Results

WOMENS 1ST XI - 09/02/2019 VS CANTERBURY 2 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 1st XI 
DATE: 09/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Womens 1st XI VS 09/02/2019 
HEADLINE: Subs, balls? Nah who needs them 
LEAGUE: EAST PREMIER DIVISION 
VENUE: Canterbury 
RESULT: a quick sum to work it out 
c - (b+a) : (d + e) 
Where: 
A = number of balls we arrived to Canterbury with (1)  
B = number of balls acquired after quick trip to sports direct. (7) good work Harrot  
C = number of players (11) WHO NEEDS SUBS 
D = number of NCHC cards (0), shocking  
E = number of farms visited on pre match detour (1) 
REPORT: 
 
For those of you struggling with the maths, don’t worry yourselves too much about the score. The womens 1s’ 3rd trip to Kent in 6 weeks was more about the journey; a tale of overcoming hardships, togetherness and endurance. The long day began in good spirits with a sparsely filled minibus departing Thickthorn, Dizzy Rascal blaring. We took a “brief detour” to collect our young farmer from work and 45 miles of Norfolk countryside later made it back to the A11. Then came the call to check the balls were in the keeper bag. “No” came the reply. Ideal. Next the Dartford crossing and that big road round London that people complain about. 6 lanes clearly isn’t enough. 45 minute delay.  
 
Anyway with a quick trip to sports direct and some rally minibus driving we made it to Canterbury with time for a wee and 7 balls. The focus in the first 15 minutes was perhaps too much on conserving legs and Canterbury snuck in 3 early goals. Despite this however, heads remained high and the following hour saw some delightful City hockey. At the back Suze intercepted ball after ball and half backs worked tirelessly up and down the wings. There were triangles, hexagons and maybe even an octagon as delicate passing opened up opportunities up front. Only a solid post and some good goalkeeping kept Emily and Irene off the score sheet. Eventually our pressure paid off and a well worked short corner broke to Oli who polished off a fine reverse stick hit into the bottom corner. Who needs an Argentinian international? So whilst today wasn't quite the result we were hoping for, it was a phenomenal effort against a team at the opposite end of the league with only 11 players. It could have been so much worse... 

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WOMENS 3RD XI - 09/02/2019 VS UEA 2 (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens 3rd XI 
DATE: 09/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Womens 3rd XI VS 09/02/2019 
HEADLINE: 3 goals for women’s 3s  
LEAGUE: NORFOLK PREMIER DIVISION 
LEAGUE SPONSORS:  
Location: Taverham (home) 
Result: 3-2 (win) 
 
Report: The game started with City keen to come out with a win, and they made themselves lots of opportunities at goal. Niamh Campbell scored the first of the host’s goals with help from the strong forward line to get into the circle, followed by a solid individual conversion by Niamh herself. Another great goal closely followed from Ellie Hobden.  
However UEA 2s were not giving up and, with a few short corners and opportunities in the circle, they got their first score.  
City’s defensive unit held off the visitors and they also fought back with a powerful goal from City’s Matilda Butterworth.  
But another short corner for UEA lead to a strong hit going straight in the corner, leaving City to come out with a well fought 3-2 win.  

WOMENS 6TH XI - 09/02/2019 VS BRECKLAND 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 09/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 09/02/2019 
HEADLINE: NO REPORT AVAILABLE 
LEAGUE: NORFOLK LEAGUE DIVISION 2 
LEAGUE SPONSORS: EMPRESA LIMITED 
VENUE: 
RESULT: 
 
REPORT: NO REPORT AVAILABLE 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 09/02/2019 VS WAPPING 1     (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 09/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 09/02/2019 
HEADLINE: City close taking a point off the league leaders 
LEAGUE: EAST PREMIER DIVISION A 
VENUE: TAVERHAM RECREATION FACILITY 
RESULT: NORWICH CITY 1 WAPPING 3 
 
REPORT: 
City came close to taking a point off league leaders Wapping despite going a goal down within 3 minutes of the start, but having equalised early in the second half conceded two late goals. 
 
Wapping started brightly going ahead when a crash ball into the circle found a free forward who slapped home. City then tightened up their marking and increased their work rate to limit Wapping’s first half forays into the circle, whilst creating a few of their own circle penetrations, the best chance falling to Josh Bailey who was denied by a last ditch tackle.  
 
Two minutes into the second period City drew level thanks to the perseverance of Josh Bailey winning the ball in the circle only to lose it, but then regain it before unleashing a reverse stick shot past the keeper. City improved their ball retention after the break, but Wapping were becoming more threatening when they had the ball, but as time ticked by a draw looked a possibility. However, it was not to be. With 8 minutes remaining the visitors attacked down the left and a ball towards the goal was inadvertently deflected into his own goal by Player of the Match Harry Brown. City pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but in the dying moments were hit by a swift Wapping counter attack that resulted in a third goal that sealed victory.  
 
 

MENS 2ND XI - 09/02/2019 VS WISBECH TOWN 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 2nd XI 
DATE: 09/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Mens 2nd XI VS 09/02/2019 
HEADLINE: It all started so well  
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 1 
VENUE: Wisbech 
RESULT: 5-1 Loss 
 
REPORT: 
The 2s travelled to Wisbech bottom of the league needing a win to keep their chances of staying in the league alive. After a positive start they dominated the match with the midfield of Plumb, Hindle and Fretwell comfortably on top and city deservedly went 1-0 up with Stuart Wardle finishing into the bottom corner from the top of the D. City stayed on top for the next 10mins but couldn’t get the second goal the deserved. 
Wisbech got back into the match after a slip let a forward in for a good reverse finish to level it up. This proved the turning point as the momentum changed. Good saves from GK Elwes and solid work from the city defence kept the scores level and it stayed 1-1 at half time. 
An extra man in midfield started to dominate at the start of the second half for Wisbech and more chanes inevitably came their way. 
Two unfortunate deflections from aerials into the path of Wisbech forwards, a short corner and a late deflection put the game past city whilst they kept being frustrated going forward with some typically strong challenges from the Wisbech defence going unpunished. 
Overall a disappointing result from a game that could have gone the other way after such a good start and one City need to learn from to improve their game management for next season. 

MENS 4TH XI - 09/02/2019 VS IPSWICH 3     (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 4th XI 
DATE: 09/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Mens 4th XI VS 09/02/2019 
HEADLINE: 10 men came to mow 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST 
VENUE: Home 
RESULT: 6-1 win 
 
REPORT:  
10 men came to mow, harass and fundamentally impinge upon the free movement of the visiting Ippies, at least that was the message Josh had received and with only ten we needed strong leadership. In my humble view, Josh deserves POTM, ensuring early on that we would not deviate from the above mantra, further that we would dominate our D with little or no need for recourse to any other defensive skills and lastly showed masterfully how the reverse crash ball ie back out, should be done. I believe all Ipswich’s front line were grateful to remain fully entoothed after the first ten minutes, although ball and a few forwards remained entirely below knee height, entirely legally. In fairness and for the avoidance of future green cards we were grateful for brilliance in one other department today – umpiring.  
Our esteemed back line of Jag and John now picked up the gavel and banged ball after ball to stick judging awfully well to avoid offering the ball back, no doubt partly from concern of further smash mouth goalkeeping or perhaps through sheer, delightful common sense. Graceful balls from Dunc and Si skipped through to the midfield finding meadows aplenty, wide open for the reaping and it was left to Chris to loft a floater to Adie whose simple cross was simply scythed home by Joe to open his account.  
A period of intense rivalry then erupted in midfield, like Sainsbury vs Tesco in the early 90s, tempers flared, large men complained about the absurdity of life and the injustice of it all, then we scored again; we were on fire. It was all going our way, life couldn’t be sweeter: then Haren came on. 
The wind seemed to pick up at this stage, various dead and dying brushwoods appeared to roll across the meadows and nothing really happened for a bit. Haren appeared surprisingly mobile but unfortunately he was normally going the other way, without the ball. Second half in fairness was better for him once he retired the pitch fork for a stick – I know that’s what everyone was saying, unfair I know, it’s a really good stick. 
Goal 3. Nick’s goal, enough said. No actually it was sheer Einstein as if to make up for the previous outing as our village idiot, Nick just kept going asking confusing long winded questions of the opposition as he tried to trick them into a wrong answer on the wrong subject, offering and denying defender after defender before hammering like Thor against the backboard just inches from his left foot, treemendous and such a rarity. 
Goal 4. It would be very nice to see this one again, Haren’s classic reverse back stick stab in the dark, but by this stage in the game, yeah, almost everyone was waiting for Circuit to make his appearance so we could all take 5 and put our feet up. 
Goal 5. I’ve been told it was by Joe and a thing of great beauty to weight the ball so well it not only dribbles over the line at 2mph, but also gifts us the opportunity to study the moral dilemma faced by Adie- to nab or not to nab- hats off to both. And a facial classic that I hope Jobie Scorsese recorded too as the Dionysian battled with the Apollonian plainly on Adie’s mien.  
Goal 6. This one I do remember as your very own Pablo the great (great stick tackler) stick-stopped a canny right footer on a short corner sling from Jag - who was clearly trying hard to keep me awake - for Chris who happened to be reading his book on fen orchids. He pocketed it, turning out the lights with a flick from 10 yards. In summation, well played gentlemen, nice spirit, good times. 
 

MENS 6TH XI - 09/02/2019 VS PELICANS 3 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 6th XI 
DATE: 09/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Mens 6th XI VS 09/02/2019 
HEADLINE: Tough but enjoyable game 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 5 NORTH EAST 
VENUE: Kings Lynn  
RESULT:lost 5-2 
 
REPORT: this was a tough game against well organised Pelicans team. In the first half the Pelicans were very much on top scoring 3 goals by halftime. The second half was a much more even game , with both teams scoring two goals each  
POTM was Philip Nunn  
 

BOYS U18 - 10/02/2019 VS BISHOPS STORTFORD (A) 
 
TEAM: Boys U18 
DATE: 10/02/2019 
FIXTURE: Boys U18 VS 10/02/2019 
HEADLINE: City’s Brave Eleven Win Crucial U18 Cup Match  
LEAGUE: EH Tier 1 U18 Boys Cup 
VENUE: Bishop's Stortford 
RESULT: WON 3-2 
 
REPORT: 
City’s u18 Boys travelled to a Bishop’s Stortford on Sunday for their EH Tier 1 match, with the winners being awarded a Quarter Final slot against Beeston HC. City felt confident but knew that, without any subs, it was going to be a tough ask to compete for the full match against a good team. 
 
City came out strongly, troubling Stortford from the off with the speed of their attack. However, it was the opposition who scored first with a well taken short corner. City fought back, causing the Stortford keeper to make some last ditch saves. The pressure had to tell and after some good work from Gautham Narayanan to win a short corner, Ross Butler put the ball away with a smart dragflick. The game was now end to end, with Stortford struggling to contain the speed on the break of Butler and Ben Withers up front. It wasn’t long before Dan Phillips scored the next, picking the ball up just past the halfway line and driibbling past several defenders before slotting the ball calmly inside the right hand post. 
 
With City 2-1 up at half time, coaches Al Paterson and Tom Cooke encouraged the boys to slow the game down, retain possession and conserve energy. This was needed, as Stortford came out with a revised game plan, working the flanks and keeping the pressure on City. However, City’s central defenders George Harrad and Tom Bailey were imperious, ably aided by Alex Merron and Harry Bassett and, for all of Stortford’s pressure, goalie Ben Nkrumah was not called upon to make too many saves.  
 
Meanwhile, City’s strong midfield of Phillips, Harry Paterson and Cameron Cooke made life extremely difficult for Stortford, hassling and harrying and pushing them backwards. With City’s speed on the break causing Stortford problems, it was City who took a commanding 3-1 lead, with Paterson slotting a short corner past the keeper. 
 
City soaked up the pressure for most of the rest of the game and, whilst Stortford were to score again to make the final few minutes very tense, City played intelligently and deservedly came through as victors. 
 
This was a brave, skilful and hard fought match against a good team and every one of City’s players put everything into it, with no rests. Man of the Match was awarded to Dan Phillips for a magnificent goal and a superb stint in midfield. City now travel away to Beeston HC next Sunday, with a place in the semi-finals to play for.