BRONZE AGAIN FOR U18 GIRLS 

After being given a second chance of medals in the U18 Girls national finals at Old Loughtonians over the weekend following the disqualification of Leicester our team went home with bronze for the second successive year after an exciting draw and subsequent penalty stroke battle with Isca.

Earlier in their semi against Beeston Magpies opened strongly encouraged by the hard running of Georgie Minta and the sound defence and hard hitting of Kira Wooltorton only for hesitancy in defence to eventually twice cost them dear. They drew the second half with penalty corner strikes by Amy Campbell and skipper Sarah Brook but by then the damage was done.

Spurred on by their enthusiastic and vocal group of supporters they set out to secure third place against Isca who had lost 2-0 in their semi to the host team. Magpies again dominated the opening exchanges only for another defensive error to gift Isca the lead in their first attack. Thereafter Isca only looked dangerous in their occasional breakaways as Magpies poured forward in search of the equaliser only for Sarah to be denied by the left hand post. But the team’s determination paid dividends when Catherine Kilbourn squeezed the ball home from close range with five minutes remaining for a deserved leveller. The team and supporters then had to endure the penalty decider and after the first barrage of five apiece the score stood at 3-3 with goalkeeper Phoebe Charnley having made two good saves. It was then on to sudden death and after Isca went first and went ahead Lizzie Jones had to score. She did. Phoebe then made another save before Sarah stepped up to convert the winner.

For several of the squad this match was the end of their youth hockey careers (and sadly possibly their last for the club as their future education beckons) which has seen them bring great credit to themselves and the club over the years and with their younger colleagues they deserved to finish with a medal around their necks. Congratulations also to coach David Brook and manager Nigel Wooltorton on this success. Well done also to Old Loughtonians who beat Beeston 1-0 in the final.

This coming Sunday it is the turn of our talented U14 Girls squad as they seek national glory in the EHB Cup but first they must negotiate the East finals at Tonbridge School where in their group (with only the winners going through to the national finals to be played on Sunday 11 May) they face Tunbridge Wells (10.30), Saffron Walden (11.35) and Southgate (12.40). The squad has reached this stage having won all five of their mini-league games.

Good luck to our squad which is: Lauren Rowe/Georgina Warren (captains), Abigail Page (GK), Rose Winter, Ismay Whittaker, Sophie Child, Anna Kilbourn, Abigail Rapkin, Martha Lawrence, Eve Barnes, Alice Woollatt, Amelia Preece, Lottie Summers, Matilda Warde-Aldam, Tor Findlay with Sarah Findlay (manager) and Nick McAllen (coach).

While there was only one game at Weybread last Saturday when the Ladies’ 3rds beat UEA 1-0 there was enough excitement and touchline stress to last a dozen games! On a glorious afternoon the students arrived determined to maintain their one hundred percentage record and this clearly spurred on our squad in what turned out to be a sportingly contested but hard fought game. Magpies, with skipper Kristina Smyth managing the team from the bench, dominated the opening minutes with Kara Kilbourn in attack and Frankie Eaves in midfield in top form before the visitors began to show, with their free running, just why they had won their previous 21 games. But Magpies dug in with goalkeeper Siobhan Cleeve and all other members of the squad playing their part as they continued to do so for the rest of the game and they went ahead when Sarah Legg calmly slotted home a first half penalty stroke. The students stepped up the tempo in the second half hitting the post once and shooting wide on several occasions when well placed. The home supporters were getting increasingly anxious and excited at all the goalmouth action as the minutes ticked down before they were able to celebrate a famous victory and the team’s ninth in a row. Ironically with Dereham 2nds beating UEA 2nds 7-0 Magpies actually slipped to third place on goal difference in what has been an excellent season for the squad.

This was the last league match of the season for the entire club (during which no matches were postponed due to the weather!)but a little earlier in the day the Girls’ Development had beaten Norwich Dragons for the third time this season. This time the score was 5-0 with goals by Lottie Summers, Maja Barnes, Taylor Freeman, Anna Kilbourn and Molly Warnes to complete another very successful season under the committed management of Sandra Elliner who to her frustration has been unable to play for several weeks due to her hand injury. Also playing away and completing an encouraging second half of the season were theLadies’ 4ths under hard working skipper Katie Devereux who beat Dereham 3rds 4-0 with Vicky Blackmore (3) and Tor Findlay finding the net.

However, the season is still far from over with the following matches/events to anticipate.

Saturday 5 April – Senior Club Awards Night (please see above)

Sunday 13 April – Mixed v Lewes (4^th Rd EHB Trophy) (H) 12.00 (W)

Saturday 26 April – East Club Minis (HMHC) – U10 Girls* & U12 Boys (* inc. Magpies’ team)

Sunday 27 April – East Club Minis (HMHC) – U12 Girls* & U10 Boys (* inc. Magpies’ team)

Fridays 2, 9 & 23 May and 6 & 13 June – Magpies Training Courses (Please see the Home Page of the website for more details)

Saturday/Monday 3/5 May – Magpies May Day Weekend Hockey Festival

Sunday 4 May – Men’s Vets (EHB O50s Cup Final) v Ben Rhydding (Beeston HC) 2.00

Friday 16 May – End of Season Youth Presentation Evening for Girls and Boys 6.00 – 9.00 (Please see the Home Page of the website for more details)

Thursday 19 June – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – clubhouse 7.30

Sunday 29 June – Strawberry Luncheon (details to follow)

Thursday 10 July – Golf Day (Bungay GC) (Please let me know if you would like to enter a team)

Health permitting I hope to be back with Musings next season and in the meantime please look out for some occasional Mini Musings and website updates regarding the remaining matches of the season and important happenings and events during the summer. I much appreciate the kind remarks made about these articles (despite their length of late!) and I thank everyone at the club for their friendship and support during the season. Once again we have had a lot of fun including on the touchline where our stress levels have been in direct proportion to the happenings on the other side of the fence!

Finally, I would like to thank Nigel Bedingfield of IceniPost.com for his invaluable help once again.  Please see his website.

IceniPost.com – sponsors of www.magpies-hockey.co.uk

With kind regards

Mike Denham

[email protected]

01/4/14