WONDER GOAL BY SUSAN CLINCHES WIN

Events in Norfolk and Suffolk November 25, 2014

WONDER GOAL BY SUSAN CLINCHES WIN

Could Susan Wessels score an even better goal than she did for the Ladies’ 2nds against Broxbourne in October? We got the answer last Saturday at Weybread and the answer was a definite ‘yes’! With the Ladies’ 1sts leading 2-1 and under considerable pressure with Maidenhead looking for the equaliser she unleashed a reverse stick shot from a narrow angle to the left of the Maidenhead goal. In a split second the ball was rifling into the far top corner of the net for what has to be the goal of this or any other season. With two minutes to go victory was assured and with it another three valuable points taking the team to eighteen from their first ten games and a move of one place up into third place in their league. Susan was also heavily involved with the opening goal in the second minute when another reverse stick shot was blocked with Georgie Minta pouncing to add to the vital goal she scored at St Albans six days earlier. Susan later powered in another reverse stick shot along the ground only for the effort to be disallowed. Just after half time she was upended in the circle by the Maidenhead goalkeeper who was sent off to be replaced by their second keeper. Her first task was to retrieve the ball from the back of the net where Susan had despatched it with the ensuing penalty stroke. Maidenhead gave the Magpies’ team a lot to think about before and after their goal which came with nine minutes remaining but Magpies kept tackling and working for each other and with goalkeeper Charlotte Lee-Smith pulling off some fine saves and clearances Maidenhead were denied their equaliser and with time running out the wonder goal relieved the considerable tension being felt by the home supporters. This coming Saturday the team are away to Wimbledon (2.00) before commencing their indoor season.

I must give second billing to the Men’s 2nds in recognition of their first victory of the season achieved against third placed Letchworth. Fielding their strongest team of the season in this home fixture Magpies went ahead through Duncan Steven and after Letchworth equalised James Meek scored twice to give Magpies an encouraging two-goal lead. If Letchworth had come expecting an easy win by now they would have been thinking quite differently and they pulled a goal back to add to the excitement being felt in the crowd. Tom Yallop was having another fine game in goal for Magpies who eventually clinched victory with a goal by Sam Ashurst. This was a thoroughly deserved victory for Magpies and a deserved reward for skipper Dickon Taylor at almost the half way stage of a difficult season. This Saturday the team are away to unbeaten second placed Havering (1.00).

The day had begun at Weybread with second placed Ladies’ 5ths recording their third successive victory by beating Watton 2nds 5-1 after being two goals ahead at half time. Their scorers were Millie Preece (2), Anna Kilbourn and skipper Jose Tibbenham with a brace. This Saturday the team are away to Carrow 2nds who last Saturday lost 16-0 to Lowestoft Railway. A few minutes later the Boys’ Development were making it six wins from six games with a hard fought 2-1 win over Pelicans. Jack Robertson put them ahead in the first half following a rebound at a penalty corner and after Pelicans eventually beat James Harvey, the in-form Magpies’ keeper, Tom Caston gave the home team victory with a late winner after good work by Ben Emms.

Next up were the Ladies’ 2nds against newly-promoted Norwich Dragons and with six former Magpies in the visitors’ team, including former Magpies’ 1st team skipper Donna Causton (now Vaughan), it seemed almost like Magpies versus Magpies! On an increasingly wet afternoon the home team, who welcomed back Anouska Stott, got off to the best possible start with Katie Ogden converting a penalty stroke after ten minutes before Abby Gooderham added a second at a penalty corner two minutes later. Magpies seemed to be in control but hesitancy while defending a penalty corner was costly and Dragons were back in the game. In the second half Magpies gave the visitors’ defence a demanding time through the hard running of Ellie Tennant and Tor Findlay although a clinching third goal proved elusive but with the home defence standing firm there were no further goals. It was good to see Holly Riches making an encouraging debut in goal for Magpies and good to see Kath Johnson having a successful run out for the team following her injury on first team duty at Ipswich at the end of September. On the debit side Lauren Mickleburgh missed the second half going off in considerable pain with a recurrence of an old back problem. Hopefully she will not be out of action for too long. This Saturday the team are away to Saffron Walden (12.30).

In other home games the Men’s 4ths battled hard against Norwich Dragons 2nds (who included ex-Magpies Glenn Masterson and Graeme Smith) before going down 4-2 (Myles King and Greg Jagger) and the Ladies’ 7ths beat Norwich Dragons 6ths 1-0 with Mia King’s goal coming with 31 seconds of the game remaining! In the last game of the day the Men’s 6ths gained their second win of the season beating Dereham 4ths 2-0 with their goals being scored by James Webster (his first since becoming a very welcome member at the beginning of the season) and the ever-cheerful skipper Eric Davy. The game was notable for a double – it was goalkeeper Steve Halliley’s first clean sheet and win for eighteen months! Steve, who very enthusiastically captained the 5ths last season, was playing for another team during the team’s previous win. Well done Steve – you are an invaluable club man.

Away from home the Ladies’ 4ths were getting back to winning ways beating Loddon 6-3 (Matilda Warde-Aldam (2), Laura Tibbenham (2), Sophie Long, Anna Harrod) and the Girls’ Development were getting the better of a young Watton side by eight goals to nil with Phoebe Eglington (4), Keisha Hilaire (2), Emily Woollatt and Amelia Herschel-Shorland (her first for the club) finding the net.

Also away from home the Men’s 1sts found St Albans in inspired form going down by three goals to two. After St Albans went ahead Chris Barber equalised with a spectacular volleyed shot (the third best goal of the season Chris!) before St Albans moved 3-1 ahead. Ben Wright then converted a penalty stroke to bring Magpies back into the game in which their second half performance possibly merited a draw. To put this defeat into perspective it is only the 10th suffered by the team in their last 137 East Premier A matches. At the end of the game a frustrated Toby Price threw his stick to the ground from where it rebounded and cut him over his right eye! This Saturday the team are at home to Blueharts (12.00). Also losing away were the Ladies’ 3rds who went down to Norwich City 3rds 4-1 (Kara Kilbourn); the Men’s 3rds who lost 5-3 to Sudbury 2nds (Gavin Cole (2), Guy Pelling) and the Men’s 5ths who suffered only their second defeat of the season going down 2-1 to IES 4ths due to two lapses in concentration with Stuart Peters, who scored the Magpies’ goal, unlucky not to have gained a penalty stroke when impeded in the circle. While also losing the Ladies’ 6ths are to be congratulated on holding league leaders Evergreens to a single goal in one of the club’s best performances of the day.

Last Sunday the U14 Girls continued their fine season with a 5-0 win (Millie Preece, Anna Kilbourn (2), Lottie Summers, Keisha Hilaire) over Bury St Edmunds at Weybread thereby consolidating their place in Tier 2 of the EHB Championship. Meanwhile on a day when it was best to be indoors the U18 Girls qualified for the East Championship (to be held at the University of Essex on Sunday 14 December) with wins at Town Close School over Norwich Dragons by 3-1 (Kira Wooltorton, Maria Andrews, Kara Kilbourn) and Dereham 7-2 (Kara Kilbourn, Ellie Tennant, Kira Wooltorton (3), Maria Andrews (2). Congratulations to both teams.

Please see the website for all of last weekend’s results and for this weekend’s fixtures including the Men’s O50s who play Ipswich at home on Sunday (1.30) in the second round of the EHB Cup. Good luck to all our teams.

OTHER NEWS

a) It is a big ‘thank you’ to organisers Philippa and Frances Taylor and team and to everyone who supported last Saturday’s Fun Casino & Fizz Evening and who helped to make it so enjoyable and successful. Our thanks go also to Philippa and her husband Julian for kindly hosting the event.

b) It was good to see Sam Moore at the club last Saturday and at the Fun Casino & FE after his second spell in hospital and to see him walking reasonably well.

c) The club’s sand-dressed pitch was flooded last Tuesday morning following a deluge leaving patches of sand on the surface. These were removed last Friday and I am very grateful for the help of David Cobbald and Mike Eastaugh with this task.

d) I am also grateful for the help of John Pestell and Andy Johnson in painting (inside and out) the club’s new storage container kindly sourced by David Cobbald. I thought I was in charge of this demanding painting challenge but it soon became apparent that John and Andy also wanted the role; nevertheless we got the job done accompanied by plenty of banter as usual and without too many differences of opinion!

With kind regards
Mike Denham
[email protected]
25/11/14

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