SUSAN’S HAT-TRICK BANISHES DISAPPOINTMENT
Last Saturday the Ladies’ 1sts win 3-0 away and the Men’s 1sts win 14-1 at home. After their game the Men’s 1sts said they deserve top billing this week and I said ‘No’ adding that as far as I’m concerned the Ladies’ win at Chelmsford was more meritorious coming as it did after a run of three games which had produced only one point and with teams below them showing form and picking up points. In contrast the Men’s 1sts were up against a Wisbech team ravaged by injuries and departures and pointless all season and in effect putting out, as claimed by their manager, a second team.
The Ladies’ 1sts really needed their win to get over the vital 20 point barrier and to banish the disappointment of getting nothing from their previous game against East Grinstead when they deserved at least a point. When Magpies beat Chelmsford 4-0 at home in October Emma Lee-Smith scored a hat-trick and this time Susan Wessels did the same banging in three penalty corners to emphasise the importance she is to the team as is the defence which has conceded just 13 goals in 14 games to-date. This coming Saturday the team are at home to Bedford (2.00) who after two successive wins since the break lost 2-1 at home last Saturday to Wimbledon. Magpies will be out to banish another memory this Saturday – that of their disappointing 1-0 defeat by Bedford back in October when Bedford scored early in the game and then defended well.
Despite what I have said above I have no wish to take anything away from the Men’s 1sts (for whom skipper Mark Wheelhouse was sidelined against Wisbech due to illness) who after scoring only once in the first twenty minutes were not to be denied and from 3-0 up at the break really went to town scoring a remarkable eleven goals in the second half. The first four goals of the game were shared by Toby Price, who was in sparkling form, and Martin Fields and both went on to score again but in my view neither scored a hat-trick. As I’ve said before in this column a hat-trick has to be three successive goals. OK – I’m being a pedant! The other goals were scored by Leigh Sitch (again!) when the injection was misdirected at a penalty corner and came out to the wrong ‘castle’ and by Chris Barber with a thrilling reverse stick shot from the left of the circle while Tristan Baynes and Will Martin also found the net with MOTM Ben Wright scoring four including a hat-trick! Leigh’s goal was effectively wiped out when he conceded a late penalty stroke! This margin of victory beats the 13-1 win achieved by the team over Ramgarhia at Weybread in October 2013 and came despite a host of fine saves by Tom Peggs in the Wisbech goal. On Saturday the team will need to beat Dereham away (12.00) to maintain their promotion bid.
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BINGO EVENING – THIS SATURDAY (28 FEBRUARY)
CLUBHOUSE, 7.30 FOR ‘EYES DOWN’ AT 8.00PM
£10 FOR 6 GAMES WITH A GLASS OF WINE PLUS PRIZES TO BE WON
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In other home games the Ladies’ 4ths lost 5-1 (Rachel Goodson) to Dereham 2nds, the Ladies’ 6ths gained their second point of the season drawing 0-0 with North Norfolk 2nds while the Men’s 3rds and 5ths both drew. The Men’s 3rds played really well to hold promotion seeking Pelicans 2nds to 4-4 but at 3-1 up and with only a fine save by the visitors’ keeper stopping it becoming 4-1 it could have been even better. Pelicans scored first but Matt Brand, Gavin Cole and Stuart Fields put Magpies 3-1 ahead before Pelicans hit back to draw level in an exciting game. Magpies responded when a centre from the right by Nick Whitehead was turned in by James Baker only for Pelicans to convert a last minute penalty stroke (their second of the game). The 3rds have another tough game this Saturday when they are away to Bury St Edmunds (1.00) who like Pelicans 2nds are just two points behind leaders UEA who play the Men’s 4ths at Weybread (12.15). Meanwhile the Men’s 5ths came from two goals down against Sudbury 3rds with goals by Matt Bensly and Will Donsworth and after Sudbury regained the lead Matt popped up with his second goal of the game to make it three goals apiece. On Saturday the team are at home to Lowestoft Railway 2nds (3.30) when they would hope to extend their unbeaten run to six games. Away from home the young Girls’ Development lost 3-1 (Taylor Freeman) to Lowestoft Railway.
Last Saturday several of our teams had the day off but his Saturday all are in action except for the Boys’ Development. In addition to the games mentioned above the Ladies’ 2nds have a vital home game against Tunbridge Wells (12.00) as they continue their fight to avoid the bottom four places in their league, the Men’s 2nds entertain City of Peterborough (1.45) mindful of the thumping they received in the away game back in early November, the Ladies’ 4ths host Carrow (10.45) and the Ladies’ 6ths, boosted by their point last Saturday, welcome Carrow 2nds.
After beating Holcombe 5-3 away last Sunday the Men’s O50s are through to the quarter-finals of the England Hockey Masters Cup where they will play West Wilts (who beat Richmond 3-2) at home on Sunday 15 March (2.00). Leading Holcombe 3-0 with goals by Jon Aldridge, Andy Law (we expect our recent big money signing to deliver!) and Roger Kent it seemed that Magpies were coasting to a comfortable win. But the home side had other ideas and with penalty corner conversions just before and after half time the match could have gone either way. But up stepped Simon Bardwell with a surging run which created another chance for the in-form Roger which he put away to give Magpies breathing space before with five minutes to go Phil Cobbald fired the ball into the net from a narrow angle to the left of the goal to ensure a deserved victory for Magpies. After the game, in which Holcombe scored their third goal in the final minute, I said that Simon had been one of our star players only for a teammate to query which game I had been watching! For the record I meant what I said!
This Sunday our U16 and U18 Girls’ teams are back in England Hockey Championship action. The U16 Girls have enjoyed an excellent season winning all their East League 1 games thereby qualifying for the East Section Finals where in Pool A at Weybread they play Ipswich (12.00), Wimbledon (1.15) and East Grinstead (2.30) with the Pool winners going through to the national finals over the weekend of Saturday/Sunday 28/29 March. Magpies’ squad: Katie Crawford (capt), Phoebe Preece (vice-captain), Lucie Gooch, Ismay Whitaker, Sophie Baxter, Sophie Child, Georgina Warren, Abby Gooderham, Lauren Rowe, Alice Woollatt, Izzy Knowles, Alice Hopgood, Anna Harrod, Tor Findlay, Matilda Warde-Aldam, Anna Tighe. In Pool B (at Saffron Walden) are Dereham, Epsom, Horsham and Saffron Walden.
Meanwhile in the quarter-finals of the U18 Plate event our team play Belper away at 11.30 with the winners qualifying for the national finals to be played on Saturday 28 March. Magpies’ squad: Kira Wooltorton (capt), Amy Campbell, Jessica Harvey, May Bowden, Maria Andrews, Joy Andrews, Olivia Locke, Ellie Tennant, Kara Kilbourn, Catherine Kilbourn, Sophie Meynell-Anderson, Imogen Meynell-Anderson, Katie Woollatt.
Good luck as always to our teams this coming weekend. Please see the Latest News page of the website for the complete list of fixtures.
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MAGPIES YOUTH COIN CHALLENGE – GIRLS v BOYS
(Organised by the Youth Committee)
Our Boys and Girls are asked to kindly bring a bag full of change
(of at least £5 if possible please) to their training session
THIS WEEK to try to cover the Magpie images.
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Comments in brief
a) 80th Anniversary Ball (Saturday 13 June 2015) – a gentle reminder please.
b) The Mixed team have been drawn to play Havering at home in the 3rd Round of the England Hockey Trophy on Sunday 8 March after their walkover last Sunday (Hertford had an important charity day at their club).
c) John Livings played in goal for the 1sts last Saturday as Matt Collinge was unavailable and it was his first game for the team (bearing in mind he has been away including his time at university) since sharing the goalkeeping duties with Richard Harms in the vital 3-1 away win over Indian Gymkhana in March 2010.
With kind regards
Mike Denham
24/2/15
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