Match Reports For Week 18 Saturday 4th January Season 2002 - 2003

Mens 1st XI

Mens 2nd XI

Mens 3rd XI

Mens 4th XI

Mens 5th XI

Happy New Year everyone!

At the end of last year events (and the opposition) conspired against us and we didn't get to play a league at all in December! So waking up to beautiful sunshine for a 10 am game seemed just the thing to boost the spirits. Then shudder me timbers the astro pitch is the whitest thing around. What's happened ... the pitch is covered in a fine white powder ... like the aftermath of a drug ring bailing out their stash from a passing aircraft .. or maybe even the Notcutts balloon.

Incredibly after close inspection, and several volunteers snorting the lines clear, it was decided that the weird white powder was actually snow! Don't be ridiculous I hear you say .. whatever happened to global warming .. we'll be back on the verge of an Ice Age soon.

After half an hour of sweeping the pitch was deemed playable. Unfortunately our lack of competitive hockey and a bit of Billy Bunterism over the Xmas break seemed to have dulled our normally incisive play. Kenley brought a full strength team this time and topped it up with a couple of better players than when their 4th XI came for a 16-0 thrashing. Although all the early play was from Staines passes were being played in behind runners and generally we were crap. The Xmas pudding sat heavily in Martin's tummy as he lumbered to one strike from defence from Keith, and with a passing imitation of an oil tanker turning failed to stop the ball on the reverse stick ... need to get those feet moving again.

After 20 minutes with score still at 0-0, and the pressure at best sporadic, and the short corner routine a bit rusty, an embarrassment was becoming possible. With little or no threat to our goal we were in no danger and slowly we began to make inroads through Diego (Kanu) down the left, and Sohail down the right.

Simon was starting to command the centre and he set Martin and Sohail off down the right, having beaten the keeper Sohail then passed the ball through Martin as he was about to shoot ... chance gone. Diego then produced another fine run into the circle only to be denied by a fine athletic piece of keeping. A few minutes later and a quick break down the left from midfield set up by Sean saw Diego break into the circle again, meanwhile Martin stormed forward to the top of the D and then drifted away from his markers to the back post where Diego picked him out. Martin calmly stopped it ... and then slotted it neatly back into the far corner ... 1-0 ... 1st goal of 2003 yesaagghh!

Gordon was putting their defenders under ever increasing pressure and a couple of shorts were won. The keeper made a good save off the first but then from the second a Keith Hine scorcher was deflected past the prone keeper and into the goal to make it 2-0.

Half-time: Just not good enough ... we need to move the ball around a lot more effectively if we are going to beat some of the stronger teams in the league.

And the good news is that we did play much better in the 2nd half. A great break from the midfield saw Sohail breaking down the left wing... where it was eventually worked back to Martin who dragged it across onto his strong side where Gordon pounced on his reverse to sweep it home for 3-0.

From a rare Kenley break we actually had to take a 16 hit, but only a few seconds later the ball was back into the Kenley D with Diego sweeping and missing at the back post. With Phil, Sohail and Diego taking it in turns to take a break before coming back on we were tearing the visitors apart down the wings. Another great move saw the ball worked across the circle where Gordon applied his reverse stick special, only for the ball to hit the defenders legs on the line ... flick. Keith duly despatched it for 4-0. Another move from our own half saw the ball swept across by Phil to Gordon at the back post who swept it home for 5-0.

Another glorious defence splitting pass to Gordon saw him one on one with the keeper. He surprised everyone by flicking it over the keeper who jumped up and headed the ball over ... to a glorious cheer from everyone.

Still time for a flurry of short corners as the visitors tired, and Keith would have another two or three goals but for the agility of the keeper. Then Keith fooled the keeper by changing the shot to the other side of the goal where he made a good save but could not recover to stop Martin flicking home the rebound for 6-0.

Then in the last minute another short corner was smashed outside the line of the goal for Sohail to run in on and deflect home for 7-0.

Man of the match: Diego for a much improved performance
Dick of the Day: Rather strangely Gordon walked away with the honour - well I suppose he did score 7 last time so you could say he underperfomed !

Next week we have to negotiate our first away game since the trip to Woking (and that was bonfire night time !!!), to play Old Reigations). A win will see us open up a four point gap over 3rd placed Thames Valley, who we play the week after ... so a win then and it could be seven points clear of third place.

Mens Centurions

Ladies 1st XI

Ladies 2nd XI

Ladies 3rd XI

Ladies 4th XI