PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON
There is no doubt in my mind that last Saturday at Weybread we witnessed the outstanding performance of the season by a Magpies’ team. I am referring to the 8-0 win by the Ladies’ 2nds over Maidstone. This was even more commendable as the previous week the team played poorly away to St Albans 2nds. But against Maidstone they looked sharp from the first whistle and after Lauren Mickleburgh banged in the first goal there was little doubt about the outcome of the game. Georgie Minta then guided the ball into the net for the second following a typically forceful run by Anouska Stott before Krystal Bishop thumped in the third; a hat trick of really special goals. More were to follow with Anouska lifting the ball over defenders for the fourth just before half time and the goals continued to flow after the break with the team playing some delightful hockey. Katie Ogden converted a stroke before Lauren scored her second which got the excited spectators thinking of a hat trick and a ‘jug’ but we couldn’t decide if this tradition extends to ladies’ hockey! Whether it was a case of jug avoidance (!) or not the next two goals were scored by Lucy Whiting to round off a special performance by skipper Frances Taylor’s team.
There were other good performances at Weybread last Saturday with the Ladies’ 3rds getting back to winning ways by beating UEA 2nds 4-0 (Catherine Kilbourn 2, Sophie Long, Fiona Mackenzie) and this coming Saturday they have their toughest test of the season so far when they travel to play UEA 1sts (1.00) who have yet to drop a point in their ten games.
CHRISTMAS PRIZE DRAW
It is ‘thank you’ to everyone who bought/sold tickets and to promoter Philippa Taylor
for all her hard work. The event made a very pleasing profit of nearly £1400.
The main prize winners were –
1st £150 Jon Price, 2nd £50 each Tristan Baynes and Nick & Judy Price
3rd £25 each Peter Minta and David Francis
The Men’s 1sts also managed a comfortable home win beating Norwich City 6-1 but not before they were given a severe first half test by the visitors who are finding it tough going after promotion at the end of last season. Norwich dominated the first ten minutes before Magpies began to get any grip on the game. Fred Merrett touched in the only goal of the first half but thereafter Magpies took control with goals by Tristan Baynes (2), Mark Wheelhouse, Sam Moore and another from Fred with Norwich pulling a goal back (at 4-0) following a right wing cross which caught the usually alert home defence napping.
On Sunday the Men’s 1sts played some really good hockey against Bedford in a home game brought forward from December 14 (to allow the team to play in the East Indoor Championship) but an early and smartly taken goal by Bedford allowed them to fall back on defence for much of the game during which they defended with considerable skill. Nevertheless Magpies still forced twelve penalty corners in the game to the two by the visitors. To the relief of the home crowd Tristan Baynes equalised midway through the second half and Magpies then went looking for the winner. But it was Bedford, in a rare attack, who came nearest to scoring again when with five minutes left they hit the left post leaving both sides to claim a point from a very well umpired game. I cracked my old joke telling the umpires after the game (and the only game of the day) that it was the best umpiring I had seen that day and one of them sportingly responded by saying in that case it must have been the best of the month!
FUN CASINO & FIZZ EVENING (Saturday 30 November)
This event was an outstanding social and financial success with thanks to all 120 members and supporters who attended and to our hosts Julian and Philippa Taylor and to Bella Hall and her organising team. The magnificent sum of £1700 was raised for club funds.
It is also thanks to Darren Williams of KINGS & QUEENS Fun Casinos
and his colleagues for helping to make the evening so enjoyable.
After three hours of fun gambling the prize winners were –
1st £100 Lizzie Clymer, 2nd £30 Chris Reeve, 3rd £20 Eva Calton
Back to Saturday and another impressive win by the Ladies’ 5ths but not before they were tested by Pelicans 2nds. Skipper Jose Tibbenham scored the first with speedy right winger Anna Tighe also finding the net with Matilda Warde-Aldam helping to make the final score 4-1 with a couple. The 5ths continue to head their league on goal difference over Diss who have a game in hand and who beat our Ladies’ 6ths 2-0 in the last game of the day at Weybread. This was a good gritty performance by skipper Jodie Guest and her team as Diss are seventeen points above them in the league. Earlier at Weybread there was the first defeat of the season for the Girls’ Development at the hands of Norwich City and a 3-0 defeat for the Men’s 5ths who played some good hockey, despite the score line, going close to scoring on several occasions.
Away from home the Men’s 3rds twice came from behind to beat Norwich City 3rds 3-2 (Gavin Cole, skipper Matt Brand 2) while the Men’s 6ths posted their fifth successive win beating Bury St Edmunds 4ths 5-1 (Ben Spence 2, Myles King 2, Ben Kilbourn) from 1-0 down to maintain their league leadership while the Ladies’ 4ths drew 1-1 (Chloe Perfitt) with Dereham 2nds and the Ladies’ 7ths drew 1-1 (Jenny Meyer) with Pelicans 3rds.
Also away from home the Ladies’ 1sts went down 4-1 (Emma Lee-Smith) to league leaders Holcombe despite in the first half playing some of their best hockey of the season while the Men’s 2nds had a bad day at the office losing 8-1 (Lawrence Baynes) to Long Sutton while the Boys’ Development lost 4-1 (‘team goal’ I was told!) to Norwich Dragons. The Ladies’ 1sts will now be concentrating on their indoor programme (starting over the weekend of 14/15 December) before returning to outdoor action on Saturday 8 February when they will need some urgent points as they stand just three points above the relegation play-off spot in a very competitive league.
Apart from the Ladies’ 3rds (please see above) our only other teams in action this coming Saturday (an otherwise slip date) are the Boys’ Development v Norwich City (10.30), the Ladies’ 4ths v Dereham 3rds (12.15) and the Girls’ Development v Yarmouth (2.15) with all three at home. Good luck to all our teams.
Congratulations to:
a) Tracey Pretty and John (Tiger) Young on the birth of Elias (Eli for short) Alfred Allen. Eli arrived last Friday weighing 7lbs 4ozs. Let’s hope that Tiger will still find time for some umpiring!
b) Teresa (Treacle) Griffin (4th team vice-captain) on being awarded the prestigious Sir Henry Pike Memorial Award from the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA). Treacle owns and runs Water Lilies Swimming School (see page 26 of the club’s handbook) offering lessons for all ages in pools across Norfolk and Suffolk and the award is given annually to a swimming teacher in Norfolk or Suffolk who has met criteria and standards set down by the STA covering commitment and continuous professional development.
c) Sam Rowe who has been selected for the new U17 NAGS (National Age Group Squad) Academy which is open to all players in school years 12-13 who reached a minimum Tier 2 this year. This is especially pleasing to Sam as he was unable to attend HiPAC due to injury.
d) Toby Price who, while too young for the full programme, has been offered the opportunity to attend some of the training sessions with the NAGS Academy.
Other news and comment in brief
a) It is thanks to Jon Harrod and Stuart Young for kindly giving the clubhouse balcony and stairs a good pressure washing last Saturday.
b) According to the Daily Telegraph last week the FIH has had a rethink on own goals but I have yet to receive any official confirmation that this method of scoring is to be discontinued.
c) The recent refusal of the scoreboard on the water-based pitch to work properly has nothing to do with the highly trained team of operatives! It is hoped that the normally efficient service will be resumed in a week or two.
d) Some of the floodlights on the water-based pitch continue to trip out on occasions but the cause has yet to be established. Needless to say this situation is being closely monitored.
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With kind regards
Mike Denham
3/12/13
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