TOM WILSON AND ABBY WEBB

The hockey world will have been greatly saddened by the deaths last week of Tom and Abby. Both were young and gifted players. Tom died the day after being hit on his head by a stick in a freak training accident at Old Loughtonians HC while Abby of Buckingham HC died from cancer. The club’s condolences go to the families and friends of Tom and Abby on their great losses.

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FOUR MORE FOR LAURA
Laura Tibbenham has been banging in the goals all season and last Saturday was no exception when she found the net four times in the Ladies’ 4ths 7-0 win over Dereham 3rds under the lights at Weybread. Imogen Meynell-Anderson gave the team the perfect start with a goal in the first two minutes and Rachel Goodson was on hand to make it 2-0 from short range a few minutes later. Laura then got going and her speed and stick work worried the Dereham defence for the rest of the game. By half time she had scored a hat-trick (i.e. three consecutive goals!) and bar some most unlikely event the contest was effectively over. Nonetheless the game continued to keep the small group of spectators well entertained together with the nonsense some of them were mouthing! Magpies, for whom Rachel, Rosie Blackmore and Phoebe Preece were in particularly good form in defence, lost a little of their sparkle after the break but we still saw a second goal by Imogen which owed a considerable amount to a Dereham defender before Laura scored easily the best goal of the game. She ran onto a long ball out of defence and after outrunning the Dereham defenders she drew the goalkeeper before netting in style. This win rounded off a splendid first half of the season for skipper Treacle Griffin and her team who are now in second place in the Norfolk Premier League behind the club’s 3rds.

The Ladies’ 3rds were back to winning ways after being held by the 4ths last week when they beat Norwich City 2nds 2-0 away. They were in top form from the start and after withstanding some initial City pressure Sarah Legg put them ahead after 15 minutes from a well-executed penalty corner. Midway through the second half Plum Sweet put them further in front at another penalty corner in a game in which sisters Katie and Alice Woollatt were outstanding to the extent they were voted joint MOTM. With Norwich Dragons 3rds dropping points Lucy Field and her team are now four points clear at the top of the league. They have the excellent record of 10 wins, 2 draws and just one defeat as they join all our other outdoor teams for their Christmas break.

In the only other league match of the day at Weybread the Ladies’ 6ths enjoyed a good start against Beccles who against the run of play took the lead midway through the first half with a quality strike from the edge of the circle. Thereafter Magpies battled hard under increasing pressure before going down 5-0 to a team who must be favourites to win the league. It has been a tough three months for the 6ths but as in this game they have shown plenty of spirit which augurs well for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile there was mixed fortune for the club in other matches away from home with the Girls’ Development ‘winning’, the Ladies’ 5ths drawing and the Boys’ Development losing.

The Girls agreed to play Yarmouth knowing their hosts would have to concede the game 5-0 due to fielding three adults and two over-age players in order to raise a team. The actual score was 1-1 with Yarmouth taking the lead against a young Magpies’ side that battled hard throughout the game and were rewarded when Georgie Gardens popped up with the equaliser eight minutes from the end with a reverse stick shot from the edge of the circle. After the game one of the umpires wrote on the match sheet that it was a good game played in the spirit of development hockey. It has been a good season to-date for player-manager Sandra Elliner and her team who have not played at home since 10 October!

The Ladies’ 5ths were up against Norwich City 4ths who took the lead against the run of play in their first attack. Georgie Cantrell then converted a penalty corner for the equaliser before City regained the lead. Magpies got a deserved point when skipper Jose Tibbenham won the ball on the ‘25’ and proceeded to fire the ball into the far corner of the net. After a slow start to the season the team has done well winning four and drawing two of their last seven games.

Away to Dereham the Boys’ Development fielded a much younger team than their opponents (who also included an adult) but they still took a two-goal lead through Tom Caston and Arthur Johnson. Dereham then fought back and at half time it was 3-2 to Magpies with Tom scoring again. In a fluctuating game Dereham then went into a 5-3 lead only for Magpies to draw level through Tom and Arthur and they went close to getting in front again before late in the game Dereham snatched the winner with the final score 6-5 in their favour. Despite this defeat it has been an excellent season so far for manager Mark Emms and his team who remain top of their league hotly pursued by Norwich Dragons.

CONGRATULATIONS TO
The U16 Girls on winning the East Indoor Championship at the University of Essex last Sunday and to the U18 Boys on finishing as runners-up in their event at Oaklands College, St Albans on the same day. Both teams now go forward to the national indoor championships to be held over the weekend of January 23/24. Unfortunately the U18 Girls just missed joining them by losing out on goal difference in their event. The U16 Girls won all their four games scoring a total of 25 goals with just three against while the U18 Boys won three and lost one of their games in finishing as runners-up to City of Peterborough.

Club chairman and goalkeeper Murray Graham who has been selected to represent Scotland O55s in the Masters World Cup in Canberra at the end of March. He will be up against fellow club member Phil Cobbald who will be representing England and who knows Murray’s strengths and, dare I say, weaknesses! As previously reported other club members who will be playing for England are Tristan Baynes (O40s), Andy Law (O50s) and David Blackmore (O60s) while Kath Johnson will be representing the England Ladies’ O40s. Jon Aldridge was selected for England O55s but had to decline due to business commitments.

The U12 Boys ‘A’ who after a recount have been promoted to runners-up in the Magpies’ Minis held on Sunday 6 December.

OTHER NEWS AND COMMENT
Best wishes to the Men’s 1sts as they prepare for their national indoor campaign in January by competing in the East Championship at Kelsey Kerridge SC in Cambridge this coming Saturday.

It is a big ‘thank you’ to George Hunter and Mike Eastaugh for the work they have done recently at the club by cutting, respectively, the hedges and banks. We have some 14 acres of grounds to keep under control and we are indebted to George and Mike for all they do throughout the year to keep things looking neat and tidy.

I know I am not the only one to question the format of the recent World League Finals in which all eight teams in the men’s and women’s events proceeded to the quarter-finals making almost a mockery of the pool matches. Surely two teams should fall by the wayside in the pools?

Please note for your diary – Cheese & Wine Evening (Saturday 30 January) with new venue to be announced.

Overheard at the club last Saturday (I said earlier a load of nonsense was being spoken!) – ‘The Men’s 1sts are currently the best team in the East Conference after beating league leaders Richmond in our last match’.

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Musings will be back in early January. In the meantime please see the website for any important breaking news.

I hope all readers and their families will be able to have a peaceful and happy Christmas and New Year.

With kind regards
Mike Denham
[email protected]
15/12/15

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