BUSY AND IMPORTANT MONTHS AHEAD

I wish readers and their families (and by association all our teams) the very best for 2014 as we progress with a busy and important few months for the club.

What a start it has been to 2014 for the club with indoor success for the U14 Girls, the Ladies’ 1sts and Men’s 1sts! Congratulations to the U14 Girls who set the ball rolling coming second to Old Loughtonians in the Brentwood tournament last Friday. They beat Canterbury, Havering, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Blue Hornets, drew with Old Loughts and lost to Hertford. On the following two days the Ladies’ and Men’s 1sts also did the club proud with their performances on the national stage.

After winning one of their four games on the first weekend of the Premier Division of the Maxinutrition Hockey 5s Championship the Ladies’ 1sts went into the second weekend at Bromsgrove School targeting East Grinstead and Olton & WW for the two wins which would almost certainly ensure another season against the top teams and, unsurprisingly, the top players in the country. But after a good start against East Grinstead, when Lizzie Clymer put us ahead, EG took control as the game progressed with England international Sophie Bray in outstanding form. Four quick goals either side of half time by EG meant that the first half of the double was beyond Magpies. This meant the Olton & WW game was even more important with two really tough games to follow next day. Alex Smith put Magpies ahead in the opening seconds and thereafter the squad never looked back taking the game to their opponents. Goals flowed at a cheering rate and 4-0 at half time soon came 8-0 by half way through the second half. The final score was 11-2 to Magpies with the scorers being Alex (3), Katrina Sitch (3), Sarah Brook (2), Emma Lee-Smith (2) and Kath Johnson.

This left Magpies needing the minimum of a point from their two games against the highly experienced Slough and Bowdon Hightown teams.  Magpies took an early lead against Slough through Sarah Brook and were unlucky to be a goal down at half time. They then battled hard against a team who had not dropped a point in their first six matches and their deserved equaliser came from inspirational skipper Emma Lee-Smith at a penalty corner four minutes from time. This point and Leicester losing to Canterbury meant that Magpies had secured another season at the top club level. This is an outstanding achievement. Well done to coach David Brook, manager Louisa Greenacre, skipper Emma and all members of the squad with a word of praise for their enthusiastic and nerve-shredded supporters!

Meanwhile the Men’s 1sts were determined to put behind them their last two disappointing indoor seasons when they travelled to Lilleshall NSC to compete in Division 2 North of their version of the Maxinutrition Hockey 5s Championship with places in the Division 2 Championship over the weekend of 18/19 January awaiting the top three of the six teams. Magpies eased past Cheltenham 8-6 in their first game before beating national premier outdoor team Sheffield Hallam 10-3. The next day they beat Barford Tigers 9-5, Havering 8-3 and Preston 6-2 to clinch the Division 2 North title.  In Bristol in two weekend’s time they again face Sheffield Hallam and Cheltenham together with Wimbledon, West Herts and Indian Gymkhana from Division 2 South for the two promotion places. Congratulations to coach Martin Fields and all members of the squad.

This weekend sees a double-header for the Men’s 1sts as they seek to maintain their challenge for the East Premier A title and with it a return to the national league. But they know that with West Herts holding a slight advantage being just two points behind them with a game in hand there is no room for slip-ups against Wisbech away on Saturday (2.30) and at home to Cambridge University on Sunday (12.30) in a game brought forward in the hope, now realised, that Magpies would be otherwise engaged on 18 January. While we beat both teams in the first half of the season Wisbech played far better than their 5-0 defeat would suggest and we struggled to get past the students winning 2-1 with goals by Peter Bale and skipper Mark Wheelhouse.

The Ladies’ 1sts have to wait until Saturday 8 February before getting back to outdoor action when they know that in a very competitive Investec Conference East they will need at least a couple of wins from their remaining seven matches to be sure of avoiding the bottom two places.

This Saturday sees the Ladies’ 2nds away to Broxbourne (1.30) and they too know that despite how well they have done this season, after a tricky start, several more wins will be required if they are to avoid one of the four relegation spots. Meanwhile the Ladies’ 3rds after their 3-1 win over the Ladies’ 4ths (Catherine Kilbourn 2 and Sarah Legg for the 3rds and Laura Betts – who it is good to see back at the club – for the 4ths) in their re-arranged league fixture are at home to Dereham 2nds (12.30) who are just above them in their league. Meanwhile the Ladies’ 4thshave a demanding home game against UEA (12.15) who have yet to drop a point this season.  In another Weybread fixture the Ladies’ 5ths are at home to the Ladies’ 6ths (4.00) and the ‘visitors’ will be hoping to do better than earlier in the season when they lost 6-2  to Jose Tibbenham and her high flying team. Meanwhile theLadies’ 7ths are away to Norwich City 6ths (4.00) looking to improve on the 1-1 draw between the teams on the opening day of the season and the Girls’ Development entertain Pelicans (10.45).

Turning back to our Men’s teams the 2nds have a tough fixture when they host Letchworth (2.15) and after conceding seventeen goals in their last three games it is to be hoped they can get back to winning ways to arrest their slide down the table. In another inter-club clash the 3rds entertain the 4ths (1.45) and they will be mindful that David Blackmore and his team scored a late equaliser in their 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture back in late September. The 5ths are away to Dereham 3rds (3.00) and despite losing 6-2 (Tim Allen, Sol Barker) away to Watton last Saturday in their re-arranged league fixture they will be encouraged by their performance in a game which was much closer than the scoreline would suggest. Meanwhile league leaders the 6ths are at home to UEA 4ths (3.15), the 7ths have a trip to the seaside to play Felixstowe 3rds (2.00) and the Boys’ Developmentwelcome Pelicans (10.30). Good luck as always to all our teams. 

Other comments in brief

a) Best wishes to the England team, including ‘out on loan’ Tim Whiteman, in the Hero Hockey World League Final starting this Friday in New Delhi. In their Pool England (FIH World Ranked 4) play Germany (1), India (10) and New Zealand (7) while in Pool B are Argentina (11), Australia (2), Belgium (5) and Netherlands (3).

b) ‘Thank you’ if you have completed the strategy committee’s questionnaire.If not you are urged to kindly do so and it is available from the Home Page of the club’s website.

c) The floodlights on the water-based are still misbehaving from time to timebut after they were checked yesterday no obvious fault could be found. So it is a matter of fingers-crossed for now! 

d) Date for your diary please – Quiz Evening (Saturday 1 February) – details to follow.

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With kind regards

Mike Denham

[email protected]