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MENS 1ST XI - 16/03/2025 VS UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM 2 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 16/03/2025 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 16/03/2025 
HEADLINE: Norwich make up for points dropped earlier in the season Vs University of Nottingham 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham 
RESULT: 3-1 win 
 
REPORT: 70 fans braved the cold at Taverham, which was a bit of a shock after a few weeks of rare glorious March sun. It looked as though it would all be for nothing as with 30minutes to go until pushback there was no sign of the Nottingham team, thankfully the risk of frostbite was worth it as they turned up with 25minutes to go until kick off. Although maybe they wished they hadn't, as within the first 3 minutes Max Wilson had waltzed through the top of the D, Carried right and hit towards goal. His initial effort was saved but the resultant rebound was placed in by Tom Ridley, who has been in fine goal scoring form in the second half of this season. A few moments later a Harry Gill ball across the D wasn't able to find a Norwich stick and then the same happened to a Ben Chapman pass from the opposite side. Norwich continued to threaten with Max Wilson breaking through, finding Tom Ridley in the D and he was able to win the first PC of the game. Elliot Hibell's resultant drag flick was certainly not his best effort but it was enough to find the gap between the keepers legs and double the Norwich lead. Q1 ended 2-0 to City. 
Q2 begun with a pheneomal solo rum from Jonty black beating 4 defenders and winning a PC with a foot on the th defender. Elliots drag was caught far better this time but blocked by the Nottingham runner. Shortly after, the 1st Nottingham corner was won. Simon Dolan made an excellent stick save to maintain Norwich's lead going into halftime.  
Midway through Q3 Norwich looked to have killed the game as Tom Cooke slapped a ball in, a Nottingham defender got a stick to it but it wasn't enough to stop Tom Ridley trapping the ball and hitting into the left side netting with the assistance of a heavy deflection from a defender sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Q4 begin with Nottinghams best chance of the game. End to end in about 4/5 passes, lovely flowing hockey, thankfully Louis Preston made an epic effort to get back and stop the final pass around Simon that would've been an empty net for Nottingham to finish into. The next 5 minutes were all Nottingham, Norwich unable to retain possession and nottingham winning an endless amount of PCs. With their 4th corner of the game Simon Dolan made a save from the drag and then blocked out the rebound, with their 5th it was pretty much a carbon copy from Simon and with their 6th, you guessed it, it was again the same result, this time with the added spice of Simon half volleying the ball to outside of the 23 to really make sure to clear the danger. There was still time for Nottingham to win a 7th corner, this time they looked for the deflection from the injector but he was not able to get there and the drag missed low left. In the final minute, a Nottingham forward was able to get open and a ball to the baseline found him and he flicked the ball around Simon and into the far side netting to break the clean sheet norwich had worked so hard for. 3-1 win for the home side, who continue to push hard for a 2nd place finish.