Ladies 1stXI 0-4 Loughborough Students

A great performance from the ladies ones this week. Getting off to a good start we kept students out for a high majority of the first half with some quality defending by Thea Jackson. However they scored a good goal going into half time. Students continued fight hard against saints, who also continued with good whole team performance although allowing them to score 3 goals. Nevertheless we fought to the bitter end finishing the game with a short corner which Lisa Coe drag flicked narrowly missing the top left corner. The final whistle blow and it was 4-0 defeat.

 

Ladies 2ndXI 3-3 Towcester 2ndXI

Goal scorers: Ness Kingston, LA Chacksfield and AN other

Saints played poorly throughout the match and never really got into any rhythm of play.  We deserved the draw as we worked hard in parts to get the 3 goals but other patches of play we let ourselves down badly.  Luckily our nearest rivals in the league were beaten so we remain top of the table by one measly point.  If we are to succeed in this league,  we must pick ourselves up and improve drastically on individual and team performance.

MOM  Ness Kingston for securing goal numer 3 to ensure the tie and one league point

 

DOD Nicky Milford (reasons best unexplained)

 

 

Men’s 1stXI 3-5 Harborne

Goals: Dave Saunders, Ben Scott, Alex Press

A very sloppy start from Saints gave Harborne what turned out an unassailable lead in this game. A sever lack of concentration let Harborne score four times in the first 15 minutes and left Saints with a mountain to climb. Just before half time Dave Saunders pulled one back for Saints with a clever reverse stick shock.

 After half time Saints turned the game around and completely dominated the game. A Ben Scott short corner and a comeback goal for Alex Press made the score 4-3 and Saints had the away side against the ropes. Unfortunately for Saints they could not find the net again and Harborne scored their second short corner to seal the win.

 

West Bridgford 5th XI 3-1 Men’s 4th XI

 

Scorer; Ross McLean

 

 

Scott Bashford, Ally Rose, Jim Phipps, James Ruse ©, Joe Cliffe, Ant Czaicki, Marcus Spencer-Brown, Anthony, Lewis Moran, Greg Summers, Max Dymmond, Ant Condon, Ross McLean

 

 

Saints’ second encounter of the season with West Bridgford was a temporally unbalanced affair. The visitors fielded a side primarily composed of academy youngsters, three overgrown teenagers and just two grown-ups, while the home team’s combined age was well on it’s way to half a millennium.

 

Away at West Brdigford, it was the home team who struck first, out-passing Saints and slapping a squared ball into the back of the net.

 

Unlike last week however, Saints showed much more spirit and were right back into it with a well-struck penalty corner from Ross McLean. From then on, Saints tightened things up. Scott Bashford made a great save with his goolies, while Max Dymmond narrowly missed a great opportunity to take the lead.

 

Unfortunately the turning point came as the half-time whistle blew on a penalty corner. West Bridgford filled Saints’ D and shot the ball into the bottom right corner to re-take the lead.

 

From then on it was asking too much for the visitors’ inexperienced youngsters to come from behind. West Bridgford’s old-timers gradually took control of the game and inevitably extended their lead despite some brave defending by James Ruse with the wrong side of his stick.

 

Saints didn’t give up however, and if only Greg Summers’ effort had finally dribbled over the line, it might have been a different story. Much better effort, despite the loss, and Saints can be confident to win next week’s home tie versus Burton.

 

MOM: Greg Summers (despite miss)

DOD: Ally Rose (running like Chris Godman)

 

 

Men’s 6th XI 1-0 Leicester Westleigh 4th XI

Goals: Harry Stobart

This was a very tense game. A new look Leicester team who were very determined to let a young nimble side take the World Famous Fighting 6s down.

In the first half both teams showed the range of versatility they had with play moving back and forth, testing both defences to the maximum. At the half time whistle, the strategies were adjusted to try and get some chances.

In the second half, the first 20 minutes saw a repeat of the first half with a number of chances being saved or repelled by the defender. Colyn Biddle made some excellent saves and kept us in the game. In the dying minutes, Leicester scored for the goal only to be disallowed due to obstruction. With Leicester riled, the WFF6s managed a drive up the left, quick injection from the sideline to central position, Richard Smith finding Mark Shepperd who immediately pushed a ball through to Harry Stobart, who put it away.

A hard fought win.

Teas:   Chicken, Faggots, Chips, Peas, Beans, Sausages

MOTM:  Colyn Biddle (Incredible saves)

DOD:  Karl MacGregor (Silly questions)

Squad: Tony Brennan(c); Colyn Biddle (GK); Karl Flowers; Rob O’Donnell; Karl MacGregor; Joshua Pibworth; Phil Marillat; Richard Smith; Alasdair Townsend; Mark Shepperd; Luke Howard; Matt Caton and Harry Stobart.

 

Northampton Saints Badgers 2-1 Welford Badgers

Goals: George Roberts, Jeremy Wan

Congratulations to the young squad of Will Powell, Connor Wright, Jack Knight, Michael Dicken and Callum Taylor, supported by the more experienced George Roberts, Jeremy Wan and the older adult team members. What this team lacked in experience, they made up for in determination and were able to contain the Mighty Welford Team from their usual compelling victory.
Both teams maintained constant pressure on each other, providing a well balanced and interesting match, but with Northampton Hockey Saints Badgers Team eventually moving on to finish the game, one goal ahead of Welford Badgers. 

Umpired by Jon Harte and Adam Powell.

 

 

Moulton Mixed Hockey Academy 1stXI 2 – 3 John Leggot College

Goals: James Knibb, David Marriott

“The wrong side of a close encounter”

It was Moulton who had the first of the opportunities forcing the keeper in to a good confident save.  Moulton were finding acres of space in Midfield and occasionally got round the back to the baseline.  Then the breakthrough was made and a goal came from the space in the middle of the pitch, James Knibb picked up the ball and beat a couple of players and finished well across the goal. Inevitably in such a close fought game the away team that got their first goal after some good team play the ball was played through the middle of the D and Ed Holt was beaten by some good play just before the half time whistle.

 

The second half and Moulton committed too many players forward not retaining 3 at the back as practiced. The away team found space in the left hand side of the D and were able to put a bouncing ball past Ed Holt in goal which was seemingly going harmlessly across goal was then in avertedly turned in by the trailing defender Matt Caton, 2-1 John Leggot.  Moulton went through phases of good play but couldn’t convert until finally hitting the base line and coming back up paid off with Megan Patrick supplying the ball for David Marriott to finish well, 2-2.  The game didn’t end well for Moulton College who were careless again not leaving the 3 players back and conceding a penalty corner which was initially saved well but not cleared efficiently to give John Leggot another opportunity which they took.