BOUNCEBACKABILITY!
From 8-1 down to 10-0 up the next week – whatever did the management of the Men’s 1sts say to the squad between the games? Whatever it was I suggest they say it before every game! But joking aside the players would not have needed reminding that their performance against Bromley & Beckenham left something to be desired and with two early goals by Tristan Baynes against Sevenoaks on Saturday their rare lapse of six days before was a thing of the past.
Three up at half time two early strikes after the break made victory certain with the mazy dribble and shot by Ben Wright the pick of the second half goals – even beating Simon Hipwell’s reverse stick shot into an empty net! Seven second half goals conceded against B&B and seven second half goals scored against Sevenoaks – what a difference! However, a far sterner test awaits the squad at Weybread this Sunday (2.15) when in their last game until Sunday 6 February they take on high flying Holcombe who beat us 1-0 earlier in the season.
Meantime in a generally good day for the club at an initially foggy Weybread the Ladies’ 3rds did well to come from behind to record their four successive win beating Lowestoft Railway 4-3; the Ladies’ 4ths gained their third victory on the trot beating Pelicans 2nds to maintain their league leadership and the Men’s 5ths gained a comfortable 6-0 victory over Ipswich 4ths. The ‘crowd’ for this game, which featured goals by Chris Thornton (3), Roger Kent, Joel Nelson and Deben Nelson, had risen to five by the second half with young Miss Hayward proving she had mastered the cry of ‘Daddy, Daddy’! Earlier the Men’s 3rds had gone down 4-0 to Cambridge City 3rds after matching their opponents in the opening 20 minutes while the Ladies’ 5ths dropped points for only the third time this season by drawing 2-2 with Reepham.
Away from home the Men’s 2nds played some of their best hockey of the season drawing 2-2 at Wisbech after being denied victory by a late penalty stroke following goals by David Francis and Angus Bloomfield; the Ladies’ 2nds left their comeback against Saffron Walden a little too late going down by the odd goal in nine; the Ladies’ 6ths won again beating Hornets 3-2 and at Sevenoaks on Sunday the Ladies’ 1sts suffered a narrow defeat going down 2-1 with Emma Lee-Smith scoring for the first time since her very recent return to the club.
We have another full programme of matches this weekend (weather permitting bearing in mind the forecast) when the club will be fielding 21 teams. On Saturday the Ladies’ 2nds and Men’s 2nds have centre-stage at Weybread when they entertain Watton (12.30) and Norwich City (2.15) respectively while the Ladies’ 1sts have a really tough match away to league leaders Surbiton (12.00) and the Ladies’ 3rds are away to table-topping Broadland (11.30). Good luck to all our teams (please see the website for the full list of fixtures) including five of our youth squads including the U18 Girls who are at home to Pelicans in their EHB Cup clash on Sunday (11.45) before the Men’s 1sts play Holcombe.
Congratulations to –
· Richard Allcock and Grace on the birth of Noah on Wednesday 10 November.
· Sarah Brook, Will Blyth and Elliot Smith on being selected, following their good performances in the winning Saxon Tigers’ teams in the recent U16 Futures Cups, by the EHB for “further assessment for consideration for the National Age Group Squads”.
Other comments in brief –
· A belated ‘thank you’ to Shirley and Nick McAllen for all the work they did to ensure that HMHC was re-awarded EHB’s ClubsFirst Accreditation in October. For more information about this important status please see the website or page 49 of the handbook.
· A ‘thank you’ also to Andrew Longe for replacing the blown floodlight lamp (bulb to me) on the water-based pitch – a job he has kindly been doing since 1990 when the club built its first artificial grass pitch. In case you are wondering Andrew doesn’t have to climb up the columns – they are brought down by a machine!
· It is good to see spectators watching our matches and equally good to see them in the clubhouse where they are always welcome before and after matches for a drink and chat at the bar – or at the kitchen end!
Mike Denham 01603 506925
