TOP BILLING FOR LADIES’ 1STS AND MEN’S 6THS

I give joint top billing this week to the Ladies’ 1sts and the Men’s 6ths after a weekend of generally excellent results for the club. The Ladies’ 1sts completed the double over Horsham to kick start the final phase of their season while the Men’s 6ths beat Felixstowe 3rds to move ever nearer to clinching their league title.

I’ll start with the ladies who after a fairly even opening with Horsham began to create some chances with ex-South Africa international Susan Wessels adding punch to the forward line on her first team debut. The vital breakthrough came in the 28th minute when after a typically forceful run by Emma Lee-Smith a scramble ensued in the Horsham circle involving several Magpies’ players with Amy Campbell emerging as the very welcome goal scorer. Early in the second half Emma scored a fine individual goal when after forcing her way into the circle she unleashed a thumping shot to put her side two up. Thereafter Magpies rarely looked in danger of conceding on their way to a fully deserved and vital victory at a very windy Weybread leaving them six points above the relegation play-off spot occupied by Ipswich.

With half term upon us the Ladies’ 1sts are our only league team in action this coming Saturday when they travel to play bottom of the table Chelmsford (2.00) and they will not need reminding that Chelmsford hit back from two goals down to draw when the teams met at Weybread back in October.

Meanwhile the Men’s 6ths, skippered by James Smith, were beating Felixstowe 3rds 5-1 away with goals by Ben Spence (2), Ben Kilburn, Myles King and Jake Sewell. This was the team’s twelfth win from fourteen matches and with two games to go leaves them on the cusp of clinching the East 6NE championship. Only Bury St Edmunds 4ths, who they meet at home on 1 March, can catch them now and they would need to win their last two games, Magpies to lose their last two games and for a goal difference of 24 between the teams to be overturned. But the latter is possible with the Bedford versus Bishops Stortford game of late last season in mind!

The programme at Weybread last Saturday began with the Men’s 5ths searching for their elusive first victory of the season when facing Norwich Dragons 3rds and it turned out to be a fluctuating game. After going a goal down Magpies were 2-1 up at half time only for Dragons to regain the lead. But with ten minutes to go Will Hunt completed his hat-trick to give his side their fourth draw of the campaign leaving that elusive victory once more just out of reach.

At a busy Weybread the Ladies’ 2nds were starting their game against Ipswich 2nds while the 1sts were approaching the end of theirs. Playing with the strong wind coming from the direction of the village Magpies went ahead in the first half when Lucy Whiting won a penalty stroke which Anouska Stott put away in emphatic fashion. Despite Magpies creating several chances this was the only goal in the first 35 minutes but after the break Lucy was in the thick of things again when she lifted the ball over the keeper to put her team two up. A good victory and the double over their opponents were cemented when Katrina Sitch added a third with a reverse stick shot. After losing their first three matches of the season while adjusting to the demands of East Premier League hockey the team, skippered by Frances Taylor, coached by David Brook and managed by Nigel Wooltorton, has taken 29 points from their next 15 games; an outstanding achievement.

The Men’s 1sts, missing several regulars through a variety of unavoidable reasons, were next into home action when they hosted Blueharts and they were boosted by an early and well taken goal by Chris Barber. Blueharts soon hit back when they drove through the heart of the home defence to equalise and they took the lead from a penalty corner with the last hit of the first half. Magpies enjoyed the majority of play in the second half and they deservedly equalised 10 minutes from the end with a deft deflection by Chris Barber and, after failing to convert a number of penalty corners, they looked to have scored the winner in the closing seconds only for the ball to hit the left post before being cleared. A 2-2 draw was a fair result but with West Herts drawing away to Chelmsford this was a missed opportunity for Magpies to return to the top of the league albeit with West Herts having a game in hand which they play against Blueharts this coming Saturday.

After we learned of the excellent win for the Men’s 6ths more good news came in from away. The Men’s 2nds after starting their game against City of Peterborough 3rds with just seven players, due to a car arriving late thanks to a fallen tree, recovered from an early goal down and three goals to one down to secure a really good point against a team that beat them 4-1 earlier in the season. Their scorers were Robbie Kinsella, Jimmy Wheeler and Blake Elliot. Meanwhile the Men’s 3rds, playing their first match for three weeks, were beating lowly Norwich Dragons 2nds 6-3 with goals by Harry Haigh (2), Gavin Cole (3) and skipper Matt Brand.

Back at Weybread a combined Ladies’ 5/6/7ths was playing a friendly against Beccles and they went down 2-1 with Lauren Rowe scoring their goal. The day then ended with another two wins for our teams. The Men’s 7ths secured their second successive win beating Norwich City 6ths 2-1 and the win was especially notable for a penalty corner conversion by Peter Dolton who is usually nine yards closer to the goal when he does manage to find the back of the net! The other goal was scored by John Pope. In the final game of the day David Blackmore and his Men’s 4ths beat Ipswich Cranes 6-3 with goals by Matt Judge (2), Philip Cobbald (2), James Bensly and Jack Frere-Smith. This was the team’s third win in a row and which has seen them rise to 5th place in their league.

While only the Ladies’ 1sts are in action this coming Saturday the Men’s O50 Vets and the Mixed team are in action on Sunday. The Vets entertain Chester (2.00) in the quarter-finals of the EHB Cup while the Mixed team are away to Long Sutton (1.00) in the second round of the EHB Trophy. When the team last went to play Long Sutton in this competition some five years back skipper Leigh Sitch scored the vital eighth goal with a reverse stick shot. Has he scored since – apart from an own goal?! Good luck to all our three teams.

Other news and comments in brief:

a) Club chairman Murray Graham is still learning the full extent of his job description. On Saturday it involved him assisting the heroic and ever-practical Jose Tibbenham (who had already umpired two matches) to unblock the clubhouse drains! Many thanks to both for their successful efforts – while I stood by in a consultative capacity!

b) It was good to see ex-Magpie Mike Warlow at the club last Saturday. He was there watching his girlfriend play for Horsham. Mike played for the 2nds and the U18s before going to university in Bournemouth where he now plays for the local club and works in insurance.

c) Five shirts are missing from the blue away set. If you still have one of them would you please return it to Kirstin Cumming who will be grateful and, hopefully, understanding!

d) I have not talked about pitchside litter this season. It’s not because there hasn’t been any but I am pleased to report there has been far less of it – so thanks to everyone who has helped to keep our pitches far tidier during recent months.

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

With kind regards
Mike Denham
[email protected]