NICK & JOSE
The many friends of Nick Tibbenham were shocked to hear of his recent illness and I am very pleased to include the following message from Jose.
A big thank you to all our friends at Magpies who have sent cards, emails and texts on Nick’s recent heart attack. I am pleased to report he is making progress and is back home. Your support is very much appreciated by us all. I would also just like to say that both Toby and I have attended the first aid courses organised by the club in the past and this undoubtedly helped us have Nick with us today. If any of you have thought about doing a course but put it off for whatever reason please reconsider as there is no better feeling than knowing you made the difference. The next course is coming up in April – please sign up on the notice on Kirstin’s cupboard in the clubhouse. Jose
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After last weekend’s splendid hockey at Weybread where do I begin? It was really good to be playing and watching again after two blank weekends and Magpies won all seven games played on the water-based over the two days. The highlight of Saturday was the Men’s 5ths 1-0 win over North Walsham. What a change from their 9-0 defeat in the away game! After Will Main put them ahead in the first half it was ‘backs to the wall’ for much of the rest of the game in which every player played their part with goalkeeper Steve Halliley in quite outstanding form between the posts pulling off a series of fine saves with his point blank effort in the last seconds of the game the best. Earlier the Ladies’ 5ths got the ball rolling with a 2-1 win (Clea Turvill and Anna Harrod) over UEA 3rds before the Ladies’ 2ndsentertained their demanding fans with a good 7-0 win over Ipswich 3rds with Anouska Hipperson (3), Emily Brown (2), Saffron Wilford and Kira Wooltorton finding the net. Next up were the Men’s 1sts who after early goals by Tom Graham and Tristan Baynes, the latter following a fine burst and pass by Peter Bale, were on their way to a very satisfactory 6-1 win over Ipswich. Second half scorers were Andy Hipwell (2), skipper Mark Wheelhouse (plus a yellow!) and Rhodri Furlong. This was all after a good save by goalkeeper Reece Leonard when the game was still goalless. I have to admit missing Mark’s yellow as I was trying to find an umpire for the second half of the Men’s 6ths 3-1 win (Harry Haigh, skipper Richard Hunt and in the last second James Smith) over on the sand against Felixstowe 3rds and I am grateful to Norman Hart for helping out.
After our U18 Girls were gifted an EHB Cup walkover win by Ipswich Sunday’s programme at Weybread was reduced to three games but in their different ways they were three excellent games with the second of them being extra special. First up in the EHB Trophy were the Mixed playing Dereham who knocked us out last season and another testing encounter seemed on the cards before Mel Ludlam (a very welcome new member) converted a penalty corner; all the penalty corners in the match were taken by ladies. Lucy Whiting then made it 3-0 at half time finishing off two good moves and after the break and with the team playing as smoothly as FC Barcelona the men got into the goal scoring act with Martin Fields and Richard Larkin making it 5-0 at the end of a very sporting match.
But the real highlight of the weekend was the U18 Boys’ outstanding EHB Cup win over Belper. Reduced to just eleven players due to two late call-offs through injury Will Blyth put us ahead against the visitors (who stayed overnight at the Swan Hotel) when he converted a shortie in fine style after five minutes and following a Belper equaliser Mitchell Tompkins’ run and shot to put us back ahead was extra special. By half time the score was 3-2 with Belper replying to Mitchell’s second goal and early in the second half it was 4-2 when Will found Tom Graham on the left with an aerial and Tom cut inside to blast the ball into the net for another spectacular goal. With skipper Giles Flatt leading by example and urging his team on to even greater efforts they (and the enthusiastic home crowd) could have done without Belper’s third goal (with two minutes remaining) and their shortie on the cusp of full time! However, Giles and goalkeeper Felix Trash combined to save the ensuing shot for a top class Magpies’ win. The team has been ‘rewarded’ with a really tough quarter-final trip to play Beeston while the U18 Girls have a demanding ‘Last 8’ game away to Leicester with both matches being played on Sunday 3 March – one week before the re-arranged national indoor club finals for both teams. A memorable Weybread weekend was rounded off when despite missing key players (through work travel, skiing and a romantic weekend!) – and with the temperature dropping still further – the Men’s Over 50s beat Bromley & Beckenham thanks in no small part to first half goals by Jon Wells and skipper Philip Cobbald and two good second half saves by goalkeeper Murray Graham to progress to the quarter-finals of the EHB Cup.
I have no wish to be accused of overlooking last weekend’s excellent away performances which included the Ladies’ 1sts consolidating their second place with a 3-1 win (Emma Lee-Smith 2, Hannah Palmer) over Wimbledon combined with leaders Sevenoaks beating third placed St Albans; the Men’s 2nds beating Crostyx 8-1 (Jimmy Wheeler 4, Martin Fields 2, Richard Ling, skipper Lawrence Baynes) and the Ladies’ 3rds beating Evergreens 7-0 (Toni Glover 4, Lucy Ripman 2, Jemima Jacobs.)
My wish (with no success whatever on this occasion) to be briefer each week prevents me from saying too much about this coming weekend’s fixtures other than that the Ladies’ 1sts are at home on Saturday to bottom placed Bromley & Beckenham (12.30) while the Men’s 1sts have what is sure to be a very testing game away to Dereham (12.00). Please see the Home Page of the website for the full list of games which includes a fixture for a second Girls Development team. Good luck as always to our teams.
In brief
a) I respectfully remind you that I am on the lookout/scrounge for Lots for theAuction of Promises to be held on Saturday 16 March. I will be delighted to hear from you. I know that several members who have not already been in touch are considering what they can offer. I have also asked all our teams to kindly contribute.
b) FOR SALE – the club’s pool table. If you are interested in making an offer (and prepared to take the table away) would you please contact Kirstin Cumming (01986 788439).
c) Running the ‘last’ side in a club is often a difficult and unappreciated task and thanks are due to Tom ‘Magic’ Miller for all he is doing to keep the Mens’ 7ths afloat.
Finally, I have to apologise for inadvertently letting the club down last weekend while watching a match. Comments were being made on the umpiring and I asked an apparent ‘expert’ in the crowd as to whether he had an umpiring qualification. The umpire thinking the question was directed at him stopped the game and admonished me much to the merriment of the assembled company!
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With kind regards
Mike Denham
5/2/13
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