 MENS 1ST XI - 30/10/2016 VS FAREHAM (H)
TEAM: Mens 1st XI
DATE: 30/10/2016
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 30/10/2016
HEADLINE: City raise their game for national league visitors
COMPETITION: EH Cup
VENUE: TRF
RESULT: 2-4
REPORT:
The Sun was high in the sky, and the warm breeze was rustling the leaves in the tree, which was weird for the last weekend in October. This was no ordinary day. Norwich City Men’s First Team were taking on Fareham Hockey Club. People were calling this the David vs Goliath match of the century. After surveying the ever eager opposition, who had been training since 10.30 that morning, the team gathered in the changing room, with one thought on their mind. How on earth had Tommo been out Roadmaned? Unable to answer this question, the boys continued with their preparation. However, 45 minutes to the game, a glimmer of light approached the team, as Ben Plumb entered the room, half cut, but raring to go.
The warmup went as good as the team could have hoped for with resident physio Stu Wardle providing assistance. After the normal pass and follow drills, the boys found themselves with some spare time on their hands. A luxury which they didn’t normally have, so a game of shirts vs skins was in order in the corner of the pitch. For some unknown reason, the team put Cookie on the skins team, maybe this was to scare the opposition, or maybe to attract the attention of the other teams physio. Who knew? But the tactic seemed to work.
The game started, after acting like a sponge and soaking up all that Fareham could throw at the team, the boys (through a quick, well worked counterattack managed to transfer the ball from left to right, through Ali Husband and Harry Gill, who gassed his way down the line, wrecking their left back, and casually slotting the ball past the mouth of the goal, to an eagerly awaiting Tapin, who slotted the ball in to make it 1-0 to the home team. Fareham looked scared, but it was noticeable that the away teams left back looked remarkable upset, whether this was because he didn’t get lucky at the 21st party they managed to crash the night before, or the fact that he knew that he would have a big afternoon ahead of him, attempting to keep up with Hazza G.
City carried on with the momentum, and were all over Fareham like Rich Green and a free pint, but were unable to continue to soak up all the pressure, of the away team. Queue their first short corner. The ball was passed out to the top of the D, where it was stopped and then dragged bottom, striking the back board. City’s heads went down, until the umpires conferred and the ball hadn’t managed to finds its way out of the D at the start of the corner, and the goal was disallowed. Following this, Fareham seemed to be more and more determined to get the goal, they desired. Unable to contain this new found energy the opposition had, a ruthless stick tackle from behind and Chris Wardale was sent sitting in the dugout for 2 minutes.
Enter Mr Gill pitch left.
Gilly sprinted on upfront, after being substituted for Stu Wardle, determined to make amends for Chris’s tackle, steaming up towards the opposition’s ball carrier, dropping his shoulder, burying him into the ground. As a result, Harry found himself immediately replacing Tapin in the dugout after being awarded the team’s second green card. #classicgilly
As a result of being a player down the team conceded another short corner, but was denied after a decent flying save by Russell. However City were unable to take the pressure any longer, and minutes before half time, Fareham scored to make it all level.
The second half started, but the team could not produce the same fire that they had at the start of the game. The lack of defensive organisation, and ability to find passes further up the field. The City goal quickly came under fire, despite more clinical saves from Alastair Cooke, City were unable to keep the ball out of the goal for much longer, conceding 2 more goals, despite decent saves from Alastair Cooke. City heads started to drop, but with the thanks from the crowd, with particular mention going to the Jones, Cooke, Brown, Brine, and Wardale Clans, and support from the Cheerleading section, featuring, Jo, Oli, Flic, Harriet, Maddie, and Joby City regained their fire. Maybe a bit too much fire in the heart of Tom Cox, who wanted to do one better than Gilly and Tapin making the worst, (or best, in the opinion of Cookie) tackle in the game, was given a yellow.
More and more pressure was being soaked up, but to no avail. The umpire City’s end seemed a bit tired, maybe he was overdue his afternoon nap, but he could only point towards short corners, no matter how clean and innocent the tackles were. Fareham took advantage of this, managing to find Louis Preston’s foot on the line. Giving a penalty stroke to the other team. No matter how hard Alastair tried to get his “python” of a stick to the ball, it still found its way into the net. Making the score 4-1.
With the 2 minute signal being given, City mustered what little strength and energy they had remaining, getting the ball up the other end of the pitch, winning a short corner of their own, which Chris Wardale managed to convert, getting his second of the game.
The final whistle went, with the final score being 4-2, the boys walked off towards the club house. The score not being what they may have wanted, but was much better than what they had feared.
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![]() MENS 2ND XI - 29/10/2016 VS WAPPING 2 (H)
TEAM: Mens 2nd XI
DATE: 29/10/2016
FIXTURE: Mens 2nd XI VS 29/10/2016
HEADLINE: City Come Close.... Again!
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 1
VENUE: TRF
RESULT: DRAW
REPORT:
City welcomed top of the league side Wapping 2s. City were on the front foot from the start with captain Tom Hindle throwing some brilliant aerials through to the lightning quick Ali Shearer who came very close to converting them into a goal. City managed to win a few short corners but nothing came of them. The half was end to end with neither side able to grab the opener. City went into the break level, the score 0-0.
After a very positive half time team talk, City came out of the blocks firing. Ali Shearer, once again using his pace to get around the back of the Wapping defence, he squared a bouncing pass to Ben Plumb who, unfortunately for City, couldn’t find the back of the net. Dan Cheeseman also had his fair share of chances in front of goal, however, luck wasn't on his side. High pressure from the City forward line finally paid off. Ali Shearer made a great tackle in the attacking 23, leading to a cross (from Shearer) going in after hitting a Wapping player's stick. Shearer will claim it and it was just the bit of luck City needed.
Wapping put on the pressure in the last 15 minutes of the game. This showed when Ben Plumb and Rob Duffy received yellow cards late in the second half. It took resilient defending from Alex Scott, Tom Ling, Jim Pallister and Sam Bingham to keep City ahead. With 5 minutes to go City conceded a penalty corner, which proved costly as the ball went rolling into the bottom left hand corner of the goal. Final score 1-1.
Overall, City will be disappointed with the result as a win was there for the taking against a good side. However, performances like this in coming weeks will pay off for City and get them moving up the league table.
MOTM: Sam Bingham
TYFC: Ben Plumb
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Emily Rash