LADIES’ 2NDS GET THE TOP FOUR ROLLING

Last weekend the club’s top four teams all won on the same day. When did this last happen? Answers on a postcard please to …..

The Ladies’ 2nds got the ball rolling (so to speak) at Weybread but they took their time to get it into the back of the St Ives’ net due to a combination of poor finishing, misfortune and stout defending by the Cambridgeshire team. When St Ives scored a breakaway goal in the second half the home fans were fearing the worst but Catriona MacIver soon equalised and in an exciting finish with Magpies pressing forward in waves, spurred on by Kira Wooltorton, Emily Brown gratefully accepted a pass from a visitor to expertly beat the St Ives’ goalkeeper for a last minute winner. This coming Saturday skipper Frances Taylor and her table topping team have their sternest test of the season when they visit Dereham (1.30).

Dereham were the opponents for the Men’s 1sts and the start was delayed when the visitors’ goalkeeper Tom Vaughan (husband of ex-Magpie Donna Cawston) injured his right arm in the warm up. Luckily the injury is not as bad as first feared and Tom should be back in action in two or three weeks. Andrew Howarth (brother of former Magpie Duncan) put on the pads and he played a blinder making five excellent saves which by the end of the evening had grown to ten! Tristan Baynes put Magpies ahead in the first half before Richard Stainthorpe finished off a typical Dereham counter attack in fine style. As in the earlier game the home supporters were then subjected to an anxious time as Magpies strived to beat the inspired stand-in keeper. The winner eventually came with fifteen minutes to go when the ball was slipped to Tristan Baynes at yet another shortie for him to fire high into the net. What relief! This Saturday Magpies are away to league leaders St Albans (6 wins from six) and they will need to return to top form to come away with at least a point.

During the Dereham game we were cheered by the news that the Ladies’ 1sts had beaten Chelmsford 4-3 (Angie Wheelhouse, Emily Wilford 2, Debbie Francis) to maintain their excellent start to the season and they are away again this Saturday when they play Old Loughtonians (3.30) hoping to maintain their league leadership. The other ‘top four’ win came with the Men’s 2nds getting three valuable away points against Colchester from 2-0 down at the interval. I have it on good authority that they went out for the second half with the inspirational words of Robbie Kinsella ringing in their ears and Philip Cobbald soon pulled a goal back. From 3-1 down Nick Dyson forced an OG (his team-mates cruelly saying he shouldn’t claim it for himself!) before Richard Ling scored twice to give his team a vital win. This Saturday the Men’s 2nds have centre-stage at Weybread when they entertain City of Peterborough 3rds (2.15).

The other two wins last Saturday were achieved at Weybread by the Ladies’ 3rds and theMen’s 7ths. The Ladies’ 3rds racked up 13 goals (Jemima Jacobs 3, Kara Kilbourn 4, Lucy Ripon 3, Toni Glover 2, Georgia Pearson) without reply against 10-man Evergreens to take their goal tally to a remarkable 30 in the last four weeks while Tom ‘Magic’ Miller and his Men’s 7ths gained an encouraging first win of the season beating UEA 4ths with a second half goal by Eric Davy.

Other matches included the Ladies’ 5ths losing 2-1 (Emily McCluskey) to a late Broadland 2nds goal; the Ladies’ 4ths making all the running against Diss only for the game to finish goalless; the Men’s 3rds being pipped 3-2 by Cambridge University 3rds despite two goals by Gavin Cole; Felix Trash saving a penalty stroke for the Men’s 4ths who lost 5-1 (James Bensley) to league leaders Holt Harlequins; the Men’s 5ths coming unstuck 8-1 against a strong Norwich City 2nds and the Men’s 6ths, who included skipper Richard Hunt and sons Will and George, being a little unlucky going down 4-2 (Gavin Kiernan and Harry Haigh) to North Walsham 2nds. Please see the website for the full list of last weekend’s results and this Saturday’s fixtures. Good luck to all our teams this Saturday.

Harleston Fireworks Spectacular – Friday 2 November (gates open 6.00pm)

a) Volunteers are urgently required to help on the night from 5.45pm. If you are able to do so would you please add your name to the board in the clubhouse or kindly contact James Smith – [email protected] or 01379 898767. b) Tickets are available from the clubhouse bar at £5 for adults and £3 for children (between ages 5 and 15 inclusive) with Under 5’s Free. On the night tickets will be £1 more expensive so please buy this weekend.

‘Casino Royale’ (Fun Casino, Bar and Cocktails) – Saturday 10 November, 7.30pm

All tickets have now been sold or reserved!! If you haven’t actually paid for your reserved ticket(s) would you please do so as quickly as possible via Bella Hall, Tracy Reeve or Frances Taylor. Thank you.

Other news and comments

a) It is thanks to Andrew Longe (floodlight maintenance), Quentin Baynes (clearing of banks) and Andy Palmer (strimming etc.) for the vital work they have carried out at the club over the past few days.

b) The O50s are at home to Broadland Exiles in the first round of the EHB Men’s Masters Cup on Sunday 11 November.

c) Well done to the U14 and U16 Boys’ teams who both won one and drew one game in the first round of their respective EHB Cup last Sunday.

d) The Euro Hockey League comes to this country for the first time this weekend(Friday to Sunday inclusive) when East Grinstead host four preliminary round pools. Reading will also be playing with Beeston already through to the Last 16 in Barcelona two weekends ago.

e) Congratulations to the ex-Magpies who are finding the net for their respective teams in the national league this season, namely Jess Bloom (Buckingham), Cherry Seaborn(Durham University) and Ben Wright (Southgate). It is to be hoped that they have not played their last games for the Magpies!