MIXED AND U14 GIRLS’ TEAMS DO CLUB PROUD
With the league season over attention turned last Sunday to the Mixed and U14 Girls’ teams and there were well merited victories for both.
At Weybread in the last-16 round of the EHB Mixed Trophy we were up against a strong Phoenix side which until last season had won this national event three times in four seasons including a 3-2 win over Magpies (Gavin Cole and Tristan Baynes) in the 2006/2007 final at Old Loughtonians HC.
Phoenix went ahead on Sunday after just two minutes but Emily Wilford soon had us level and shortly afterwards Richard Gill put us ahead with a deft reverse stick shot to notch his second goal in two appearances for the Mixed this season. Things got even better for Magpies in front of a vocal and enthusiastic home crowd when from a narrow angle Tristan Baynes scored with a tremendous reverse stick shot into the top right corner of the net. Was this a better goal even than the reverse stick effort that Ben Wright powered in to give the Men’s 1sts victory against Indian Gym in February? I’ll leave those who were lucky enough to see both magnificent goals to decide. I have a view which I’m keeping to myself!
Phoenix dominated much of the second half of an exciting game during which the Magpies’ keeper, Ross Briggs, thoroughly deserved my Man-of-the-Match accolade for a series of fine saves closely followed by the Phoenix keeper and our Richard Gill who was his ever reliable and skilful self at centre half. I have no time for modern positional terminology! Two minutes from the end with the Phoenix defence in confusion skipper David Francis made it 4-1 to Magpies with a powerful shot from the edge of the circle before the hardworking Andy Whalley fired in a consolation goal for the visitors. In the quarter-finals on Sunday 15 May Magpies have been drawn at home against Olton & West Warwicks who beat Phoenix last season. Also in the quarter-finals are Dereham who are away to Andover.
The umpiring of this match was in the safe hands of Peter Butcher and Trevor Norman and their performances must have impressed the eleven club members who that day were attending a Level 1 umpiring course kindly taken by Mike Pepper and organised by Jose Tibbenham.
I take this opportunity to thank Mike and Jose and all the umpires, including many HMHC members, who have officiated at our matches during the season. The members attending Sunday’s course were Jordan Ball, Lauren Barber (as well playing in the match!), Quentin Baynes, Jenny Blyth, Verity Blyth, Amy Brook, Ewan Cumming, Robert Dyball, Kristina Erith, Pete Thornett and Siobhan Wooltorton. I hope they have all passed!
Meanwhile at Pelicans HC the U14 Girls were winning the East Championship to bring yet more credit to the club. The team qualified for finals day by winning their group earlier in the season and on Sunday progressed to the final by winning their pool with victories over Dereham (1-0) and Ipswich
(3-0). In the final they beat old club rivals Old Loughtonians 3-1. Many congratulations to coach Nigel Wooltorton and his squad on this fine achievement which over the season encompassed six wins, one draw and no defeats with 21 goals for and only three against. Some record!
More of our young players will be in action this coming weekend when the club hosts the East Club Mini Championships. So please come along if you are free to cheer on our U10 Boys and U12 Girls on Saturday and our U10 Girls and U12 Boys on Sunday – all our four teams having qualified through the Norfolk Championships. Play commences both days at 10.30. The winners and runners-up of the Under 12 events go on to the national finals.
Congratulations to Magpies’ Welsh international Gareth Furlong on his selection to play for Celtic Panthers in the Great Britain Super League to be played from 16 April to 1 May. Now in its fifth year the event is GB Hockey’s primary talent identification arena for players, coaches, umpires and officials.
With best wishes
Mike Denham [email protected] 12/4/11
Iceni Post advertising rates
