after 20 minutes when Gareth Mckeown after some good build up play, calmly lifted the ball over the keeper to give Servette the lead. That is Gareth’s 6th goal of the season.

The rest of the half was a continuation of the normal. Servette keeping the ball and not many chances at either goal.

Half time came and went and Servette came out of the blocks with a bang. Laurent Neri finding Dimitri Gisin with an aerial that took the defence by surprise. Dimitri was then fouled by the goal keeper and a penalty stroke was awarded. Laurent stepped up but a fine save from the goal keeper meant that Servette could not double their lead.

A change of tactic came from Lausanne to put 11 people in defence and to try and break on the counter. This frustrated any chances of attack for Servette.

The second half produced some average hockey at best, which can be put down to one team not trying to play hockey but just to hope not to loose by too many goals. This frustrated the servette team and as they forced the ball into goal scoring areas, they lost and shape they had and then the inevidible happened. Caught out numbered in defence Lausanne created a well executed counter attack and were rewarded with a short corner. This was calmly put away with a drag flick from the top. Servette 1-1 Stade Lausanne.

The end of the game came without and major events occuring so now to penalty flicks. Servette won in sudden death penalties with Greg saving well to get Servette the second point of the day.

Next week see’s Servette travel to Lugano for a Cup game on the Saturday and then away to Rotweiss Wettingen on the Sunday. A big improvement must be made before next week if Servette would like to stay at the top of the table, as a performance like this one will not be good enough to take 3 points from Rotweiss.

A special congratulations goes to Bastiaan Stephens who played his first match for the 1st team against Lausanne.

Gareth McKeown