WH&E L1 0 : 2 Hampstead & Westminster W5
We started well, but it became obvious very quickly that H&W were a top of the league kind of team (we lost 8-1) last time. The way it started we looked like we’d go the same way but no…..
Goal line clearances by Amber (one in mid-air with oppo already celebrating), Sarah, Beth and Shell kept us in it while our tiny little keeper flew around the goal keeping the ball out when at times she had no business doing so.
The game was spent predominantly in our half defending. We had a quick break and one penalty corner where despite 3 shots by Sam couldn’t get the ball in the goal.
67 minutes – despite heavy pressure it didn’t really look like H&W were going to score. Then they snuck one in past our hero keeper, and a 2nd came in in the 69th minute.
Final score 0-2 – after the fight we put up a very unfair result but a huge improvement on 8-1….
WH&E L1 2 : 1 Richmond Ravens (Sunday)
1 word….CHAOS
We parked in about 4 different car parks…all from the same entrance.
Shell turned up without any bottoms and so the chaos began.
We started well dominating play throughout the game but couldn’t get a breakthrough….Our tiny little keeper Nic came to our rescue when we decided to be chaotic and let them try to score. Demonstrating that 9.5 hours sleep is just as good as 11. Shell got green carded for some body checking…
Then someone decided to add to the chaos…Pippa the most defensive of defenders played a match made in chaos…from left back to right back to left mid to left wing to right wing to left back to right wing….she moved everywhere and sealed her name in the history book of chaos with a goal! Two very excited big sisters and a dad on the sideline may have been embarrassing.
Then more chaos…Bethany got yellow carded and sat in shame at the sideline. But Richmond decided that 11 v 10 was unfair…and quickly picked up their own yellow card to make it 10v10. Not to be outdone Shell couldn’t resist joining her…a challenge at the top of the D led to another yellow card and a penalty stroke 🙄. Tiny little keeper Nic was sooo close to saving it but no, 1-1. And now we were 9v10…
Then biggest sister decided littlest wasn’t allowed all the scoring glory. Calmly taking on the keeper to put us to 2-1 up with about 5 minutes to go. Everyone got brought back on to make it full teams again.
No-one could forget what happened the day before and so we spent 5 minutes of chaos trying to make sure we didn’t concede.
MOTM: Nic for yet again keeping us in the game.
WH&E M2 3 : 3 Osterley M2
The half-term curse returned to WH&E as the M2s found themselves short of numbers. Big thanks to Luke, Ollie, Dom and Theo for all stepping in and doubling up. Nick also rolled back the years and stood in goal for the missing John, big thanks to him too.
The match started very well. In not-so-typical WH&E fashion, we did not concede an early goal which was fantastic, however we went one better as Guy, Theo and Luke linked up in the middle with some 1-2-3 passing, straight from training, which resulted in Guy putting WH&E 1-0 up very early.
In fact, in the first half we were rather dominant as we held onto the ball well, and had countless chances at goal, as we managed to pass it seamlessly through the channels. At one point, we also had a penalty corner which was lovingly converted by Joe Small. We also managed to fire a ball straight to Tom Pajak at the back post who had a great chance to find his first goal for the club, but was unlucky not to. Prior to the half ending too, Dom found himself in the D to also convert to make it 3-0.
All sounds lovely right? Wrong.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with some WH&E dominance, however the scoreline relaxed us, and the urgency just simply was not there. We had chances, but could not finish. Theo found himself on the end of some chances but their keeper saved well. As time went on, so did the WH&E legs, as Osterley managed to claw back not one, but two goals.
And with the final whistle approaching, Osterley managed to get a ball into the back post, with Nick producing a great save, but worried about not smothering the ball and giving away a stroke, an oppo player managed to just poke in the rebound to make it 3-3. A disappointing end to a game that was there for the taking.
MOTM: Pippa & Lisa. What a wonderful game it must have been to umpire.
WH&E M1 0 : 2 PHC Chiswick M3
It was a beautiful 10:30 start away at 3rd place PHC Chiswick, which was not a deterrent to a guest appearance by Aidan, and Theo joining from the 2’s.
We started the match on the front foot with Ollie and Jake holding down the defence which also gave the wing-backs, Matt “Paqueta” Dray and Theo a lot of opportunity to support our attacks. This proved successful as throughout the first-half we managed to infiltrate the D and had quite a few penalty corner opportunities. Ollie unfortunately used all his penalty corner goals up during practice. It wasn’t until Chiswick got their first penalty corner that they showed us how to score. An unlucky deflection off someone. No idea who. Probably Ollie.
At some point, Winchmore were blessed with the Enfield Paqueta who decided left-back wouldn’t hold him back anymore – a darting 60 metre run, Lionel Messi-like dribbling in between the opposition, found himself breaking into the D. Luke to his left, Colin to his right… No. This was European night-esque. He saw the glory and unleashed a furious shot – which bobbled to the keeper to easily kick away. HT 1-0 to Chiswick.
The second half began a lot like the first in that open play was fairly even, however the right side opened up with a gaping hole in which Jack, Theo and Harry exploited. We were still able to penetrate the D and also win some more corners, but the team wasn’t able to convert. At some point Chiswick also scored another penalty corner – a well-executed deflection from the attack this time, and despite our best efforts we just couldn’t find a goal. Full-time a 2-0 defeat.
MOTM: Aidan and Jack.
DOTD. Wasn’t Jake. S for forgetting all his comments in the previous week’s post-match interview. Wasn’t Jack for saying ‘well played’ to a keeper who hadn’t played yet. It was Luke. But why?!
WH&E L2 0 : 5 West Herts W3
No match report was written, it seems,
For the ladies 2nd XI hockey team.
They played away against West Herts that day,
But unfortunately, lost 5-0 in every way.
The opposition was just too strong,
The scoreline showed it all along.
Our team battled hard with all their might,
But they couldn’t seem to get it right.
No one wrote a report, but fear not,
For ChatGPT stepped up to the spot.
Though the game may not have gone as planned,
Our team fought hard and took a stand.
They gave it their all, despite the score,
And left it all out on the field and more.
We may have lost, but we’ll be back,
Ready to take on the next attack.