Polo and More, Barbados 2014 Issue 9 | Page 44

& More 2015 Johnny Coddington and Ollie Taylor leading the charge for Cheshire Charlie Walton on the boards Jubilant Cheshire supporters with the 2014 Lime Cheshire Team A vocal Lucy Taylor The fourth and final game would be the decider, which meant that both teams would push to the max for ultimate victory and the silverware. Barbados was playing with the slight advantage of an 11-goal handicap over LIME Cheshire’s 10 goals, thereby affording the visitors a ½ goal handicap advantage. However, the team of Philip Tempro (2), Teddy Williams (3), Danny Atwell (4) and Jeff Evelyn (2) was a formidable combination of strength, power and great horsemanship which would be hard to beat. 42 Cheshire were on the attack from early with a well-built side that boasted the series eventual Most Valuable Player, Oliver Taylor (3), his sister Lucy (1), Charlie Walton (2) and Jonny Coddington (4). Oliver was the first to get a crack at the Barbados uprights when he got a penalty from way out but was unable to convert it... a sign of things to come for the rest of the game. Defense was tight, but scoring opportunities minimal, and many of the attempts made on goal by both sides, just never found their mark, making it a rather low scoring game. With three minutes left on the clock to the end of the first chukker, Tempro took a run and had a juicy shot at goal which he took but a pony got in the way to also keep Barbados goalless at the horn. By the end of the second chukker, Atwell made it all the way to the Northern uprights to finally give Barbados the lead. With the second and third chukkers passing with resonating gallops but fruitless exchanges between the sides, there was everything to play for in the last chukker as only ½ goal separated them with the title hanging in the balance. Atwell came close to scoring again but his 60yd penalty was just a little wide. With the sun setting and the clock running down, Tempro came through for Barbados, with a sprint that gave them their second goal of the game, and ultimately the win. For the remaining minute neither team found the uprights and the game ended 2 - ½ goals in Barbados’ favour. Barbados had avenged their 2013 loss, but just by the skin of their teeth