MEN’S 4THS TOPPLE THE LEAGUE LEADERS

P21, W15, D1, L5, GF 71, GA 25 – a brief summary of another excellent weekend for the club with the outstanding performance being in my view the Men’s 4ths 1-0 home win over unbeaten league leaders Norwich City 2nds.  Skipper David Blackmore went into the game with his youngest team so far this season with the experience coming from himself (he has played a few games!), Jonathan Aldridge, Andy Caston and Stuart Peters and the whole team gelled with the young members playing their full part in this fine performance. The only goal of the game came early in the second half scored by Elliott Ashurst from a pass by the skipper after which the team defended extremely well with Felix Trash in top form in goal. Next on the sand-based were the Men’s 3rds against Bury St Edmunds and they too had an excellent and very welcome win, by two goals to one. They opened the scoring through Tiger Brice (which means Norwich City FC were playing away!) and an equaliser by the visitors heralded an exciting finish during which skipper Matt Brand’s shot was deflected onto a post by the Bury keeper who soon afterwards saved a penalty stroke before James Stacey popped up with the deserved winner to the delight of the home supporters.

The Girls Development got the day off to a good start at Weybread beating Lowestoft 3-0 (with all three goals coming from Matilda Warde-Aldam) while a few minutes later the Ladies’ 3rds, after their

1-0 defeat the previous week, were completing a 5-0 win over Lowestoft Railway with goals by Jemima Jacobs (2), Catherine Kilbourn, Kara Kilbourn and Rachael Herod. The 3rds have now scored 53 goals with just 6 against! With rain beginning to fall the Ladies’ 1sts  never really got going and went down 2-0 to an impressive Oxford Hawks who belied their league position. While disappointing this defeat must not be allowed to overshadow the team’s outstanding first half of the season. They now turn their attentions to the indoor season starting with the East Championship on Sunday in Cambridge before returning to outdoor league action on Sunday 3 February. Next on the water-based were the Men’s 2nds who in a highly entertaining game beat Waltham Forest 5-2. After a slowish start they got into their stride with goals by Fred Merrett (2), Martin Fields and Matt Judge before in the second half the visitors converted their only two penalty corners. With time running out and with the ball looping high into the circle off a defender’s stick David Francis was on hand to coolly nudge the ball into the net with the visitors complaining about something (as defenders do) to no avail.

As the day went on the rain got harder but this did not deter the Ladies’ 5ths who maintained their good run of form beating Reepham 3-1 with two goals by Clea Turvill and a thumping penalty corner conversion from skipper Jose Tibbenham who also had an important hand in Clea’s second goal. The last game of the day was the clash between the Men’s 6thsand the Men’s 7ths and bragging rights were claimed by the 7ths who at the end of a sporting and well contested match played in heavy rain were 2-1 victors. Eric Davy put the 7ths (for whom it was good to see Tom Marshall making a guest appearance in goal) ahead before Harry Haigh equalised for the 6ths only for Pete Wright to score to claim victory for manager/captain Tom ‘Magic’ Miller and his team.

Away from home the Ladies’ 2nds maintained their 5-point lead at the top of the table with a 5-0 win over Cambridge Nomads. Their goals were scored by Lizzie Clymer (making a very welcome return to the club with a double), MOTM Kira Wooltorton and goal machine Anouska Hipperson (2). With QPR and Chelsea having found new managers (for at least a few months) 2nd team manager Nigel Wooltorton is still awaiting the call! We eventually found out that the Men’s 1sts had won 2-1 (Rhodri Furlong and Andy Hipwell) away to Blueharts but only because Bertie Steggles (who had very kindly taken over behind the bar when Simon was taken ill) called MOTM Leigh Sitch. Apparently manager Steve Leate said it was about time Leigh received this accolade but I’ve only heard that from Leigh! The Men’s 1sts are also in East Indoor Championship action in Cambridge this weekend (Saturday) before completing their pre-Christmas outdoor programme at home on Saturday week against West Herts. Meanwhile the Ladies’ 4ths went down to a rare 2-0 defeat by UEA, the Men’s 5ths gained a welcome point drawing 2-2 (Deben Nelson 2) with Norwich City 3rds and theLadies’ 6ths beat Old Buckenham 2nds 4-3 with a goal by Clemmy Ardley-Forder and a second successive hat trick by Vicky Blackmore!

Four of our junior teams were in EHB Cup action last Sunday with (at Pelicans) theU16 Girls beating Dereham 4-0 (Amy Campbell, Kara Kilbourn and Catherine Kilbourn (2)) and Pelicans 7-1 (Saffron Wilford (3), Kara Kilbourn, Amy Campbell, Imogen Meynell-Anderson and Kira Wooltorton) while at home the U16 Boys had comfortable wins over Norwich City (10-1, Jonathan Payne 4, Sam Lyne 3, Toby Price, Elliott Ashurst and Harry Haigh) and Colchester (6-0, Price 2, Haigh, Payne, Ashurst, Lyne) while the U14 Girls lost 3-0 away to Dereham and the U14 Boys beat Saffron Walden 8-0 (at SW) before losing 3-1 to Cambridge City. Congratulations to our U16 teams who have qualified for the regional finalswhile the U14 Boys still have a chance to join them.

Please see the Home Page of the website for the list of all this coming weekend’s matches which include on Sunday the Norwich City Minis and at Weybread (2.15) the Men’s O50s playing local rivals Ipswich in the EHB Masters Cup. 

Congratulations to:

a) Ali and Glen Masterson on the birth of Elizabeth six weeks ago. Elizabeth must have felt at home on Saturday as the clubhouse happily resembled a nursery!

b) Amy Campbell and Toby Price on their selection for the England U16 squads following the latest assessment weekend.

c) England after finishing as runners-up to Australia in the final of the Super 9s (9 players per team on the pitch and restrictions on the number of players in an area of the pitch at any given moment, 40 minute games and goals a metre wider than normal) in Perth. The new-look England team (including seven players from Beeston) are now heading for Melbourne and the Champions Trophy (1-9 December). While several established players are resting five have retired from international hockey, namely goalkeeper Nick Brothers of Reading (who has retired from hockey altogether), Iain Mackay (who has joined Hampstead & Westminster from Reading), Ben Hawes (Wimbledon), Mark Pearn (East Grinstead) and Ken Forbes (Surbiton) – the last three are continuing to play for their clubs. All England and GB fans will thank them for their contributions over the years and wish them well for the future.

Thank you if you have got this far. I’ll try to be briefer next week!

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With kind regards
Mike Denham
[email protected]
27 November 2012