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WH&E L1 0 : 5 Teddington L2

‘Twas the last match before Christmas at Southbury Leisure Centre. The Ladies 1s were a few women down but rallied support from lovely Pippa, Kate and Charlotte. We came out and played strong from the get go against tough Teddington and held our own for most of the first half, letting only 1 sneak past the diving Nic.

The second half again we had moments of beautiful 1, 2s between Lucy, Karen and Pippa, Mia taking on 5 women and winning the ball, Helen and Charlotte pressing strong against their defenders and Reanne playing strong wherever she ended up playing. Sam had a great game until she got a nasty cheek ball from close range and had to watch the remainder from the bench. Beth stepped into her position and played solid defensively shutting them down. Unfortunately, we then conceded 3 goals in the last 20 minutes, even with Nic making amazing diving saves! It was a tough loss against Teddington but come 2021 we will be sure to come out even stronger

WH&E M1 3 : 4 Bishops Stortford M3

The men’s 1s were playing Bishops Stortford 3s in a late push back, under the floodlights at Hockerill College, hoping hockey would be the winner.

Both teams started off defending well, the early stages mainly played in the middle of the pitch with very few chances at either end. WHE began to take control of the match and broke the deadlock with a neat deflection at the near post by Colin after around 20 minutes. The 1 goal lead would be taken into half time, kept intact thanks to a brilliant save by Balazs from a penalty flick, given after a short corner had hit a foot on the line.

The second half started off in a similar fashion, with WHE continuing to apply the high press backed up by solid defending, this has been an effective feature all season. The lead soon increased to 2-0, Josh putting away a reverse stick strike, and WHE were in control of the match.

This must have upset Stortford and the umpire, who for some reason felt the need to call the captains together to calm things down. The match then turned on its head and started to resemble a basketball game. Jason was verbally given a green card after an innocuous challenge. The umpire didn’t have any cards to display, some players were unaware that the team was down to 10 men, and Stortford scored two quick goals to draw level.

Back to full strength and Hill restored their lead almost immediately. Some quick passing found Josh in the right wing area, who dribbled into the D and played the ball into the goal from a narrow angle. After checking with the umpire at the other end, the goal was reluctantly awarded.

As the match progressed, WHE were unsure of what decisions the umpire would make, so it became difficult to keep up the momentum and high press. This allowed Stortford an easy way out and they scored two more, within 15 minutes of their first.

WHE kept pushing for an equaliser, and the ball broke free to Harry in the D who put it in the goal, however it would not count due to an earlier foot. The match finished 4-3 to Stortford, with WHE looking forward to the return fixture to put a few things right…

WH&E M2 3 : 4 Letchworth M5

The men’s 2s went down by the same scoreline as the men’s 1s in another tight match. However, a re-organised line up shows good promise for the future and the team will be raring to go when league hockey returns in the New Year.

No match for the Ladies 2s this week…

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WH&E L1 2 : 1 Eastcote L2

Winners!The day started quite badly…

  • The leisure centre didn’t remember there was a match 🙄
  • One of our umpires got the pushback time wrong 🤦‍♀️
  • Eastcote scored in the 1st minute of the game 😣

Luckily, things were only on the up from there…

The majority of the first half (apart from the first minute) was really strong for us. We were communicating effectively, passing accurately and making lots of strong 1-2s up the width of the pitch around their players to create many chances.

The first 2 of those chances were balls going just wide of the goal, so we needed to get our players ready on the posts!

We started the 2nd half still 1-0 down but so pumped from how well we were playing that we were determined to make this week our first win.

We continued to make chances as we had great runs from our defensive line into the opposition’s half to really put the pressure on. Our first goal eventually came when Bethany made a run up the right and crossed it into the D for Beth to get a touch on it, only to hit the post (followed by an exasperated shriek!) but then Beth managed to get the rebound under control and into the back of the net!!! 1-1!!!

We continued to put the pressure on as our new diamond formation helped us to distribute the ball better and cover more ground in the midfield. After a great run from Mia up the left, the ball was passed to Bethany who managed to hit towards the P spot before falling over (😂). Helen then took control to pop it into the back of the net and make it 2-1!!!!!!

We were winning but we wanted to make it harder for ourselves, so we decided to have 5 short corners against us as instead of playing it cool for the last 10 minutes. It was nerve-wracking to watch from the halfway line as we waited to see our defence step up, but the result was amazing. We had Nic in goal performing great controlled saves, Gemma clear a ball off the line, and Sam making some smashing runs to prevent Eastcote taking advantage.

THEN THE WHISTLE FINALLY GOES AND WE HAVE WON A MATCH!!!! Our reaction seems over the top as we jump up and down and shout with joy…but when you realise we haven’t won a match all (calendar) year it will make sense why we’re so ecstatic.

We worked really hard and it paid off.

No specific player of the match this week as every individual played so so well and really stepped up.

WH&E M1 0 : 1 Shefford and Sandy M2

1:15 at Southbury road saw the restart of hockey for WH&E men’s 1st team against Shefford & Sandy 2’s. Hill started the first half strongly pushing hard from the back passing the ball round well and making the young opposition chase the game.

It was an evenly matched first half with both sides having their fair share of attempts at goal, with the odd Winchmore cross going un-challenged across the opposition goal, only the final touch was missing for the home side. Dominic Smith had the pick of the chances unleashing a fierce shot which narrowly missed high.

S&S had their own chances, counter attacking well but were denied by some sharp keeping but unfortunately the away side found the net with a well worked short corner, passing the ball sharply in the D. In past seasons this might have dropped the heads of the home team, however the fight continued with a couple of short corners before half time, but sadly the final spark of brilliance to breach the goal line is all that eluded the home team.

The second half saw S&S step up the pace but a strong defensive line, backed up by the midfield tracking back, frustrated the away team. The Winchmore midfield of Stuart Carrick, Adam Machray, Smith & Tim Legierse, backed up by Michael Dutnall, continuously troubled the opposition, giving Colin and the forwards the supply they needed – amassing 7 short corners but denied by a well organised S&S defence and goal keeper.

The last 10 minutes saw a barrage from the oppo, but the Winchmore defence held strong. Lopez saving a hard shot from a short corner & Jim continuing to deny the opposition forwards with sharp footwork and quick hands.

One final charge from the hill who won a couple of short corners in a row towards the end of the second half. That narrow 1 goal lead eating away at the Shefford and Sandy players, the opposition keeper denied all attempts and the final whistle went. A relieved opposition would be a fair assessment, and the only thing missing from the home side was that final touch across the line. A draw would have been a much fairer result but, all in all a performance worthy of note from the home side against players who are generally considered more able than the S&S 2nd team when the opportunity is presented.

An admirable performance in any case!

WH&E M2 0 : 7 Blueharts Colts

A battling performance in the first half had the men’s 2s only 1-0 down on their return to action up at Hitchin. However, the better organisation and team play of the young Blueharts side saw them run away with it in the second half with six more goals.

WH&E L2 0 : 2 West Hampstead L5

The ladies 2s suffered a narrow defeat in a tight game with West Hampstead. Some encouraging play, but Winchmore were unable to find a goal to put the opposition under pressure. A rusty start to the return of hockey, and no further games now till after Christmas for the ladies 2s.

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WH&E L2 2 : 1 Harrow L3

We started well with a brilliant bit of possession from the off, followed by good composure on the ball and lots of play in the opposition D.

With high hopes of finishing the half at 0-0, Gem Luckman went back on to sure things up and found herself in space in the D on the end of a lovely cross from Gem D but got it caught under her feet and unfortunately couldn’t put it away.

The second half didn’t start quite so well but eventually Gem D scored her first Winchmore goal to put us ahead. We continued to have the best of the play but unfortunately conceded a soft goal. That ignited a strong reaction from the team, and we upped the pressure until Gem Luckman retook the lead with a well-placed short corner.

There were many volunteers for ‘Dick of the Day’ at the end of the match for a variety of reasons but obviously our good stuff must have been great because we finished with a 2-1 win!

The rain may have put a dampener on some teams but not the ladies 2s! It seemingly washed our mirror and finally the score did reflect!

WH&E M2 0 : 2 Shefford and Sandy M4

A late start and a long journey, but 12 hardy souls made the trip to take on Shefford and Sandy 4s. So far this season there have been lots of strong performances, where the totally unbiased report has suggested that if we’d converted a few more of our good chances in front of goal then we really deserved to win. This week, those chances were few and far between, and a 2-0 loss was probably a fair result ☹.

The teams were evenly matched overall, though with more variation across their team let us say, and our defence looked strong throughout. A first-half goal for Shefford and Sandy came after a couple of unnoticed fouls in the D, and with Winchmore failing to play to the whistle there was a scramble and a final tap in at the far post.

We tried to come back in the second half, but our attacks this game lacked teamwork and passing, and continued to falter at their centre-back, who showed considerable talent – not least in his ability to aerial a 16 hit out all the way to land on our 25! Somewhat impressive for our division – but our own fault for not passing and going wider round the other defenders.

We continued to deal with all their attacks until a short corner, where Shefford scored the ‘highest’ goal I’ve ever seen. A deflection top D saw the ball balloon, and from right by the post the Shefford forward brought the ball down from about 3 feet over his head. Somewhat fortunate again, but a great goal!

There was no way back from there, and despite a couple of late short corners we couldn’t pull one back. We’ve played much better than that, and it’s disappointing that lockdown will delay our chance to bounce back and show how we can really play…

WH&E M1 0 : 4 Bishops Stortford M2

The men’s 1s slipped to defeat against top of the table Bishops Stortford, ending their run of 3 successive wins. With 4 players unavailable from the regular squad, it was always going to be a difficult game against the league’s stand out team. Two goals in each half were enough for the visitors to secure the points, with Winchmore unlucky to miss out on a consolation goal which was disallowed after consultation between the umpires.

Nevertheless, a good start to the season, and the men’s 1st team goes into the new lockdown sitting in 4th place in the league.

WH&E L1 0 : 3 PHC Chiswick L3

The ladies 1s slipped to another defeat in a tricky away game at Chiswick. They’ll be looking for a fast start when the league returns post lockdown.

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WH&E M1 1 : 0 Blueharts M4

The Men’s 1s travelled to Hitchin looking for their third win on the bounce. It was a blustery, rainy afternoon but recent victories meant confidence was high and the team were looking forward to zipping the ball about on the fast surface at Blueharts.

The first ten minutes started promisingly. Patient build-up and speedy switching of play around the back led to Winchmore dominating possession. A strong high press was forcing the opposition into turning over possession in their half and pressure was mounting.

Unfortunately, our structure started to wobble a bit and Blueharts began to gain some territory. However, the strong and organised defence of Jim, Lopez, Michael and Matt made sure they were unable to create any clear chances.

We then reasserted our dominance, and on a day where goalmouth action was in short supply, we created what turned out to be the match-winning opportunity from the main moment of quality in the match. From our 16, good movement in midfield from Stuart and Dominic opened up a channel through the middle. One pacy pass from the back, a deflection from midfield and Jason picked up the ball and ran at their defence. A neat inside slip to Colin and he moved into the D, winning a short-corner as their tracking runner hacked at his stick.

From the short, a fast injection from Tim opened up the opportunity for a straight strike, which the keeper managed to get half a foot on, but this left the rebound opportunity for Stan, which he despatched into the bottom corner. 1-0 Winchmore.

The second half needs little said about it. We created a couple more half-chances but couldn’t build on our lead. Both sides were impatient with the ball and this led to some frantic but unproductive hockey being played. Fortunately, Jim continued to show his good form in goal, cleanly taking the ball off their striker’s stick when they made a rare foray into our D.

At one point in the second half the umpire said this game would be on last on Match of the Day. He had a point. However, Winchmore showed plenty of fighting spirit to keep a clean sheet and there was no lack of effort in making sure we got those three points. So, whilst there is much to work on for the next game, if winning when not playing brilliantly is a good sign, then things look promising for the rest of the season.

WH&E M2 2 : 4 Hertford M5

Another close match for the Men’s 2s, but another unfortunate reverse against Hertford 5. Both sides had a strong spine of experience down the middle, and youthful legs on the wings, and Winchmore took the lead halfway through the first half from a short corner.

Although we were creating chances, we couldn’t extend the lead, and then were hit by a couple of sucker punches with a couple of Hertford goals from about 1 yard out giving first-half stand-in keeper Stuart no chance. Another goal from Hertford, drilled in from a short corner, left us 3-1 down at half-time, and worse was to come with an immediate fourth in the second half as an unfortunate deflection on a cross left the ball to be drilled bottom corner from the middle of the D.

Heads were momentarily down, but only momentarily. We kept on challenging, we kept on passing, and as the game opened up we had far more of the chances. We’ve got a number of skilful dribblers, but are currently lacking a natural goal-scorer. Older heads could have done better from top D, younger heads could have gambled more with their runs, and we may have snatched this one.

As it was, we only managed to get one back – a lovely drift across to the far post by Theo to get on the end of a cross, and despite Theo’s effort being saved Jonathan was there to score the goal.  Overall, another enjoyable game, but another opportunity missed. Let’s start turning these good performances into good results!

WH&E L1 1 : 5 Staines L1

The ladies 1s slipped to another defeat in a game of contrasting halves. The first half was a tight affair, with the visitors grabbing the lead before Winchmore levelled with a well-executed penalty corner drilled in by Sam Deane. In the second half, Staines took control of the midfield and ran out comfortable winners with 4 well taken goals after the break.

WH&E L2 0 : 3 Old Merchant Taylors L2

An improved performance from the ladies 2s, but still not quite grinding out the results yet. Onwards and upwards. 🤞

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WH&E M1 2 : 1 Harpenden M2

M1s v HarpendenIt’s a 12:15 pushback and Winchmore are hosting Harpenden at Southbury for their second home game of the season. Winchmore go into the game on good form and a full squad, as well as a stand-in manager in Rafi Zeff.

Harpenden started strongly, passing well, while Winchmore pressed from the front utilising the large squad with constant rotations. Both teams found chances through the high tempo with Harpenden having the better of them but being frustrated by the home keeper, James Gatting, who held his own including a masterful double save with his arse!! 😂

As the game went on Winchmore gained more possession playing around the back and down the wings through the runs of Jake and Stan, Winchmore’s second fastest player, they grew into the game. This along with the introduction of debutant Tim to midfield the pressure built, and the breakthrough came through a strike from Sam Turmaine which proved too much for the keeper despite getting a hand to it.

Some more good link up play down the wings between the likes of Dominic Smith and Colin and the chances keep coming. Finally, after a ball down the line to Sam who then plays a perfect ball across goal for a simple but well-timed tap in for Colin and the lead becomes two.

Harpenden kept up the pressure though and with Winchmore beginning to tire and the press weaken, Harpenden’s quality showed as they finally got their goal. However, the Winchmore defence held on and with the work of players like Stuart Carrick, Dom and Adam Machray in midfield, the 2-1 scoreline was maintained and along with it Winchmore’s good form.

WH&E M2 1 : 2 Cheshunt M3

M2s v CheshuntAnother match there for the taking, but another match that just got away from the Men’s 2s. We had the better of the first half, with more chances, and finished the half 1-0 up. With a squad of 16, we had the legs, but perhaps not the organisation, and with everyone bar the keeper taking time off the pitch we struggled to retain our shape. Cheshunt pressed, and took a 2-1 lead, and despite the game opening up, and multiple good breaks, we couldn’t provide a finishing touch to achieve a deserved equaliser.

With the youngsters – and indeed everyone on the squad – continuing to improve, the future looks bright. And organisationally, we can only improve with some senior experience coming from Richard Chapman, making his debut, but almost certainly having played more league matches than the rest of the team combined!!

And I’m pleased to report, that with Richard’s debut, there were three generations of one family on the pitch – something that can’t be a very common occurrence! One goal each would have made it a better story – but sadly not to be…

WH&E L1 1 : 2 Southgate L3

Player of the MatchThe ladies 1s were very happy to be playing their first home game of the season at the weekend against a team where we knew it would be a close match.

The match started off very even with chances from both teams being well defended by both defensive lines. After 10 mins or so, we unfortunately went 1-0 due to a short corner. A break away by Bethany ended with a 1 on 1 with the keeper that couldn’t be converted but our strong forward line were able to keep the ball up this side of the pitch. Another shot from Bethany was defended by the keeper, but the rebound was picked up by Helen Fenning who slapped it into the back of the net to bring us up to 1-1! Our urgency and pace during the first half was phenomenal.

In the 2nd half, we began to get a little tired and started to make some easy mistakes which gave Southgate an advantage and even though Gem, Charlotte, Mia and Shell were doing a great job in defence, along with Nic in goal, Southgate were able to sneak a goal to make it 2-1.

We played the last 15/20 mins of the match fighting back hard and were able to create a few chances but couldn’t keep our cool and get it in the back of the net, meanwhile Rachelle was diving left, right and centre all over our defensive D to stop Southgate in their tracks.

Final score 2-1 to Southgate but we’re not too disappointed as we played very well and are one step closer to getting our first win of the season!

Player of the match and dick of the day both to Rachelle Pearson who was making really great interceptions and plays up the pitch to progress attack, as well as spending half of the match on the ground. 😅

WH&E L2 0 : 7 NPL L1

L2s v NPLThe ladies 2s slipped to their 3rd straight defeat and are yet to quite find their feet following promotion last year. After a bright start where Winchmore had NPL on the back foot, the visitors found their rhythm and started to dominate the midfield and create plenty of chances upfront. And despite brave defending, NPL went into half-time 4-0 up. The second half was heading in the same direction until the unfortunate injury to NPL’s playmaker, who stood on the ball whilst heading back to the middle after their second goal of the half. Winchmore battled hard, but couldn’t get any reward upfront with the visitors running out worthy winners 7-0.

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