Results

WOMENS 6TH XI - 18/01/2025 VS NORWICH CITY 5 (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 18/01/2025 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 18/01/2025 
HEADLINE: Being underdogs and no sub brings out the best in team 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST (NORTH) 
VENUE: TRF 
RESULT: 0-0 
 
REPORT: 
The opposition, City 5s, are towards the top of the league and 6s are fighting relegation, so the team went into the match fearing a heavy defeat. The outcome was better than expected.  
Flu, food poisoning and chest infections also meant City 6s had no sub, just the bare 11 – looking on enviously at the three subs fielded by the opposition.  
But, as play settled the steady line-up over 70 minutes became a real advantage for the 6s who have really suffered from weekly new faces and a lack of an established line-up this season. 
This allowed the team to gel, learn where teammates would be and work out how to play as a unit.  
The 6s repelled wave after wave of attacks and short corners but somehow the opposition couldn’t find the net thanks to strong defending and goal keeping. 
City 6s also managed to invade the opposition D many times but also couldn’t find the net. Player of the match Emily Morton worked hard in centre midfield and Ava Webb had some excellent runs up the right wing.  
A much-needed point for the 6s who were happy to see the new scoreboards stay at 0-0 to the end! 
 

WOMENS 6TH XI - 14/12/2024 VS BECCLES 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 14/12/2024 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 14/12/2024 
HEADLINE: Evenly matched game, but Beccles came away the winners 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST (NORTH) 
VENUE: 
RESULT: 1-2 loss 
 
REPORT:City started well for the first 15 minutes but Beccles kept the ball out of their defensive D. The teams seemed evenly matched but the home team sent some strong, fast balls into our attacking area and were more used to the slow, sandy pitch at Langley School. Despite few attempts on our goal thanks to determined defending, Beccles managed to convert twice. City player of the match Clem Rich stayed calm on the ball – carefully clearing the ball out wide to a teammate. In the second half City finally found the net when a strong press allowed Liz Hollis to intercept a Beccles hit out sending the ball to Alicia Fairweather in the D. Alicia then skilfully negotiated a one on one with the keeper to score. Not the result the team wanted today. City 6s are now in a relegation battle and will need to up their game after the festive break.  

WOMENS 6TH XI - 07/12/2024 VS WATTON 2 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 07/12/2024 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 07/12/2024 
HEADLINE: A good-natured match in grim weather  
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST (NORTH) 
VENUE: Watton Sports Centre 
RESULT: 3-1 
 
REPORT:Another tough match for City 6s. The grim journey there (in driving rain, with a collapsed electricity pylon on the Watton Road and a police road block) was a portent of the battle to come on the pitch. The weather was another challenge – cold, wet, players soaked to the skin plus a huge puddle to wade through to get to the dug out.  
After a delayed push back, City started well, making several attacks on Watton’s D and keeping their risky-looking attackers at bay.  
Then, 10 minutes after push back, City went one nil up. Liz Hollis capitalised on a scuffle in the D, stealing the ball from the keeper’s feet and scooping it into the net. City were in a positive mood, despite the grim weather, but unfortunately had no sub to bring fresh legs to the pitch. The combination of fatigue and cold saw them begin to flag and Watton equalised before half time.  
City’s defence worked hard as a unit but couldn’t keep out two more goals from Watton in the second half. The home team pressed well and special mention to player of the match Sophie Edwards, who skilfully cleared the ball out and away through a sea of blue shirts. Goalie Sophie Browne also made some notable saves.  
Despite the loss, it was a good-natured match with a friendly opposition. It was an improvement on last week’s performance and lots of positives to take away and build on.  
 

WOMENS 6TH XI - 30/11/2024 VS DEREHAM 4 (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 30/11/2024 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 30/11/2024 
HEADLINE: 'A funny old match' 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST (NORTH) 
VENUE: TRF 
RESULT: 1 - 5 loss 
 
REPORT: 
‘It was a funny old match,’ commented a player in WhatsApp later in response to questions about how it had gone. This just about sums the game up. It was physical and a bit bad tempered. It was tough and slightly chaotic – one of those matches where it feels as if the opposition have a couple more players on the pitch than you do. Plus, there was an unwanted noise invasion as the wind direction sent the frequent whistle from the other pitch into our field of play - adding a touch of extra confusion. Dereham 4s are flying high in the league and they were hungry for goals and a win. City held them off for the first 20 mins or so, despite an onslaught on our goal, but then they scored and the goals kept coming - and coming. City won several corners but these were scuppered by Dereham’s super speedy first runner. Then finally a few minutes into the second half player of the match Charlotte Knight (in top diamond) managed to claw a goal back to boost the team’s spirits with some skilful stickwork. The rest of the match was heavily defensive, with two notably strong players for Dereham ploughing through to create repeated short corners and more goals than we would like. A tough game, but we defended hard and will be back to fight another day.  

WOMENS 6TH XI - 19/10/2024 VS NORWICH DRAGONS 6 (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 19/10/2024 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 19/10/2024 
HEADLINE: First half performance much better than second v top of league Dragons 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST (NORTH) 
VENUE: Taverham 
RESULT: 0 - 4 
City held off the top-of-the league Dragons 6s unexpectedly well to start with – keeping a clean sheet for the first 30 minutes. The City home team, filled with lots of talented youngsters many freshly up from the club’s dev squad, battled hard and defended well. Dragons tried to break through but failed until they netted a powerful top-of-the-D hit just before half time. After the break, City lost their momentum. It was a tough game and, with just one sub, the team started to run low on energy. Eventually, the more experienced visitors began to dominate, scoring three more goals to take the final score to four nil.  

WOMENS 6TH XI - 12/10/2024 VS EAST COAST 2 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 12/10/2024 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 12/10/2024 
HEADLINE: Not the result we wanted 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST (NORTH) 
VENUE: East Point Academy, Lowestoft 
RESULT: 7-4  
 
REPORT:This was a tough match – and the early start, sandy pitch, grey skies and long journey to Lowestoft made if feel tougher. We started in high spirits after an energetic warm up – going two nil ahead in the first ten minutes. Milly Evans scored an impressive first goal with a powerful hit from just within the right side of the D. Lowestoft stopped an almost-certain goal with their feet and City were awarded a penalty flick, deftly netted by Rosie Humphrey. City were buoyant and it felt like a win was on the cards. Then City lost momentum and the match switched tone as Lowestoft (fast, hard hitters who were used to the sandy, slow pitch) scored two goals in quick succession. They began to dominated play and had equalised to 2-2 at half time. The second half saw more Lowestoft goals and City’s heads went down. Player of the match Emily Morton and the defensive unit had a tough job on their hands. Two more goals cheered City up with Rosie cutting through the Lowestoft lines shortly after half time push back and powering the ball past the keeper. Rosie scored again for City, netting the ball just on the line as the keeper almost managed to clear it out. Not the result we would have liked – but lots of positives and lots to learn from.  

WOMENS 6TH XI - 28/09/2024 VS NORWICH CITY 5 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 6th XI 
DATE: 28/09/2024 
FIXTURE: Womens 6th XI VS 28/09/2024 
HEADLINE: A good natured, enjoyable game against a lovely team - our fellow NCHC 5s 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 4 NORTH EAST (NORTH) 
VENUE: TRF 
RESULT: 3-0 
 
REPORT: 
Captain Alice Petch’s pre-match talk advised City 6s to just enjoy the game and play simple hockey with strong, passes and a focus on possession – and that’s exactly how the team played. Coming in as the underdogs, reduced any pressure and allowed the sixes to relax into the game and play their best hockey.  
The whole midfield worked hard including player of the match Maddie Smith who made some strong runs up the pitch. Twenty minutes in, Maddie broke through the opposition and sent powerful ball into the D for Liz Hollis to net, taking the sixes into the lead. The second half saw some end-to-end hockey with the fives looking dangerous thanks to their fast and skilful forwards who who invaded the sixes D too many times to count - and almost scored many times during repeated short corners. But luck was on the sixes side today. That luck was supercharged by the skills of goalie Sophie and the sixes impressive defensive unit who worked hard to stop the opposition from finding the net. Well into the second half Maddie Smith scored a second goal for the sixes and shortly after Liz Hollis netted the ball again giving the sixes a three-nil win. It was a good-natured, enjoyable game against a nice team and has given the sixes a much-needed confidence boost after a nine-nil defeat to a strong Yarmouth last week.