Banbridge Hockey Club men took centre stage at Havelock Park on Saturday afternoon in a EYHL game against Annadale.

Banbridge needed the win to keep ahead of Glenanne as both push for a top four finish and the end of season play offs. However, Annadale, who are just out of contention for this season, made their Ulster rivals fight every inch of the way in this high octane, and sometimes feisty, encounter.

It was interesting covering this game straight after the women’s Ulster Premiership encounter. In my limited experience of hockey the women’s game seems more tactical whereas this was an all out testosterone fuelled battle of fittest, fastest, strongest as the teams set about each other with some gusto.