Results

LADIES DEVELOPMENT XI A - 27/01/2018 VS NORWICH CITY B (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens Development XI A 
DATE: 27/01/2018 
FIXTURE: Womens Development XI A VS 27/01/2018 
HEADLINE: Brilliant game between evenly matched teams. 
LEAGUE: NORFOLK DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 
LEAGUE SPONSORS: EMPRESA LIMITED 
VENUE: Taverham 
RESULT: NCHC A 3-4 NCHC B 
 
REPORT: 
Norwich City B just edged this fascinating encounter with Norwich City A, although the real winners were the spectators who witnessed an end-to-end battle in which both teams impressively came from behind to take the lead and which combined tough tackling and quick pressing with silky skills and abundant creativity.  
 
Both coaches were delighted with the performances and this week saw the re-introduction of the coaches’ player of the match awards… 
 
The player of the match for the A’s was: Everybody 
The player of the match for the B’s was also: Everybody 
One of the coaches was even heard to say that every single player on both teams were simply brilliant! 
 
The B’s took the lead early in the second quarter when Madeleine latched on to a through ball down the right and put in an inch-perfect cross for Lucy W to hit first time with delightful technique into the goal. Madeleine netted the second for the B’s after some fabulous play down the right from Niamh and Saskia. With the half-time score at 2-0, the A’s appeared to be facing an uphill struggle. 
 
With the half-time team talk ringing in their ears, the A’s began the second half firing on all cylinders and it wasn’t long before Emily slotted the ball home and set up an enthralling thirty minutes of Dev’s hockey. Lily tucked in the rebound from a thunderous shot by Effie and Tilly’s deft pass to Evie was fired through a crowded D to put the A’s 3-2 up at the end of the third quarter.  
 
The B’s pressed forward as the last quarter got underway and it wasn’t long before Madeleine was celebrating her brace with a cool finish from Sophie’s through ball. A thrilling finale ensued and with chances foiled at both ends by Imogen and Sophia, the match appeared to be heading for a draw. Sophie, however, had other ideas and won the spoils for the B’s with a lovely goal after a mazy run and cross by Niamh. 
 
Final Score: Norwich City A 3-4 Norwich City B 
 

LADIES DEVELOPMENT XI A - 20/01/2018 VS WATTON (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens Development XI A 
DATE: 20/01/2018 
FIXTURE: Womens Development XI A VS 20/01/2018 
HEADLINE: The climb continues! Convincing win moves A's up to fifth! 
LEAGUE: NORFOLK DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 
LEAGUE SPONSORS: EMPRESA LIMITED 
VENUE: Taverham 
RESULT: Norwich City 7-0 Watton 
 
REPORT: 
Watton had no answer for the Norwich City A’s on this gloomy January afternoon at Taverham. Watton’s defence couldn’t do anything against a swarming City front seven. Intricate interplay, clinical finishing and ruthless efficiency were the order of the day. City debutant Amelia was simply unbeatable on the left and fellow debutant Emily exploited the space beautifully and was unlucky not to score. 
 
The match began with the re-introduction of a long-forgotten rule which decreed that players wearing yellow were only allowed to shoot on the reverse, or so it seemed! Efforts from Evie-Mae, Effie, Tilly, Lucy, Loulou and Phoebe were all well saved before Tilly broke the deadlock (and very nearly the Watton goal too!) with a super-powered thunderbolt of a reverse sweep into the bottom left corner. Following a first short-corner to forget, the second one was gloriously smashed home by Lucy to put City two in front. The third goal was a fabulous piece of total-hockey, with player of the match Effie at her imperious best, winning the ball in midfield and beginning a seven-pass move involving every City midfielder and forward, before Lucy threaded a splendid pass through the narrowest of gaps for Loulou to slide the ball in at the far post. Tilly added the fourth shortly afterwards and Phoebe drove the ball from the half-way line before jinking past two defenders into the Watton D to slam home the fifth. Loulou returned the favour from earlier for City’s sixth of the game, unselfishly cutting the ball back to Lucy to bag her brace with aplomb. 
 
Half Time: Norwich City 6-0 Watton 
 
A reshuffled City side looked a little less fluid after the break and Watton managed a shot on goal which was well saved by Sophia. With her work done, she settled in to watch the rest of the half as a spectator. Norwich dominated possession for long periods and some fabulous solo runs from Izzy, Tilly and Effie were unfortunate not to lead to more goals. Loulou capped a super performance late in the half with a controlled reverse sweep for her second and City’s seventh. 
 
Full Time Norwich City 7-0 Watton 
 
 

LADIES DEVELOPMENT XI A - 13/01/2018 VS NORWICH DRAGONS (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens Development XI A 
DATE: 13/01/2018 
FIXTURE: Womens Development XI A VS 13/01/2018 
HEADLINE: The secret of getting ahead.... 
LEAGUE: NORFOLK DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 
LEAGUE SPONSORS: EMPRESA LIMITED 
VENUE: Taverham 
RESULT: Norwich City 5-1 Norwich Dragons 
 
REPORT: 
Mark Twain said ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started’ and the NCH Development Womens team got started with a precision and fluency that got them ahead enough to finish with a final score that perhaps does not reflect some great effort by an impressive Dragons team, who put up a fierce resistance in the third quarter that could have resulted in a somewhat different final score line. 
 
City won by a convincing 5 - 1 but they certainly didn’t always have the upper hand.  
They began the game with exceptional efficiency, with all the players deployed according to their strengths. They scored 4 of their 5 goals before half time. They were clinical in their attack from the start, with the centre of the field being held with great strength and determination by Claudia Hudson-Madge, who had an outstanding match from start to finish, and Captain Effie Bowley, between them effectively passing to Tilly Butterworth on the right wing and Loulou Ford on the left. Tilly’s first athletic drive was effectively finished with a swift pass across the D that found an opposition foot, resulting in the first of the short corners, which was driven sharply into the goal by Tilly with a clinical strike. Norwich continued to pass fluently, playing some exceptional hockey and retaining the upper hand throughout the first half. Effie scored the next goal with a well coordinated reverse strike from the back of the D. ‘I megsd the keeper’ the captain declared! Another short corner upped the score once more as Tilly found her way past the Dragons goalie, and the first half was concluded with another superb goal from Maddie Hallam. 
 
Despite a conclusive first half, the second half of the match saw sustained action for goalkeeper Sophie Colman whose boots saved the day many times as the girls allowed themselves to be forced onto the back foot, with some weaker passing and a loss of shape that could have resulted in a much closer score line. NCH found themselves defending against an aggressive and prolonged Dragons attack. Goalie Sophia was joined in defence by Izzy Morgan -Evans and Millie Beard who were called to arms and managed to fend off the advance, conceding only one goal during a third quarter that was nail biting as the ball crossed in front of the goal, short corners failed to find their mark and near misses abounded.  
Finally, the team began to find their mojo once again, and mounted a last offensive in the fourth quarter, managing to garner a last short corner, slotted in by the ever clinical Tilly Butterworth.  
A great result and a hard fought match. There was some good hockey on show from both teams. It is fair to say that during the first half, there was some exceptionally fluid passing from the NCH team, and the ball was moved around with speed, intelligence and an accuracy that bodes well for the remainder of the season. Tilly deservedly won Player of the Match. 
 

LADIES DEVELOPMENT XI A - 06/01/2018 VS PELICANS (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens Development XI A 
DATE: 06/01/2018 
FIXTURE: Womens Development XI A VS 06/01/2018 
HEADLINE: Harsh defeat, but encouraging performance! 
LEAGUE: NORFOLK DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 
LEAGUE SPONSORS: EMPRESA LIMITED 
VENUE: Taverham 
RESULT: Norwich City 1-2 Pelicans 
 
REPORT: 
 
The first Dev’s match of 2018 was played on this incredibly chilly January afternoon at Taverham. After dominating possession and creating chances by the bucket-load, the Norwich girls were stunned by a much more experienced Pelicans side who scored a last-minute winner to take the three points back to King’s Lynn. Occasionally, we all play in a match where we wonder ‘How did we possibly lose today?’ Despite today being that day, these girls can take a lot of positivity into next week’s clash with Dragons after playing some wonderful hockey throughout. 
 
City were on the front foot from the very beginning with player of the match Amelia marauding relentlessly down the right flank, combining beautifully with Tilly and Katie to create a multitude of chances which were saved, blocked on the line by the Pelicans adult player, who was effectively reduced to playing a sweeper/keeper role to keep her team in the game, or put unluckily the wrong side of the Pelly’s post. When Pelicans did break out of their own quarter, Obie and Millie were on hand to intercept and recycle the ball back to the Norwich attackers. The City defence, playing a high line, easily mopped up anything that sneaked through the midfield and on the freezing touchline, the spectators were waiting for the inevitable goal to come. Towards the end of the half, a goal was indeed scored, but entirely against the run of play. The Pelicans defender launched a long ball that cut out the entire City team and was finally caught by the Pelly’s attacker just outside the D. Despite a fantastic initial save from Sophia, Pelicans pounced on the rebound and finished the half with an unfeasible lead. 
 
Half Time: Norwich City 0-1 Pelicans 
 
With their confidence visibly boosted by the late first-half goal, Pelicans piled forward in the second half looking to extend their lead. City soaked up the pressure comfortably and launched incisive counter-attacks which almost caught the Pelicans defenders napping on several occasions. As the half wore on, Norwich began to exert more control over the midfield and finally the breakthrough came, Katie finishing marvellously from another excellent run by Amelia. The exciting finale now set-up, the Norwich girls sensed that victory was within their grasp and stepped up another gear. Chance after chance, which would have ended with goals on any other day, were heroically defended by Pelicans and just when it looked as though City might snatch a victory, another long ball was chased down by five Pelicans and after some hockey pinball in the City D, the ball cruelly rolled into the goal to give Pelicans the most unlikely victory. 
 
Full Time: Norwich City 1-2 Pelicans 
 
 

LADIES DEVELOPMENT XI A - 18/11/2017 VS NORWICH CITY B (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens Development XI A 
DATE: 18/11/2017 
FIXTURE: Womens Development XI A VS 18/11/2017 
HEADLINE: Deceptive scoreline in clash of the Cities 
LEAGUE: NORFOLK DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 
LEAGUE SPONSORS: EMPRESA LIMITED 
VENUE: TRF  
RESULT: Norwich City B 6-1 Norwich City A 
 
REPORT: 
 
Norwich City B got the better of Norwich City A in an incredibly competitive match in which the 6-1 score did not accurately reflect how very evenly-matched the two sides were. Goals from player of the match Niamh Campbell (2), Loulou Ford (2), Millie Hay and Tabitha Witte were enough to take the spoils for the B’s and despite creating a hat-full of chances, it just was not the A’s day with debutant Madeleine Ebbage scoring the consolation goal and Imogen Basset taking the player of the match award. 
The early exchanges suggested a re-run of the previous match between the two sides with Niamh Campbell dominating the midfield and creating the opportunities for Tabby Witte to superbly finish off a lovely move down the left before playing Loulou Ford through to slam the ball home from the right of the opposition D for the B’s 
As apprehension began to spread throughout the spectators, the A’s began to find their feet and looked stronger and stronger as the half wore on. Amelia Waghorn was a constant threat down the right flank and the midfield trio of Emily Leeming, Abbie Watling-Brucki and Livi Tighe were winning their personal battles and creating good chances for Evie Thorpe and Madeleine Ebbage up front. However, a speedy and crisp counter attack was completed in some style by Loulou Ford to give the B’s a 3-0 lead somewhat against the run of play. 
 
Half Time B’s 3-0 A’s 
 
The second half began with the teams trading blows as the ball went from end to end whilst Daisy Clabburn for the A’s and Hannah Possener for the B’s began to assert their authority as defensive leaders for their respective teams. The second-half deadlock was broken by Millie Hay, who scored from the right after consecutive short corners had been foiled by a string of wonder-saves by Imogen Basset. The A’s were not going to take this lying down and came out all guns blazing after the restart. After several good chances, Madeleine ran half the length of the field to slot the ball beautifully in to the B’s net before Zara Hunter was quick off her line to thwart first Evie, then Amelia. 
The fourth quarter was almost a mirror image of the first, with Niamh in control whilst faced by a tiring A’s midfield and subsequently scoring a quickfire brace, which on balance was very well deserved. Imogen somehow got a foot to a thunderous shot from Sabina Baker and just when it looked as if the A’s would capitulate, they found an extra gear and spent the last few minutes of the match almost permanently camped in the B’s D in search of an ultimately elusive second goal. 
 
Well done and thank you to all the girls. The consensus amongst the parents and coaches was that this was a hard-fought, sometimes nail-biting, but fantastic match to watch and that you all played very well indeed. 
 
Full Time B’s 6-1 A’s 
 
 

LADIES DEVELOPMENT XI A - 11/11/2017 VS WATTON (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens Development XI A 
DATE: 11/11/2017 
FIXTURE: Womens Development XI A VS 11/11/2017 
HEADLINE: First points of the season for fabulous City girls! 
LEAGUE: NORFOLK DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 
LEAGUE SPONSORS: EMPRESA LIMITED 
VENUE: Watton Sports Centre 
RESULT: Watton 2-8 Norwich City 
 
REPORT: 
 
After struggling all season to raise a team, this eclectic bunch heroes, many playing together for the first time made the wait worthwhile. A comprehensive 8-2 thumping of a competent Watton side on this glorious autumn morning was nothing short of what the City girls deserved. City dominated from beginning to end and with their first points finally on the board, this team look ready to go from strength to strength. 
 
Within seconds of push-back, a jinking Maddie Hallam run into the Watton D resulted in a short corner which was not-so-subtly cleared off the line by the right boot of a defender. Evie Thorpe smashed the resulting penalty flick in to the net for City’s first goal of the game. Soon afterwards Maddie slotted in a beautifully worked goal, after some lovely passing between City captain Lucy Ingram and Katie Bayfield down the right. Watton responded almost immediately with a long ball down the middle nicely finished by their inside right. Fired by adversity, the Norwich girls peppered the crowded Watton D with shot after shot until the ball fell to Livi Tighe, who thundered it home to restore the two-goal advantage. The second quarter began as the first had ended with City in complete control. A great run by Amelia Waghorn was finished sublimely by Harriet Jolley before the goal of the game saw seven City girls involved in a wonderful display of passing hockey down the right flank which resulted in a pass from Lucy being swept in to the Watton goal by the reverse of Evie T’s stick 
 
Half Time Watton 1-5 Norwich City 
 
Watton emerged after half-time looking determined to make an impact and forced a marvellous double-save from Grace Long in the City goal, before Mia Edmond gobbled up the rebound and coolly dribbled the ball to safety. There were a couple more Watton forays into the Norwich half, which were ably stopped in their tracks by the dynamic duo of Maggie Mayo and Millie Beard. City found their groove as the half wore on, and began to play a more expansive style with Kate Ellis and Amelia combining well on the left, and Evie Hood running riot down the right to such an extent that Watton resorted to assigning two players just to contain her. By the end of the third quarter Lucy was pulling all the strings in the middle of the park, and played Evie T through beautifully for another reverse stick sweep into the goal. Evie T scored her reverse stick hat trick moments later for her fourth and City’s seventh, but Watton replied with another long ball somehow ending in the Norwich net to make the score 7-2. A short corner towards the end of the game was converted by Amelia for a very well-deserved goal to cap a fine performance. 
 
Full Time Watton 2-8 Norwich City