Results

MENS 1ST XI - 19/03/2023 VS UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM 2 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 19/03/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 19/03/2023 
HEADLINE: Norwich City Confidently Deal With Tough University Side 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: University Of Birmingham 
RESULT: 6-1 W 
 
REPORT: 7am bus. 4hr journey. Walking around the Birmingham campus like a bunch of lost children trying to find the changing rooms. Wasn't an ideal start. But atleast there were jammy dodgers & malted milks waiting for us with our teas & coffees upon arrival. 
The Gorgeous pitch made us forget about the above and get down to business. The first ten minutes saw Birmingham start with a full press as per usual. Harry Brown, Krishna Patel & Tom Harris were all equal to it and that prompted their coach to shout "they don't have a weak one" so they stopped. Shortly after Josh Baker found some time and space down the left and out ran their half and got into the D for a reverse hit that was saved but only up into the arriving Jonty Black who volleyed in for his 2nd goal of the season. Soon after Birmingham won their first short corner of the game after a save from the orignal drag fell out to their injector he pushed it past Alastair Cooke at the near post to restore the draw before the end of Quarter 1. 
Q2 saw Stu Wardle win Norwich their 2nd short corner of the game within 30 seconds of the restart and with an Elliot Hibell drag had regained the lead. The rest of the quarter saw alot of end to end hockey but neither side able to put a meaningful effort towards goal. Even though Birmingham finished the last 5 minutes of the half with 10 men. HT: 2-1. 
5 minutes into the second half Birmingham had a man open at the backpost but the bobbly ball that was provided to him meant he edged his shot over the bar. 2 minutes later Cam Cooke had won a short corner and stepped up to convert it aswell, 3-1 City. Stu Wardle dribbled passed 2 Birmingham defenders into the D and his shot from the baseline was put out into Cam Cookes path at the top right of the D and he rocketed a forehand shot into the left side netting for his 2nd of the day and shortly after he had completed a 7 minute hattrick to put Norwich out of sight with a superb reverse from the top left of the D into the top right corner. Q3: 5-1. 
Marts tried to give a quarter time team talk but it was overshadowed by the Birmingham coach tearing into his players 10 metres away from us. In fairness to him it must have worked, they had won their 2nd short corner of the game 2 minutes later. And dragged it very nicely into the upper right corner but Tom Harris was on hand to bat it beautifully away at head height and deny any chance of some birmingham redemption. Elliot Hibell then won a flick as he turned round the keeper and was taken out by a defender. He made sure of the goal by putting it right in under the bar in the very top right corner.  
After a competitive 1st quarter the quality started to show and Norwich ran away with it in a superb 3rd quarter. Wonderful display and assures us of a top 4 finish in our debut national league campaign. Great effort from all and that mental & physical strength that's got us this far will be tested once again as run away, already promoted, league leaders Harborne come to Taverham where a win would guarantee a top 3 finish for Norwich. 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 12/03/2023 VS LICHFIELD 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 12/03/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 12/03/2023 
HEADLINE: Long Trip Well worth It To Bring Back 3 Points  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Lichfield Hockey Club 
RESULT: 5-1 W 
 
REPORT: Long journey to the middle of Staffordshire. 
Lots of noise from the supporters in the warmup but they were silenced after a goal with Norwich's first short corner. Cam Cooke on hand to drag past the keeper. Lichfield sat off to stop the momentum and Q1 finished 1-0. 2 minutes into Q2 Norwich had their 2nd short corner and both Norwich & Cam had their 2nd goal. The rest of the quarter saw both sides exchange short corners, lichfield had 3 but both Harry Brown and Alastair Cooke were equal to them. Norwich had 2 more but the Lichfield keeper was equal to both. HT: 2-0 to Norwich.  
The 2nd half continued the saga of exchanging short corners. Thankfully with Norwich's 5th corner the keeper wasn't able to stop Elliot Hibells drag and it was 3-0. But shortly after Lichfield scored their 4th corner with a superb drag into the top left. But as eluded to more shorts were to come and with 2 more for Norwich, they had 2 more goals. Firstly through Cam Cooke, completing his hattrick, followed by Elliot Hibell for his brace. 
No goals in the 4th quarter but a highlight goaline save from Jonty Black saw Norwich through to a confident 5-1 victory. All around Clinical display, Lichfield were tough to beat at times but Norwich kept the intensity and showed why they deserve to be in National League. 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 05/03/2023 VS CITY OF PETERBOROUGH 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 05/03/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 05/03/2023 
HEADLINE: Tight affair as 3rd faced 4th In Conference Midlands 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham  
RESULT: 4-2 W 
 
REPORT: Back to back huge encounters at Taverham. After last weeks 10 goal thriller for 2nd v 3rd it was now 3rd v 4th. Peterbrough were on hot form having put 7 past Magpies there was a definite awareness of the threat they possessed. Time for Norwich to keep the losing streak to just the one match. 
Both sides started well with neither allowing many D entries and both keepers nets staying empty. It took until the 12th minute for Josh Baker to create the first threat when he burst through the right hand side of the D and hit a reverse into the near post. The Peterborough keeper was unable to get there and it nestled in to open the scoring. The Peterborugh midfield began to take over and with a few short corner wins they were looking very threatening but thankfully Alastair Cooke was equal to both drags from their captain and the scoreline remained 1-0 to finish the quarter. 
The 2nd quarter continued with the same dominance from Peterborugh, they had all the territory but just couldn't make it pay. Norwich defending resolutely to stay ahead. Unfortunately with their 3rd short corner Peterborough did finally put one away and leveled the tie up. Back to back shots from Cameron Cooke were well saved and it was starting to not look like Norwich's day. This was confirmed when Peterborugh won their 4th short and scored again, the peterborugh dominance was taken further with a yellow card to Elliot Hibell after he brought his stick above head height to a play the ball and caught a peterborugh player on the head and opened up an old wound from a few weeks ago and the blood came pouring out. Thankfully Peterbrough were kind enough to get a yellow of their own a few minutes later to mean we were not left shorthanded for too long. HT: 1-2 to Peterbrough.  
As the 2nd half begun Norwich had a couple minutes a man up but couldn't make it pay. It took another 10 minutes get them to do that as Louis Preston won a foul and took it quickly before finding Elliot Hibell in the D who passed to Chris Wardale who smartly went round the keeper and hit from the baseline to bring the score back to Parity. Q3 ended 2-2. 
A rousing team talk to empower the lads to go all out for the win was taken on board and within 20 seconds of pushback it was 3-2. It went back to the defence from pushback before Tom Cooke picked the ball up and ran wide to find Jonty Black down the right wing who cut inside and neatly lifted past 3 defenders and played in Josh Baker who deflected the ball through the keepers legs for a superbly worked team goal. Peterborugh came back with all they had but Alastair Cooke kept them at bay with a open play save and short corner save. Harry Gill stopped a short corner drag as #1 runner and then Harry Brown excellently scopped a rebound hit at shoulder height over the bar. The chance after chance but no goal was evidently getting Peterborugh frustrated as they picked up a few cards for break downs in play. One of those came as Elliot Hibell made a turnover in our D, immediately won a free hit and stepped off to let Krishna Patel take a quick aerial and after the Peterbough CB misjudged it Ben Chapman was through 1-on-1 to close out the game. He calmly faked left and took it right round the keeper to forehand hit past the late ariving defender who couldn't arrive in time. 4-2 finish. Underwhelming wst half for Norwich but kept their nerve and calmly took over control before getting the goals to complete the comeback. Superb display of resilience and with a Uni of Nottingham loss saw Norwich move up to 2nd. 

MENS 1ST XI - 26/02/2023 VS NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY 2 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 26/02/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 26/02/2023 
HEADLINE: Ten Goal Fest In Top Of The Table Clash at Taverham  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham Recreational Facility  
RESULT: 4-6 L 
 
REPORT: The battle for 2nd place had arrived. Who would put themselves in pole position to challenge Harborne for the singular promotion spot in Conference Midlands. It was also a homecoming for Harry Paterson, although due to a thumb injury he was leading from the touchline instead.  
After a delay at pushback after Uni of Nottinghams CB forgot his playing shirt we were underway. And what a Start it was. Green card for a Notts player after 30 seconds, shots from Ben Chapman, Louis Preston, Jonty Black & Cam Cooke but no goals for City. And after Uni of Notts first attack and a save from Alastair Cooke they had a tap in to take the league. Q1: 0-1.  
Much the same story in quarter 2, lots of chances but just not falling for City. Thankfully Chris Wardale was on hand to win a pair of short corners and after the Notts keeper was equal to Elliott Hibells drag on the first, he wasn't equal to Tom Cookes with the 2nd and we had equalised. Annoyingly, a minute later Notts won their first short and took back to lead with a drag to deflection. Q2: 1-2. 
Cam Cooke started as we meant to go on winning an early short corner and after his drag was rebounded to Tom Cooke who slapped the ball in we had drawn level again. This time we kept going and Cam Cooke found Chris Wardale on the baseline who passed across to Jonty Black to force in at the backpost for our first lead in the game. But then a nightmare last 2 minutes saw Notts claw back control with a quick 1-2 punch of counter attack goals ending the quarter with a 4-3 lead. 
All guns blazing to start quarter 4. Cam Cooke hit and saved. Elliott Hibell short corner win and drag saved. Cam Cooke short corner win and drag saved. But none could make an impact on the scoreline. Before again a quick combination of counter attacking goals from Notts saw them pull away to a 6-3 lead. Norwich ended on a high with an Elliott Hibell drag to bring the scores within a respectable 2 goals. A short corner should have been given as time expired but the umpires called time instead. All-in-all a superb display of offensive hockey and despite Norwich City having the greater number of chances Nottingham came out victorious in an end to end spectacle. After City of Peterborough bested our Norfolk Hockey rivals Harleston Magpies 7-2 they have lept above us into 3rd but fortunately we have the chance to right that as they come to taverham next week for another big clash.  
 

MENS 1ST XI - 19/02/2023 VS ST ALBANS 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 19/02/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 19/02/2023 
HEADLINE: Rare February Sunshine And A Well Earned 3 Points For Men's 1s  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Oaklands College  
RESULT: 2-1 W 
 
REPORT: 
The glorious weather was only to be ruined by St Albans being petty and making us change ends during the warmup and then switch ends back at the toss, make up your mind lads. Thankfully all they did was handcuff themselves when the Sun was lower In the 2nd half.  
St Albans came out the blocks fast, lots of space out wide and a few D entries, but thankfully no short corners or goalwardbound shots to defend. They continued this high intensity start by pressing high and making it hard to play out the back. But this meant we had space to run and after Rich Green found Cam Cooke out wide to the right and he moved into their 23 before playing a through ball into the D to find Josh Baker reaching for a deflection we found ourselves 1-0 up. Q1: 1-0. 
2nd quarter was much more of the same. St Albans pressing high, a few D entries to either side, neither making it pay. Alex Scott did receive a green but City were more than able to hold on for 2minutes a man down. HT: 1-0. 
The 2nd half was really where this game came alive. 5 minutes in after a superb Harry Brown pick from a deflection and Elliot Hibell won a foul just outside our D, Krishna Patel stepped up to launch a quickly taken aerial down to Cam Cooke who rounded the keeper and hit the ball in from the most impossible of angles at the baseline for a 2 goal lead. A few minutes later Tom Cooke found Elliot Hibell but his reverse shot was saved. Shortly afterwards St Albans won their 1st short corner of the game and after a foot on the line had been awarded a penalty flick and had drawn themselves back into the tie. They continued to thrive winning another short corner but thankfully Tom Harris was on hand for a phenomenal hip height clearance on the line. Q3: 2-1 to City. 
Quarter 4 was nervy from both sides, the tension only building as short corners were traded back and forth but no goals for either side. Both teams continued to leave it all on the pitch with St Albans throwing everything forward but the City defensive front was equal to it all. Very physically demanding day at the office, and showed superb mental resilience to knuckledown and hang on in the final quarter after we let them back in. 
Unfortunately UoN leapfrogged us on goal difference so we remained 3rd but we face them next week with the opportunity to pull away from the rest of the pack into 2nd. Aswell as be mathematically secure in our place in national league for 2023/24 with 3 points. 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 11/02/2023 VS LOUGHBOROUGH TOWN 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 11/02/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 11/02/2023 
HEADLINE: Mens 1s start fast and don't let up during dominant home display 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham  
RESULT: 4-1 W 
 
REPORT: The long awaited return of Norwich City Youth player Jake Vincent to Taverham alongside his Loughborough teammates. Having bested Loughborough 7-2 away we knew they would want revenge and adapt to now knowing how we play. Fortunately Louis Preston was on hand to quash their energy from the off. After a free hit was quickly taken, he found Rich Green on the P spot who underhand passed to Cam Cooke on the baseline for him to reverse in with 65 seconds on the clock. 3minutes later Harry Gill raided through and found Cam Cooke on the edge of the D who beat 3 players and found Chris "tapin" Wardale for a trademark finish. Loughborugh sat off for the remainder of the quarter to slow any momentum. Q1 finished 2-0 to City. 
Quarter 2 once again started fast with Ben Chapman having turned over the ball and won our first short corner within a minute. Unfortunately both the Tom Cooke drag & Elliot Hibell rebound were saved. But 10 minutes later Chris Wardale was on hand to win our 2nd short corner and this time Loughborough weren't able to keep it out, with Elliot Hibell scoring. Half Time 3-0. 
Quarter 3 started slow with neither side creating much until 10 minutes in. Stu Wardale had a shot and rebound saved before shortly after Stu Wardle and Jonty Black combined to win a short corner. Cam Cooke was on hand to make it a 4 goal lead. Unfortunately a lapse in concentration after our goal saw Loughborough immeditely win a short corner and after it was mistrapped and a hit was bobbled towards goal it squeezed in and the cleansheet was lost. 4-1. 
Both teams saw out Quarter 4 with Norwich not able to make much of their 3/4 chances. Finished 4-1. This result solidified our 3rd place position with a tough run to come against St Albans, Uni of Notts & City of Peterborugh to really test if we belong in any potential promotion race. 
 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 05/02/2023 VS BEDFORD 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 05/02/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 05/02/2023 
HEADLINE: Mens 1s Restart National League Campaign With An Emphatic Victory  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham Recreational Facility  
RESULT: 6-2 W  
 
REPORT: After a long 2 month break and some intermittent training and friendlies we all couldn't be happier to finally get back to some competitive hockey. With a mixed cup and u16 match also going on it was a feast of viewing for any norwich based hockey fanatics.  
 
After a few last minute cancellations Bedford had shown up with only 13 players so we knew we had to start fast, stay fast and make it a tough trip away for them. And we did exactly that Josh Baker had made a speedy run up the left flank within 90 seconds and blazed a reverse across the face of the goal but no one got on the end of it. A minute later Cam Cooke had won a turnover in Bedfords half and found Elliot Hibell in the D who won our first short corner of the day. Bedford once again kept the ball out the net but the early passes were all Norwich City. After a calmer few moments, it took until the 12th minute for Norwich to have their next threat. Cam Cooke won a short and Tom Cooke opened the scoring with a slap. Q1: 1-0. 
 
The 2nd Quarter started slower, Bedford started to threaten by winning a pair of short corners but thankfully Tom Harris and Alastair Cooke were on hand to have both. Shortly after City won a short corner of their own and this timenit was Elliot Hibell who stepped up to drag home and double the lead. 3 minutes later after Elliot found Josh Baker on the baseline, Josh found a foot for a short and Elliot stepped up to make it 3-0. Bedford were most certainly not out of it, they continued to threaten and after Rob Shearer found Simba Chigwada with a cutting reverse pass from inside his own half and Simba's shot narrowly went wide Norwich were well and truly warned of the danger Bedford possessed. Another short corner later and they threatend again but Alastair Cooke made a great double save to keep his net clear. But finally Bedford chiselled our defence down and with their 4th short corner and after the ball pinged around the goal mouth it was eventually bundled in. A scrappy but deserved goal for their previous 5 minutes of domination. HT: 3-1 to the hosts. 
 
3rd quarter begun with an exchange of short corners. Bedford won their 5th & 6th of the day but once again Alastair Cooke & Tom Harris were on hand to keep the net clear. And then Jonty Black and Harry Gill won Norwich's 5th & 6th corners aswell. But with a mistrap and a save Norwich couldn't make their corners pay either. Thankfully a few moments later Cam Cooke cut in from the left wing and ran along the baseline before picking out Ben Chapman at the backpost, you could tell winter nets had been in full flow for Ben as he played a cool forward defence to ensure the ball found its way into the goal. 4-1 City. And with our 7th short corner of the day City went out of sight. Cam Cooke dragged down the centre, the keeper padded back out to Chris Wardale and the keeper then saved his shot but kicked it up over Elliot Hibells head to which anyone else would bring it down first but he decide that whilst going away from goal and with his back turned away from goal he would execute a perfect no look overhead volley that cleared all the postmen, and dipped in the top left corner. Everyone was left stunned with his incredible attempt and what a way to complete your hattrick. 
 
4th quarter begun with more of the same. Jonty black won a short corner, Cam Cooke dragged towards goal and it was padded back into the D. Man of the moment Elliot hibell was on hand to lift over the keeper, carry past the postmen and on the volley upright reverse it into the top right corner. His 4th of the day and wouldve been his best on any other day but that unsighted 3rd goal was too incredible to not mention again. With the 5 goal lead in place the intensity from both sides dropped and Bedford managed to catch Norwichs defence sleeping and with a deliberate foul in the D they had gained a penalty flick. Rob Shearer made sure to put it in and end the game well for Bedford. 
 
Bedford were great visitors and we have enjoyed both games against them. This result means we jump above them into 4th place and will look to continue the efficient goal scoring again this Saturday vs Loughborugh Town at home at 2pm.  
 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 15/01/2023 VS CITY OF PETERBOROUGH 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 15/01/2023 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 15/01/2023 
HEADLINE:  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: City of Peterborough Hockey Club  
RESULT: 3-2 Loss 
 
REPORT: 
The first hockey of 2023 was upon us. Time to see who had enjoyed Christmas and New years a bit too much. 
 
It may have been the tier 1 Cup where we couldve faced a number of national prem clubs but thankfully the draw had gifted us with a local journey and familiar foe in Peterbrough. But we knew this would be the perfect back to hockey test. 
 
And we were not wrong. From the off Peterbrough were man to man and pressing hard trying to catch us napping. Thankfully Tom Cooke & Louis Preston were equal to it and kept the ball well to build from the back. It didn't take long before the first chance was made, Tom found Chris Wardale on the baseline and he forced a save from the Peterborugh keeper. Shortly after Harry Gill then found Chris Wardale and this time he deflected past the keeper to take the lead. Q1: 1-0.  
 
Quarter 2 had only one storyline - Peterbrough short corners. Within the first 2 minutes they had won 1 short corner which was subsequently re-awarded 4 times and after 5 drags to the same spot they finally got the goal. 1-1. Straight from pushback City were desperate desperate regain control and Jonty Black was able to cut past 3 men before finding Stu Wardle for a deflected finish and restoration of the lead. Before once again we were stuck in our D as 1 short corner became 3, but thank fully it didn't become a goal. HT: 2-1 lead to Norwich. 
 
Early into the 2nd half a Peterborough aerial got in behind our defence and with a reserve across the face an unmarked player backpost tapped in to draw the game level. The rest of the quarter saw plenty cards with Peterborough and Norwich both having 2 players off for Green cards and neither side doing much offensively. Q3: 2-2. 
 
Quarter 4 returned to the story of Quarter 2 with 3 short corners and an eventual goal for Peterbrough. 3-2 lead with 10minutes remaining. Norwich pushed for an equaliser to force penalty flicks but couldn't quite get a deserved goal. Very tight game all round, good kickoff to 2023 and sets the bar high for more good hockey to come. And hopefully Norwich can get even when they face Peterborough in the league in 4 weeks time. 
 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 27/11/2022 VS HARLESTON MAGPIES 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 27/11/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 27/11/2022 
HEADLINE: Record Taverham Attendance at a Superb Showcase for Norfolk Hockey  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham Recreational Facility  
RESULT: 1-2 Loss 
 
REPORT: 
The clubhouse was hussling and bustling from midday in anticipation of the coming together of 2 Norfolk forces. 
 
An attendance close to 200 were treated to the rain departing and some great hockey arriving. Neither side in control, both sides creating half chances but the defence of either team were equal to all advances. With Chris Leek making multiple saves for Magpies as well as Tom Harris & Harry Brown marshaling the City D extremely Well and Harry Gill chasing down the first Magpies short corner of the game. Q1: 0-0. 
 
Early In the 2nd quarter a Sam Hyatt turnover into Harry Gill who ran the length of the field and Sam followed it all the way and was on hand to receive the ball back but narrowly miss wide after his epic effort. 
A few moments later Harry Gill passed to Chris wardale who quickly moved the ball onto jonty back who forced a good save from Chris Leek. 
Soon after Magpies midfield found themselves in acres of space and with a quick 1-2 out wide and ball into the top of the D for a quick slap towards goal they had a 1-0 lead. 
HT: 0-1. 
 
Norwich had the possession and had the speed of attack but were struggling to win shorts or put anything towards goal that Magpies weren't equal to. With Harry Gill, Jonty Black, Ben Chapman and CamCooke all forcing saves. Magpies had some goo attacks of their own, with the game very much still in the balance and Alastair Cooke made some saves of his own. Shortly before halftime Harleston won their 2nd short corner of the game and Sam Crawford dragged into the right hand side netting for a 2-0 Magpies lead at the end of Q3. 
 
Norwich still battled on were getting turnovers in good positions but the final finish still lacking. With 10minutes to go City won their first Short corner of the game and after a deflection from Elliot Hibell thought they'd got on the scoresheet but a great save from Chris Leek kept his net empty. Thankfully 2 minutes later Elliot had won a 2nd short corner and Cam Cooke gladly dragged in for 1-2 scoreline with plenty time left for a 2nd. Norwich pushed on but Mgapies continued to Marshall their D effectively and it remained 1-2 to end. 
 
 
An Incredible afternoon of Hockey. 
Thank you to all who came and made it a great spectacle. 
Rounding off a super 1st half of the season. 
Well earned Christmas break before we go again in Febaruary 2023. 
 
 
 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 20/11/2022 VS HARBORNE 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 20/11/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 20/11/2022 
HEADLINE: Long Away Day Ends In Defeat For M1s 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: King Edwards VI Boys School  
RESULT: 1-5 L 
 
REPORT: 
An early wake up call in the rain meant lots of catching up on sleep on the journey to Birimgham. We knew Harborne had been on a slide of back to back losses of late so would be fired up to end that streak at home... 
 
And we really weren't wrong. Harborne were confident, quick and clinical. And we were caught off the pace for the first quarter. With quick 1-2s all the way from defence to attack they'd won their first short corner inside 2 minutes and had their first goal 30 seconds later, a drag from their player/Coach Peter Jackson who has been on incredible goal scoring form so far this year.  
Slowly we grew into the game and allowed less time and space through the middle channel for Harborne to raid through, but they were still creating chance after chance. Albeit Alastair Cooke, Harry Brown, Alex Scott, Krishna Patel and Tom Harris all on hand at varying points throughout the quarter to win their battles and avoid giving away fouls. And it remained 0-1 to the close the quarter.  
 
2nd quarter was more of the same, tough battle and City's defence staying strong but still all Harborne in possession. 7 minutes in they had won their second short corner of the game and scored their second goal. Same as before, Peter Jackson drag. Both sides exchanged cards but neither side really created much for the remainder of the half and it finished 0-2 at HT. 
 
After a rousing half time team talk we came out strong and found ourselves in the Harborne D on numerous occasions but couldn't find a foot, foul or goal bound shot to really trouble them. We then went down to ten men for 10 mimutes as Josh Baker went to ground to make a tackle that was deemed a foul. Seemed harsh but did hamper our comeback somewhat. We spent the next 10 minutes fighting like dogs to remain in the game and with an incredible short corner pick from Harry Brown aswell as another goal line clearance from Jonty Black we did just that. A man down for 10 minutes but no goal conceded and with that lifting us Cam Cooke even forced a few saves from their keeper, and we had Harborne on the backfoot for the first time in the game. Unfortunately after the mental & physical effort of being down we had a momentary lapse in concentration and an unmarked player at the backpost managed to tap-in for a 3 goal lead 10 seconds before the end of the quarter. Q3: 0-3. 
 
The 4th quarter began and with nothing to lose we threw everything at Harborne, including, but not limited to, Tom Cooke aerials and afterJosh Baker gave his all to chase one to the baseline and ending up over the pitch barrier doing so, Cam Cooke picked up the free ball and danced around the D hoping to win a short corner but advantage was played and he rocketed a hit into the top corner, the Harborne keeper had been excellent all game but no keeper was saving that! 1-3, hope of a comeback had arrived. We continued the momentum and won our first short corner of the game, although a poor injection meant we couldn't make much of it. We had a hit blazed across the D that couldn't quite reach Louis Preston and a similar ball across to Chris Wardale that the keeper was equal to. We were well and truly in the game but Harborne still threatened and after a quick counter and a messy D from a rebound off an Alastair Cooke save fell to a Harborne forward for an easy hit into an almost empty net and crush our momentum by restoring their 3 goal lead with less than 5 minutes to go. In the final minute Harborne won their 6th short corner of the game and scored their 4th short corner goal with it.  
 
Final score 5-1 to the hosts. I would say 5 goals flattered them but no doubt who the better side was. Harborne showed why they're going for promotion to division 1 by finishing almost everything they had. We lacked that clinical edge but you have those days. We go again. 
 
A tough loss and plenty lessons to learn. We won't get everything right 100% of the time and won't get everything our own way in this league. A great 70 minutes of effort despite being down for 95% of it, impeccable mental strength shown by all to keep fighting to get back into it. The perfect warm up for the Norfolk Derby at Taverham this coming weekend! 
 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 13/11/2022 VS UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM 2 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 13/11/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 13/11/2022 
HEADLINE: Mens 1s Win Close Affair At Taverham  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham Recreational Facility  
RESULT: 2-1 W 
 
REPORT: 
Birmingham made the 300 mile round trip that we will become familiar of with our first trip to Bimrgimham next week and 2 more trips there in the second half of the season. 
 
Even with the long journey they didnt come out sleepy at all with a full press aimed to catch us off guard but our experienced defenders stood strong and kept the ball in the face of pressure. Slowly Birmingham stepped their press off and the game opened up. But this came to their advantage as they saw joy down the wings and gained 2 D entries. First entry saw a reverse shot saved by Alastair Cooke and the 2nd saw a short corner win but once again Alastair Cooke was equal to it. Then the last 5 minutes of the quarter were all City. Josh Baker & Cam Cooke both having shots saved before Josh Baker and Jonty Black linked up to win a short corner. The Birmingham keeper was equal to Tom Cookes drag and Jonty Blacks rebound. Q1 ended 0-0. 
 
The 2nd quarter saw both sides trying the aerial route, with Norwich coming off the better of the two in the air. One such aerial led to Elliot Hibell winning our 2nd short corner of the game but once again the UoB keeper was equal to our drags, this time from Cam Cooke. Shortly after Elliot Hibell was on hand again, this time to win a penalty stroke after a foot on the line from his goal ward bound shot. Cam Cooke stepped up and planted it into the corner and Norwich had a well deserved lead. Birmingham got fired up for the last few minutes of the half and came back at us, winning 2 short corners in the process but between Alex Scott and Alastair Cooke they were able to save anything that came towards the goal.  
HT: 1-0 NCHC. 
 
Much the same as the 1st half, the 2nd half got underway and Birmingham were on top.  
Winning 2 more short corners but again and again they couldn't make the corners pay. And their 5th short corner resulted in a quick Norwich counter all the way to their own D to concede a short corner. UoB Keeper was once again equal to all our attempts goalward. 
After plenty end to end hockey Birmingham finally dealt a killer counter attack after a forward found himself on the ball in the D after some sharp work down the right hand side. His reverse nestled in the side netting and they deservedly brought the game to 1-1 to close Q3. 
 
The start of the 4th quarter saw Birmingham go a man down after hitting a ball away and City saw this as a chance to push for the win. And this hope was immediately increased after our visitors picked up a 2nd yellow for a stick tackle and we made the numerical advantage pay as Josh Baker got a turnover in their 23 and then reversed it chest height into space across the face of the D and Elliot Hibell acrobatically dived and deflected the ball in for an incredible 2-1 lead. In the final 5 minutes we got a yellow card of our own but the lads maturely held on for the full 3 points. 
 
Tight battle at Taverham, Birmingham showing why they've been so tough to beat this season and will be a hard away day in 2023. But the boys in yellow got the job done today and are well ahead of expectations for this point in the season. Well done! 
 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 06/11/2022 VS LICHFIELD 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 06/11/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 06/11/2022 
HEADLINE: Raining Goals At Taverham As Men's 1s Go Two From Two At Home! 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham Recreational Facility  
RESULT: 5-3 W 
 
REPORT: 
The mood in camp was good, a big point against a feared opposition the previous week and the luxury of back to back home games. Lichfield didnt have this luxury and made the 170mile journey to Norfolk and were met with an almighty downpour. Harry Brown had the mop out before pushback as a puddle had appeared in the far corner. 
 
The first 3 minutes were dominated by City, 
Lichfield barely touching the ball despite them taking pushback. 3 D entries later and we made it count with Tom Cooke finding Louis Preston on the baseline who carried towards goal and passed to Josh Baker for an cool finish from the p-spot for a deserved 1 goal lead. 
Lichfield continued to struggle to get used to the unusually fast Taverham pitch that had become a full waterbase from the previous 2 days rain and with City forcing numerous turnovers in Lichfields half they were forcing save after save from the Lichfield keeper but he was equal to both Harry Gill & Cameron Cooke's attempts. Lichfield did slowly come back into the game and won a short corner and with a drag low into the left corner had equalised and left us to rue the earlier missed chances. Thankfully directly after pushback we won our own short corner and Thomas Cooke slid it through the keepers legs to restore the 1 goal lead 60 seconds later. 
Q1 ended 2-1 to City. 
 
The 2nd quarter saw lots of diving in from City and Control of the game slipping away. 4 short corners conceded but Alastair Cooke was on hand to save them all. After Lichfields period of dominance but no result City had there own. Josh Baker had a reverse hit saved, Harry Gill made a great run through before a 1-2 with Chris Wardale but then sent the ball over the bar and then Ben Chapman found himself In behind from a Tom Cooke aerial but his pass didn't quite fall to Chris Wardale at the back post. 
HT: 2-1 City. 
 
Similar to 1st Quarter the first few minutes were all City. Louis Preston found Cam Cooke to charge through the midfield before passing to Josh Baker in the D who drew the keeper out before squaring the ball to Ben Chapman for an easy finish and a 2 goal lead. Louis turned over another ball and found Cam Cooke once again, he raced through to have a 1 on 1 with the keeper and the rebound fell to Josh Baker who put it goalbound (and over the line, as admitted by Lichfield afterwards) but it wasn't given. Lichfield won another short corner but Alastair Cooke continued to be equal to them. Then, pretty much a copy to the 3rd goal earlier in the quarter, just a change in personnel: turnover from Harry Gill, Harry ran through to find Josh Baker and Josh Baker passed around the keeper to Chris wardale who had the easy finish this time.  
Q3 ended 4-1. 
 
Q4 started calmly but Lichfield slowly grew into it and began to build some chances. After some missed shots they won a short and dragged themselves back into the game: 4-2. Whether complacency or tiredness City began to pass & move with much less pace and invited more and more pressure. And after the midfield failed to track a quickly taken long corner, Lichfield had an open reverse at the top of the D and it was 4-3. Lichfield well and truly back in it. Thankfully 60 seconds later Elliot Hibell on his home debut found Cam Cooke just outside the D who lifted over the keeper into the top left corner to restore the 2 goal lead and end Lichfields momentum. 
 
City saw out the remaining 4 minutes comfortably and Lichfield got frustrated, picking up a green card late on for chat to the umpire. A 5-3 win, 2 from 2 at home and a great one for the neutral with plenty action even with the dismal conditions. Thank you to all who did brave the downpour to support. 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 30/10/2022 VS CITY OF PETERBOROUGH 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 30/10/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 30/10/2022 
HEADLINE: Norwich City End Peterboroughs 100% Run! 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: City Of Peterborough Hockey Club 
RESULT: 1-1  
 
REPORT: 
After a successful start to life in national league the team faced their toughest test so far with a trip away to face former division 1 opponents Peterborough who had started with 4 wins from 4. Although a recent 1 goal win over local rivals Magpies and the game being after a slip week meant we had all the faith we could catch our opponents off guard and take all 3 points back to Norwich. This was helped further with the unknown wildcard addition of Elliot Hibell looking to bring back his form of his last competitive game 4 years ago on debut for Norwich City. 
 
This aim started well with both sides having phases of stringing passes together and looking dangerous in and around the offensive D. Both sides were relieving pressure on the defense with aerials but this meant neither side held onto the ball for particularly long periods and could get on top. After a few threats Norwich won the first short corner of the game and made it pay with Thomas Cooke taking sole possession of the top scorer standings with his 5th goal of the season. Peterborough threatened a few more times down their left hand side but provided no change to the scoreline. Q1: 1-0. 
 
Immediately as the 2nd Quarter begun Chris Wardale found himself unmarked at the top of the D and rocketed a hit just past the left post. Similar to quarter 1 both sides continued to threaten but neither could find the target or win any short corners. A great end to end affair for the Norwich faithful that had made the journey aswell as the Long Sutton fan club that had come to watch former player Josh Baker. Lots of scrappy action in either D saw Peterbrough get frustrated for not winning short corners and Norwich have 2 goals chalked off for back sticks and feet in the lead up. This continued all quarter and kept our lead at 1 goal at halftime. 
 
3rd quarter saw continued effort from the forwards to pressure their defenders into mistakes and resort to aerials and long balls. Anything that did get into our half was quickly snuffed out by Harry Brown, Alex Scott, Krishna Patel & Tom Harris and Elliot Hibell, Sam Hyatt & Jonty Black did superbly well to remove the immediate pressure on turnover by winning fouls through quick stickskills and smart carries into space. Peterbrough got increasingly frustrated by the lack of outcomes they were getting and took it out on the umpires which resulted in a green card for one of their players. This meant we could see out the 3rd quarter with the extra man and it remained 1-0 to City. 
 
The 4th quarter was a very different story, Peterbrough came out hard and showed they were unbeaten for a reason. They kept their passing short and dominated possession and territory. But our defence remained strong. Our defenders did well to pick balls in and anything that got through was saved by Alastair Cooke in goal. Peterborough eventually found luck with some skillful D entries and Short corner wins, although Harry Gill running out and Alastair Cooke in goal were able to stop their first 3 corners. Unfortunately their 4th corner with 4 minutes to go was bundled in at the 3rd time of asking after a save and goal line clearance. This fired Norwich up and we had a couple attacks to take the lead back including a lovely deflection from Pete Morgan after Tom Cooke found him with an excellent ball from halfway, but couldn't make them pay. And in the dying seconds Peterborough won their 5th short corner of the game and much like their previous outing vs Harleston Magpies had a chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with the last play of the game. But Alastair Cooke was equal to it and parried it back into the D and in the scramble that ensued it hit a Peterborough foot and that was the game.  
 
1-1. Very fair result with both teams having phases of domination and an extremely good showing from a newly promoted side to take points off a newly relegated side and show we more than belong in National League. 
 
Bring on only our 2nd home game but 6th game of the season next as we welcome Lichfield to Taverham. With only 2 points separating the 2 sides.  

MENS 1ST XI - 16/10/2022 VS NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY 2 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 16/10/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 16/10/2022 
HEADLINE: Norwich City Men's 1s Unbeaten Run Ends Versus Tough Nottingham Squad 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Nottingham Hockey Centre 
RESULT: 5-3 L 
 
REPORT: 
2 wins and 1 draw in our debut national league campaign saw the squad in good spirits for the away trek to Nottingham where we were greeted by plenty old Norwich faces currently attending Nottingham University. Unfortunately 1 was playing against us.  
 
After part of our Warmup consisting of watching some international hockey players warmup at the Beeston vs Old Georgians match across the car park we headed over to get ready for our clash. We knew it would a different test to our previous 3 games with the youth of a university side aswell as their 1s being a National Premier League outfit and a few minutes in we could see why as they dominated possession and didn't let us get comfortable on the ball before suffocating us. We held strong for 8 minutes of Nottingham possession in our half before they made it pay with a quick pass and move down the right hand side that came down The baseline and picked out former Norwich player Harry Patterson for a reverse into our net and a well earned lead. We began to press higher and make it tougher for the university boys but after a few almost breaks and a shot saved from Stu Wardle we found Nottingham in our D again and they won a short, which they gladly dragged home for a 2-0 lead to end Q1. 
 
We continued to grow into the game and the 2nd quarter saw Notts spend far less time in our half and we started to threaten more and more at their end. Chris wardale had a shot saved, Stu Wardale had a deflection saved before Jonty Black cooly won a short corner. Thomas Cooke planted the ball through the keepers legs to get our tally going. The game was far more balanced now with both sides creating equal chances although Notts won their 2nd short corner of the game and with another drag to the left but this time low and deflected in they had restored their 2 goal lead and a minute later a quickly taken free hit caught us off guard and it was 4-1 seconds before half time. 15 minutes of hard work turn upside down in the final minutes of the quarter. HT: 4-1. 
 
2nd half started. 30 seconds later Notts had scored their 5th. We were caught diving in and they gleefully passed round us to find an open man at the back post for a tap-in. That was just the wake up call we needed. Caught their back 4 off guard with a few aerials that saw Cam Cooke & Ben Chapman have chances, before a Josh Baker hit forced a good save from the Nottingham keeper. Jonty Black then broke into the D and won his 2nd short corner of the day. Unfortunately the Nottingham keeper was equal to Thomas Cooke this time. Q3: 5-1. 
 
Finally 5 minutes into quarter 4 our 2nd half dominance paid off. Josh Baker lifted the ball passed one defender before planting it onto another ones foot. Chris Wardale stepped up for this one and dragged home our 2nd goal. We then forced the keeper into a great double save as Harry Brown found Louis Preston in the D for a shot and Stu Wardle came in for the rebound but we remained 3 goals behind. With a few minutes to go Harry Gill won a short corner and Thomas Cooke got his second and made it 3 goals from 4 short corners for us on the day! Finished 5-3. Our first loss on the season.  
 
5-3 probably not the result the 2nd half performance reflected but a resilient comeback that showed alot of mental toughness from the 5-1 down halfway through. Thankfully the loss wasn't enough for Nottingham to leapfrog Norwich and we remain 3rd ahead of a huge 3rd vs 2nd clash in Peterborough up next.  

MENS 1ST XI - 09/10/2022 VS ST ALBANS 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 09/10/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 09/10/2022 
HEADLINE: Taverham Gets Its First Taste of National League Hockey! 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Taverham Recreational Facility  
RESULT: 3-1 W 
 
REPORT: 
After 2 away fixtures to begin we had to wait until gameweek 3 for our first home fixture. What's another few weeks to wait after 32 years of the clubs existence and it was well worth the wait. Lots of excitement surrounding the debut of TRF in national league all day and a huge crowd that made the journey to witness it. Hugely appreciated by all the players and everyone else who has had any part (big or small) to play in the rise to national league. 
 
And with the crowd slowly building the game got underway with a tight first quarter with both sides trading short corners and plenty chances but both Alastair Cooke and the St Albans keeper were equal to everything put in front of them. We could tell early on we had the pace advantage over their defenders but couldn't make it pay. Q1: 0-0. 
 
Soon after the break Josh Baker found his way round the back and into the D and the ball was cleared out to Tom Cooke who then passed it back in to Pete Morgan to deflect in, Norwich had taken control of the close affair. This was 24 years since Pete's last national league goal back when he was playing for Local rivals Harleston Magpies. St Albans continued to threaten with 2 counter attacks that ended in 1-on-1s with Alastair Cooke but thankfully he saved both and maintained our 1 goal lead. HT: 1-0. 
 
As the second half progressed we started to show more and more dominace and St Albans spent less time in our half. After a Chris Wardale turnover he found Cam Cooke who rocketed the ball narrowly over. We continued to create chances but speculative hits in were not making them count. As time ran out In the 3rd quarter we won a short corner and after a Cam Cooke drag was parried out to Josh Baker he hammered the ball back towards goal and it found its way in the bottom left corner. His maiden national league goal in only his second start and in front of a large Long Sutton Hockey Club contingent that had made the journey. Q3: 2-0. 
 
To begin the 4th quarter St Albans got caught questioning the umpire after they thought the ball had gone out of play, meanwhile Ben Chapman ran in behind and took down an aerial before rounding the keeper and slapping into an empty net for a 3 goal lead. This injected some life into St Albans and forced Alastair Cooke to make 2 more saves before they won a pair of short corners. The 2nd of which their captain squeezed in and they had got on the Scoreboard. FT: 3-1. 
 
A fantastic day for the club topped off with a fantastic display from the team. Well earned 3 points and the team starting to show they can upset some teams that have been a continued presence in national league! 

MENS 1ST XI - 02/10/2022 VS LOUGHBOROUGH TOWN 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 02/10/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 02/10/2022 
HEADLINE: M1s First Win see's them climb the table! 
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Loughborough University  
RESULT: 7-2  
 
REPORT: 
After getting our first points on the board away to Bedford, we had back-to-back away journeys to start with a trip North to Loughborough.  
 
With some familiar faces playing for Lougborough we were expecting them to make it tough for us and this was true with both sides threatening at either end to start. After a few near misses, Chris Wardale made it two goals in two games for him after Cam Cooke found him at the back post. 3 minutes later Harry Gill had found Ben Chapman in the D for a deflection and a 2 goal lead. Tom Harris then made a marauding run up the right and found Cam Cooke at the top of the D who reversed in to the bottom right corner for a 3-0 Q1 lead. 
 
The 2nd Quarter began much the same as the first with end to end attacks which saw both sides exchanging goals. Norwich City were first to bag through Ben Chapman after Thomas Cooke quickly broke through and found him on the edge of the D and Ben hit the ball sweetly into the near bottom corner. Unfortunately a loose short counter routine later and Loughborough had grabbed one back.  
 
After Loughborough looked to get back into the game we came out with the intention to grab back control immediately and Cam Cooke did exactly that. A great team goal was started with a turnover from Jonty Black, finding Tom Cooke inside who gave the ball to Chris Wardale on the baseline who found Cam at the P-Spot who calmly slotted his flick into the roof of the net and we went into the half 5-1 up. 
 
The 2nd half started slow as we calmly controlled possession and looked to tire Loughborough out of the game. 
With minimal attacks against us, we looked on top and made this clear as Pete Morgan picked up the ball in our half and played down the line to Josh Baker and played a glorious reverse into Louis Preston who had busted a lung to run the length of the pitch and took it around the keeper before finishing from the baseline and making it 6-1. 
Although the restart opened us up to quick comeback with loughborough immediately in our D and a few miscontolled tackles and interceptions later the ball found its way to a town forward who bundled it home to make it 6-2 just before quarter time. 
 
The final quarter was much the same with City dominating possession and the attacks to see out the game and with that Cam Cooke completed his Hattrick with a run through their entire defence and 2nd reverse finish of the game to see the final score to 7-2. 
 
We have well and truly arrived in national league and with 11 goals through our 1st two games have shown we have some killer potential, currently sitting in 3rd. 
After a great first 2 results we look to make it points from 3 out of 3 games as we bring national league hockey to Taverham for the first time in it's history this weekend! 
 

MENS 1ST XI - 25/09/2022 VS BEDFORD 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Mens 1st XI 
DATE: 25/09/2022 
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 25/09/2022 
HEADLINE: M1s Get Their Debut National League Campaign Started  
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS 
VENUE: Bedford  
RESULT: 4-4  
 
REPORT: 
The time had come, 
32 years in the making,  
Norwich City Hockey Club were making their national league debut! 
 
And after 6 minutes of that debut we'd been given a wake up call to the level we were now playing at after being 2-0 down. Thankfully we kept our nerve and slowed their momentum by grabbing a quick response through Tom Cooke after the defenders parted to allow him a pass into an almost empty net from our first short corner of the match. But Bedford managed to get another and restore their 2 goal lead just before the end of Quarter 1. 
 
After a calming team talk from Marts reassuring the team that we had been creating the chances and the goals will come we started the 2nd Quarter positively.  
We won a second short of the game and Tom Cooke once again converted for his second goal of the game.  
We continued the momentum to bag another as Cam Cooke run through 1 on 1 with the keeper and calmly took it round him to convert. Halftime 3-3. 
 
We had truly grown into the occasion and came out into the 3rd quarter much the same and with a hit in from Harry Gill and superb deflection from outside the p spot from Chris Wardale we had taken an unlikely lead from where we had been in Quarter 1. 
 
Bedford slowly threw more and more men forward and started to build some dangerous phases but City stayed tough to beat with some great saves from Alastair Cooke. But with a few minutes left on the clock the Bedford Centre Back who had already scored had pushed through and found himself in the D with time and space and planted a superb reverse in the bottom right corner and had earned Bedford a point.  
 
All-in-all a superb performance on national league debut, something all the squad and the entire club should be proud of as they showed we truly belong in this league in a tough away fixture to begin this campaign!