MEN’S 1STS FOUR WINS AWAY FROM PROMOTION
With nine wins from our fourteen games, last Saturday was the most successful day of the season for the club to-dateand no less than five of our teams have a strong claim to top billing this week. I have in mind the Men’s 1sts, 3rds and 6ths for their away wins and the Ladies’ 1sts and Men’s 2nds for their home wins.
But this week the accolade has to go to the Men’s 1sts for coming away from Dereham with three points and I’m not influenced in this decision by the hard time I’ve been given by certain members of the team for overlooking them last week (to say nothing of previous weeks) after their 14-0 win over Wisbech! Although Dereham have had a disappointing season with just five wins they are still a formidable team on their day, especially at home, with their hard running and goal power.
With Chris Barber injured Andy Hipwell came into the team for the first time since his very welcome comeback and it was as if he had never been away scoring three goals with the others coming from Martin Fields and player-coach Ben Wright who with a brace has taken his total for the season to a highly impressive 29. At 6-1 up the team then conceded two goals and they must ensure there is no repeat (unless they are 6-1 up!) when they travel to play fellow promotion hopefuls Cambridge University on Saturday (1.30). Magpies need to win their last four games to secure a return to the national league as East Champions but failure to win on Saturday against the students would almost certainly put paid to such hopes. For the record CU beat Wisbech 14-0 last Saturday!
The Ladies’ 1sts started their game against Bedford determined to put behind them the 1-0 defeat they suffered in the away game and with Emma Lee-Smith and Susan Wessels in impressive form and combining well the home supporters were confident of victory after Emma scored in the 10th and 16th minutes, the latter coming from a penalty corner. Emma then outpaced the Bedford defence down the right before crossing and Susan was on hand to make it 3-0. After the break Susan banged in a penalty corner before Emma scored again to take the score to 5-0. Bedford got a consolation goal in the 65th minute. This Saturday the team are away to Horsham (1.30) seeking to put more pressure on Sevenoaks who, after their defeat by St Albans, are two points ahead of Magpies and in second place behind East Grinstead who clinched the East Conference title last Saturday by beating Ipswich 7-0.
Meanwhile on the other pitch at Weybread the revitalised Men’s 2nds were having an exciting tussle against City of Peterborough 2nds, who beat them 9-1 back in the dark days of November, knowing that victory would banish any lingering relegation fears. Peterborough went ahead only for Magpies to lead at half time with a Robbie Kinsella drag flick at a penalty corner and a typical opportunist strike by James Baker. The visitors equalised in the second half before Magpies regained the lead with a flowing move finished off in fine style by Elliott Ashurst. With seconds remaining Peterborough were awarded a penalty stroke (and the umpire is on my Christmas Card list – or was!) and much of the good work of skipper Dickon Taylor and his team was in jeopardy. Up stepped the Peterborough player who, after looking goalkeeper Matt Collinge in the eye, proceeded to propel the ball against the crossbar from where it rebounded out of the circle! This week the team are away to Ipswich (12.30) who despite losing to Letchworth last Saturday are still well placed for promotion behind Havering.
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FIZZ & CANAPES EVENING – SATURDAY 28 MARCH TIBBENHAM’S BARN. PLEASE NOTE YOUR DIARY. Details to follow.
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The Men’s 3rds is another team which has seen a remarkable change in its fortunes with 16 points from their last six games and the 1-0 away win over Bury St Edmunds, the then league leaders, has finally averted relegation which at Christmas was a real and concerning possibility. Skipper Matt Brand, who is enjoying another excellent season, put his team ahead after fifteen minutes and thereafter they enjoyed as much of the play as their hosts so this was in no way a ‘hold what we have’ performance by Magpies who this Saturday entertain old rivals Norwich Dragons 2nds (3.30).
Meanwhile the Men’s 6ths were away to Norwich Exiles who have clearly taken team rotation to a new level as they fielded only one of the players who helped them to an 8-1 victory over the 6ths back in November. Skipper Eric Davy and his team took full advantage of this situation as after going a goal down the in-form Jon Wells hammered in a couple of goals before Roger Kent, fresh from his two goals for the Over 50s the previous weekend, was on hand to score from one inch out. But as they say in golf a one inch putt counts the same as a 300 yard drive! Exiles then pulled a goal back making the final score 3-2 to Magpies. Eric told me that he is eligible for the Over 50s next season before adding that he is not good enough to which I replied ‘Don’t put yourself down Eric leave it to others!’
This win for the Men’s 6ths and the 2-1 win of the 5ths at Weybread over Lowestoft Railway 2nds have increased the chances of the 6ths avoiding relegation. I apologise for all the references to relegation this week but I can only tell it as it is – or was! The 5ths dominated from the start against Railway with skipper James Smith playing well in his first full game since injury so it was a surprise when the visitors took the lead. Matt Bensly brought his team level before Andy Caston got the winner for Magpies who lived a little dangerously in the closing minutes.
In other games at Weybread the Ladies’ 2nds tried all they could (fairly) but were unable to break down a resolute Tunbridge Wells defence but the point gained in the 0-0 draw could turn out to be a very useful one come the end of the season; the Ladies’ 4ths beat Carrow 2-0 with goals by Laura Tibbenham and Anna Harrod; the Ladies’ 6ths lost 2-1 (Keisha Hilaire) to Carrow 2nds and the Men’s 4ths went down 4-0 to promotion hopefuls UEA. Away from home the Ladies’ 3rds beat Thetford 4-0 (Kara Kilbourn 2, Charlotte Rourke-Beasley, Caz Aldous-Goodge) to follow up their 5-4 win (Kara, Charlotte, Izzy Knowles, Catherine Kilbourn, Kate Woollatt) against UEA 2nds last Wednesday at Weybread in this rearranged fixture. In the match Caz took a blow to the side of her head and Plum Sweet took a blow on her forehead necessitating an ambulance and later nine stitches. It is good to know that Caz was able to play on Saturday and that Plum was well enough to watch the game at Thetford. The Girls’ Development beat Norwich Dragons 6-2 with their goals coming from Alice Collyer, Grace Collison 2, Taylor Freeman 2 and Georgie Gardens. This was a particularly good win as manager Sandra Elliner fielded a very young team with all but three making their debuts. Meanwhile the Ladies’ 5ths went down 4-3 (Matilda Warde-Aldam 2, Millie Preece) to Pelicans 2nds when a draw would have been a fairer reflection of the game and the Ladies’ 7ths (after two successive wins) lost 3-0 to Yarmouth 2nds.
On Sunday at Weybread in the East Section Finals Pool A of the England Hockey U16 Championship Magpies were unlucky to lose to late goals against both Ipswich and Wimbledon (the eventual pool winners) before gaining a good 3-1 win over East Grinstead with goals by Abby Gooderham, Anna Harrod and Matilda Warde-Aldam. Meanwhile it is ‘well done’ to the U18 Girls on beating Belper 5-0 away in the quarter-finals of the England Hockey Plate. Their goals were scored by Amy Campbell, Imogen Meynell-Anderson, Maria Andrews, Katie Woollatt and Kara Kilbourn. In the semi-finals at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre on Saturday 28 March Magpies play Plymouth Marjon (10.45) and, hopefully, in the final (4.45) either Alderley Edge or Reading.
Good luck as always to our teams this coming weekend including the Mixed who host Havering on Sunday (1.30) in the 3rd round of the England Hockey Mixed Cup. Please see the Latest News page of the website for the complete list of fixtures.
Other news and comments
a) 80th Anniversary Ball (Saturday 13 June 2015) – another friendly reminder of the social event of the year. Please see the Latest News page of the website for details.
b) Bingo Evening – it is a big ‘thank you’ to Adam Lascelles (our expert caller) and Iain Cumming and other members of the social committee and to everyone who supported this event last Saturday and who helped to make it so enjoyable. There are a lot of things you can say about Bingo but you can never say that skill is involved or that practice before the event would be of any help!
c) Magpies Youth Coin Challenge – it is also a big ‘thank you’ to all the boys and girls who helped towards the success of this event with the girls raising nearly £175 against the £122 raised by the boys. It is still not too late for our young members to participate in this event if they still have their bag of coins at home. Please give them to Kirstin Cumming or another member of the youth committee.
With kind regards
Mike Denham
3/3/15
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