BUZZ AND VITAL WIN FOR LADIES’ 1STS

There was a real buzz at the club last Saturday as the league season finally got underway for our teams with the exception of the Ladies’ 1sts for whom it had started seven days earlier with a disappointing defeat away to Maidenhead. But there was to be no repeat home disappointment for the team who hit back after conceding an early goal to beat Wimbledon with some impressive attacking hockey. Lizzie Clymer was on hand to equalise from close range after good work by Cherry Seaborn before Debbie Francis, on her return to the team, nudged the ball home at a penalty corner. Kath Johnson then fired in a third following a smart penalty corner routine to make the score 3-1 at half time. While Lizzie marked her goal very calmly the pleasure on the faces of her two more senior team-mates was something to behold! Magpies continued to enjoy more of the play in the second half without being able to add a fourth goal and there was some nervousness in the crowd when Wimbledon made it 3-2 with five minutes to go and especially so in the closing seconds when Magpies were penalised for perceived time wasting. Fortunately Wimbledon were unable to take advantage leaving the home team with three valuable and well-deserved points. Magpies now have two away games on the trot including this coming Saturday against Ipswich (NB. 6.00) and they will be mindful that their away record since the beginning of last season has been disappointing.

The day began at Weybread with a 6-0 win for the Ladies’ 5ths against the 6ths with Matilda Warde- Aldam and skipper Jose Tibbenham both scoring twice with Anna Kilbourn and Lottie Summers adding the other goals. Between the posts and making a rare appearance for the 5ths was none other than Kirstin Cumming sportingly responding to a late call-up. The next Magpies team to celebrate a victory was the Boys’ Development getting their season off to a fine start with a 3-1 win (Alex Kilbourn 2, Ben Emms) over Norwich City.

A little later the Ladies’ 2nds took on Bromley and Beckenham who only two seasons ago were in the national league playing our 1sts and Magpies were soon two down and seemingly heading for a heavy defeat. But to their great credit they fought back and a Katie Ogden short corner conversion and an open play goal by Angie Wheelhouse (hopefully playing her way back to first team fitness) made it 2-2 after the break. Magpies were by now looking the team most likely to find the winner but it was not to be as Bromley & B scored with three minutes to go leaving Magpies, who went the entire game without conceding a penalty corner, undeservedly empty-handed. On Saturday the team is away to Cambridge City (12.30).

***

Halloween Fancy Dress Party – clubhouse – Saturday 11 October (7.30pm). Tickets £5 on the door. The event includes prizes, music and fun and games (including apple bobbing!) for all. Please come.

***

Meanwhile a mostly young Men’s 4ths, with skipper David Blackmore unfortunately confined to touchline duties due to injury, were up against a far more experienced Norwich City 3rds and after going two down Myles King brought them back into the game only for City to go two up again. Jon Wells pulled a goal back late in the game for Magpies who are this week away to Ipswich Cranes (1.30). Next on the sand were the Men’s 2nds who were giving debuts to several promising young players against newly-relegated Norwich City. After City took an early two-goal lead Magpies hit back with Blake Elliot scoring and how he modestly described it after the game it has to go down as an early claim for the goal of the season! Archie Winter then put Magpies level with perhaps an even better goal! But City soon regained control of the game forcing several good saves from chairman goalkeeper Murray Graham on their way to a deserved 5-2 victory. This week Magpies are away to City of Peterborough 3rds (2.30). The club was assured of some success from the next game which involved the Ladies’ 3rds playing the 4ths and it soon became apparent that the 3rds would prevail as one would normally expect. Skipper Sarah Legg ended the game as the club’s leading goal scorer on the day when she found the net four times with Caz Aldous and Catherine Kilbourn also chipping in to make the final score 6-0.

In the final match of the day the Men’s 6ths, with skipper Eric Davy in goal due to the club’s goalkeeper crisis (hopefully a one-off), went behind against Bury St Edmunds 3rds only to force a penalty stroke thanks to Fabien Mitchell who must be the club’s speediest player. Up steps Roger Kent with the intention he told us after the game of finding the bottom left. When last seen the ball was heading for the International Space Station. Roger blamed the build up of paint on the penalty spot! But the game went on and Fabien equalised and very welcome new member John Lascelles (brother of club captain Adam) got a late winner. I have to confess to missing the last two goals as with Murray Graham and Kevin Ridley I was trying to find the source of an odour wafting near the clubhouse. Drains were duly inspected and a range of theories advanced by the three of us but as mine were dismissed as nonsense by Murray and Kevin the problem remains unsolved!

News gradually came in from teams playing away with the Ladies’ 7ths setting the ball rolling with news of their narrow 2-1 (skipper Karen Ray) defeat by Lowestoft Railway 2nds. We later heard that the Men’s 3rds had gone down by an identical score line to IES 2nds despite the boost of an early goal by Phil Cobbald. We then received the good news that the Men’s 5ths had won 2-1 against Bury St Edmunds 4ths (despite a glaring open goal miss by Stuart Peters!) with their goals being scored by Jonty Herschel-Shorland and Sol Barker and that the Men’s 1sts, despite going down to an early goal after strong claims for a penalty stroke, had beaten Bedford 3-1 with goals by Martin Fields, Ben Wright and James Baker. This was a particularly good result bearing in mind the temporary unavailability of four of the squad (and the injury to Sam Moore) and an early hand injury in the game to Chris Barber which he thinks could well rule him out of the match against Cambridge City 2nds at Weybread on Saturday (2.00). In the last game of the day the Girls’ Development lost 4-2 to a more experienced Dereham side despite goals by Emily Woollatt and Mia King. This Saturday they have another demanding game when they host Norwich City A (10.15).

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OUR TEAMS THIS WEEKEND. Please see the website for the full list of fixtures.

Last Sunday was also a busy day for the club with four of our teams in EHB Championship action. At Weybread the U16 Girls eased past Dereham 5-1 with goals by Tor Findlay (3), Abby Gooderham and Alice Hopgood while the U18 Girls faced Ipswich for the third year in succession with a much changed team from last season. Magpies knew they were up against talented opposition but playing as a team and showing plenty of fighting spirit they took the game to Ipswich and three times they went into the lead through Katie Woollatt, Kara Kilbourn and Catherine Kilbourn. Ipswich equalised for the third time with two minutes to go and after the exciting penalty stroke barrage finished 2-2 Ipswich got the vital decider. The U18 Boys then beat Bury St Edmunds 2-1 without playing at their best with goals by Sam Lyne and Toby Price. Meanwhile at Norwich City HC the U16 Boys were disappointing against City of Peterborough going down 5-2 (Archie Winter and Sol Barker) before recovering well to beat the host team 2-1 with goals by Myles King and Matt Bensly. For all youth fixtures please go to the club’s website and click on Magpies Youth and then National Youth Competitions.

IN BRIEF

a) My thanks to James Graham and Andrew Johnson for their help last week with i) the painting of the pedestrian crossing and traffic bumps in the club’s car park and ii) asking shops in the town to display We support Harleston Magpies Hockey Club posters.

b) Our teams are also asked to kindly put their rubbish (and that of their opponents) in the pitchside bins. Last Saturday I picked up some 12 bottles (and assorted detritus including used tissues, used plasters and bottle tops) and that was a ‘tidy’ day.

c) Please don’t forget to buy your club car sticker – You’re following Harleston Magpies Hockey Club – next time you see Kirstin Cumming in the clubhouse. They cost £3.00 each or £5.00 for two.

d) If you have paid your subscription (for which ‘thank you’) and have not got your handbook please look on the windowsill opposite the clubhouse bar.

e) If you have not paid your subscription please note it is due by the end of September.

f) ‘Thank you’ to all the teams who have put match reports on the website this week.

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

With kind regards Mike Denham [email protected] 23/9/14

—

Results – Saturday/Sunday 20/21 September 2014

Saturday 20 September
LADIES 1s v Wimbledon (L) (H) 2.00 (W) 3-2 W
LADIES 2s v Bromley & Beckenham (L) (H) 12.00 (W) 2-3 L
LADIES 3s v Magpies 4s (L) (A) 3.15 6-0 W
LADIES 4s v Magpies 3s (L) (H) 3.15 (S) 0-6 L
LADIES 5s v Magpies 6s (L) (A) 10.15 6-0 W
LADIES 6s v Magpies 5s (L) (H) 10.15 (W) 0-6 L
LADIES 7s v Lowestoft Railway 2s (L) (A) 10.00 1-2 L
GIRLS Dev. v Dereham (L) (A) 4.30 2-4 L
MENS 1s v Bedford (L) (A) 2.45 3-1 W
MENS 2s v Norwich City (L) (H) 1.45 (S) 2-5 L
MENS 3s v Ipswich – East Suffolk 2s (L) (A) 12.30 1-2 L
MENS 4s v Norwich City 3s (L) (H) 12.15 (S) 2-3 L
MENS 5s v Bury St Edmunds 4s (L) (A) 12.00 2-1 W
MENS 6s v Bury St Edmunds 3s (L) (H) 3.30 (W) 2-1 W
BOYS Dev. v Norwich City (L) (H) 10.45 (S) 3-1 W

Sunday 21 September
EHB Championships –
U16 GIRLS (Weybread) v Dereham 5-1 W v Pelicans W/O W 
U16 BOYS (NCHC) v City of Peterborough 2.00 2-5 L,
v Norwich City 3.30 2-1 W
U18 GIRLS (Weybread) v Ipswich 11.30 (W)
3-3 at full time – lost 3-2 on penalty strokes
U18 BOYS (Weybread) v Bury St Edmunds 2.00 (W) 2-1 W

 

—