magpies-hockey.co.uk
EXCITING HOCKEY, DISAPPOINTMENTS AND BAD LUCK
Last weekend’s matches at Weybread produced their usual quota of excellent wins, exciting hockey, disappointments and bad luck – with some matches deserving the latter two descriptions.
The Ladies’ 3rds got the ball rolling on Saturday with a 2-2 draw against Watton 2nds to continue their unbeaten run but they created enough chances to have won the game in the first half alone but had to be content with goals by Dominique Dyball and Lucy Chubbock. There was no such disappointment for the Girls’ Development who beat Watton 5-0 to continue their unbeaten start to the season under the leadership of Sandra Elliner. Next up were the Ladies’ 2nds who recovered from an early setback to maintain their hundred percent record with a comfortable 5-1 win over Christchurch – their goals coming from Keira Booty (2), Catriona MacIver (2) and Lucy Whiting who it is good to see back at the club.
The Men’s 2nds were next in action and they knew they had to get three points against lowly St Ives after two away defeats and they were soon into their stride with goals by Will Blythe and Tristan Baynes – the latter continuing his recovery for full national league fitness by playing his first second team game since 1994! A comfortable win seemed assured but St Ives had other ideas pulling level early in the second half. But after the umpires conferred to confirm that Tristan’s shot at a penalty corner had been deflected in above the backboard off a defender’s stick the floodgates opened with Simon Hipwell calmly pulling the strings as manager. Further goals came from Tom Graham, Will Blythe, Daniel Legg and David Francis who made the game safe with the vital seventh! When I mischievously asked Martin Fields after the game how many goals he had scored he replied, in modest fashion, that he had assisted in quite a number of them! MOTM was defender Dickon Taylor with, I would guess, Daniel Legg close behind for his all-action performance.
Meantime the Men’s 6ths were going down to a rare defeat despite Graham Tibbenham sportingly coming out of retirement to play his first game for five years before succumbing to a hamstring injury. I’m sure we didn’t have hamstrings years ago! Later the Men’s 5ths put up a good performance against a speedy UEA side before losing 4-2 with Chris Thornton on target once again with both goals. Away from home the Ladies’ 1sts were unable to continue their good run conceding two first half goals to Horsham who are always difficult to beat on their own patch.
On Sunday the U18 Boys played out an EHB Cup thriller with Dereham, beating them 7-4 at Weybread. As suggested by the score line both teams were intent on attack with Sam Ashurst scoring two early goals for Magpies before defender Giles Flatt popped up on the right wing to enable James Baker, who had earlier set-up Sam for his first, to make it 3-1 at half time. Thereafter the teams traded goals with Rhodri Furlong in outstanding form for Magpies with three goals before Thomas Ridley scored the seventh. On the other pitch the U18 Girls were going down 6-2 to a strong Pelicans side but not before twice taking the lead through Krystal Bishop and Emily Wilford in an exciting opening to their EHB Cup clash.
The final game of the weekend saw the Men’s 1sts take an early lead against Wimbledon when Ben Wright continued his fine goal scoring run with a short corner strike. Wimbledon equalised through their captain and ex-Magpie James Osborn (thanks Ossey!) before Wimbledon scored immediately before and after half time. But to their credit Magpies, for whom it was good to see Leigh Sitch playing again, hit back to dominate the second half during which Ben scored again from a Richard Gill pass and in a hectic finish the right post denied Ben his hat trick and his team a deserved point.
This coming Saturday at Weybread the 3rd teams have centre stage, and tough matches, with the Ladies taking on UEA (10.30) looking to get back to winning ways while the table topping Men, after their 2-0 (Gavin Cole and James Baker) win last Saturday away to Gorleston, take on second placed and free scoring Ely City (2.15). Meanwhile the Ladies’ 1sts are away to Sevenoaks (2.00) with the Men’s 1sts at home to Teddington on Sunday (2.15) after the U10/U12 Girls Minis (9.30). Please see the Home Page of the website for the full list of the weekend’s fixtures.
News in brief
a) The club’s Olympic Ball will now be held on Saturday 16 June 2012 and not the previous day.
b) ‘Well done’ to James Smith who masterminded another very successful Fireworks Display last Friday and it is also thanks to everyone who attended and all the club members who helped with the preparations and running of the event on the day, many of whom were helping for the first time.
c) Congratulations to Lizzie Jones who was a member of the Saxon Tigers U16 squad which won the EHB’s Futures Cup at Cannock HC.
d) Ben Hawes, who scored Wimbledon’s third goal at Weybread on Sunday, is back in the GB squad for the Champions Trophy to be played in Auckland from 3-11 December. Also in the squad is Beeston and ex-Ipswich goalkeeper George Pinner.
e) Two telephone changes to note. Nigel Bedingfield, who kindly manages and sponsors the club’s excellent website through www.WaveneyValleyBlog.com, will from 10 November be contactable on 01986 895204 and Jodie Guest, the Ladies’ 6ths captain, has changed her mobile telephone number to 07712 605416.
f) Please note your diary for the Ferret Racing and Bangers & Mash Night (Saturday 3 December).
If you’ve got this far – thanks!
With kind regards and best wishes
Mike Denham
9/11/11
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