A bumper Friday night crowd packed into Lewes Hockey Club to witness a special occasion as Lewes Men’s 1st XI welcomed the reigning Australia Men’s Masters Over 45 World Champions, the Goannas, for an entertaining pre-World Cup friendly. The fixture had been billed as a showcase of top-quality hockey, and it certainly lived up to expectations despite finishing goalless.

While the scoreboard read 0-0 at the final whistle, the match could easily have ended 3-3. Both sides created a host of clear-cut chances, with attacking hockey on display from the first whistle to the last.

The standout moment came midway through the contest when Lewes goalkeeper Billy produced a superb penalty stroke save to keep the scores level. It was a match-defining intervention and one of several impressive stops from the Lewes shot-stopper, whose performance earned deserved praise from players and spectators alike.

At the other end, Lewes matched their illustrious visitors throughout, carving out several excellent opportunities but finding the Australian defence equally resilient. The Goannas showed exactly why they are world champions, while Lewes demonstrated their own quality with a disciplined defensive display and dangerous attacking play.

Adding to the occasion was an outstanding Friday night crowd at Lewes Hockey Club, creating a fantastic atmosphere throughout the evening. The support from members, families and local hockey fans made for a memorable event and showcased everything that’s great about hockey at Lewes.

A goalless draw rarely tells the full story, and this was certainly one of those occasions. It was an evening of high-quality hockey, outstanding goalkeeping, and a brilliant advertisement for the club ahead of the Australian side’s Masters World Cup campaign.

"Special thanks go to all our spectators & friends for making such a Club occasion on a summer's evening, and also our Club Sponsor LRAR for their generous support.
Terrific evening of hockey!!"

Final Score: Lewes Men’s 1st XI 0 - 0 Australia Men’s Over 45s (Goannas)