Ladies 1st XI 3-1 Towcester Ladies 1st XI

Goals: Amie Hone, Jess Lovell, Fran Lee

Ladies league campaign starts in style!

Northampton’s league campaign started in fine fashion as they comfortably saw off local rivals Towcester, in this Midlands Premier Division encounter. Goals from Fran Lee, Jess Lovell and Amie Hone ensured Saints 3 points and local bragging rights!

 

Edgbaston 1st XI 5-1 Mens 1st XI

Scorer: Mike Tillson

After a poor opening week to their season Saints started their 2nd league game against Edgebaston positively and could consider themselves unlucky to go in 1-1 at half time. Some suspect goalkeeping led to Saints drawing level with the home side - when Mike Tillson received a pass from Ross Gillanders at the top of the D he hit an un-convincing looping reverse stick shot at goal, only to see that the goalkeeper had logged on the ground. In the goalkeeper's attempt to get back to his feet he aided Tillson's shot into the back of the net.

Saints showed a battling spirit in the first half and had the larger share of possession in the first half, but as per their opening game lacked conviction in front of goal to make the possession count. Unfortunately the 2nd half provided a ragged and poor display of hockey by the away team which resulted in Saints losing the half 4-0. A lack of concentration and the combination of numerous individual errors resulted in Saints being on the wrong end of a 5-1 scoreline for the 2nd week in a row. We can only hope for better things next week.

Squad: Chris Vine (GK), Guy Roberts, Ross Gillander, Ian Cooper, Pete Riches, Ross Wickens, Ben Scott (c), Alex Press, Michael Tillson, Joe Colantonio, Stuart Clark, Gareth Parker, Liam Cassidy, Grant Carlin

 

Mens 2nd XI 2-1 Corby 1st XI

Goals: Martyn Cory (2) pc

Squad: Sam Biddle (GK), Matt Gausden, Ben Northedge, Ben Stephenson, Kyle Taylor, Alex Mcindoe, George Mellor, Lloyd Atkinson (c), Martyn Cory, Athiq Thamby, James Knibb, Chris Brimyard, Andy Smith

 

Saints make sure they don't Fluff it!! 

Despite a couple of last minute call ups to the 1st team, a re-organised 2nd team went into the game in confident mood, despite last weeks result!

They must have known it was going to be there day when James Knibb did a bit of breaking and entering without getting caught!!

The pre-match preparation was mixed. Athiq Thamby run the team through the warm up. If you can call it that, most players felt colder and less stretched out by the time Athiq had finished!! After that though, the players switched on and were set for the battle ahead, as both teams competed to be the "2nd best team in the County" (after our Mens 1s).

Saints started the game in very confident fashion. They comfortably moved the ball around and starving Corby of any space to launch an attack. However very much against the run of play, Corby finally found some space to win a penalty corner. Up stepped Saints old boy "Brooksy" to slam the ball into the bottom corner, 1-0 Corby.

Despite this early set back Northampton continued to play the ball around nicely and were slowly beginning to threaten in the final third. A well worked move saw Saints win there first corner of the game, and up stepped the ever reliable Martyn "I can do the warm up much better than Athiq" Cory to drag the ball into the left bottom corner, beyond the reach of ex Saints 1s keeper Coe. The first half finished 1-1.

Half-time team talk was good, Colyn Biddle talked about keeping the shape and the press, and for once the team actually listened and took onboard what he said!

The second half carried on as the first time had, lots of possession, and slowly Saints began to create a few half chances, Andy Smith, Chris Brimyard and James Knibb all coming close. However the winning goal was scored from a predictable route - another penalty corner! Martyn Cory again dragging the ball into the same spot as he did in the first half! After this Saints lost a bit of momentum, and a few defensive lapses began to creep into there game, however the back-line held firm, thanks to some great last ditch tackling by Ben Stephenson.

Other points of interest from the game:
 

• James Knibb for his bizarre cross-field aeriel/lob/chip pass. WTF?!
• George Mellor for starting the game in a shirt the same colour as the umpires!!
• Ben Northedge for only making 1 dirty tackle all game (although he did give away a pc which corby scored from!!)
• Corby player Neil "Fluff" Parker for having the cheek to wear his old Saints away kit!!

Next week sees the 2s league campaign start. An easy game against Beeston, away!! (welcome to the Midlands Prem!).

MOTM: 2 way tie between Matt Gausden and Ben Stephenson. 2 strong performances at the back

DOTD: Predictably James Knibb again! For breaking the law and his horrendous cross-field pass!

 

Mens 3rd XI 2-1 John Player 2nd XI

Goals: Max Heaphy, James Knibb

 

Mens 4th XI 1-3 John Player 3rd XI

 

Saints Tumble to defeat!!!

This game was Northampton 4’s last friendly before the start of the new
season and the mood in the dressing room was high and after the team talk
followed by a skip and a jump to warm the team up.

Now John Player arrived with only 10 men and Saints kindly lent them one of
their second team players (Lloyd ‘Orlando’ Atkinson) Boo, hisssssss, traitor,
which instantly bulstered their team.

From the whistle Northampton looked like they were going to walk away with
the game as were on the attack constantly, and even when they had not got
the ball were pressing John Player into countless mistakes, but unfortunately
they could not turn the pressure and possession into goals.
Now with all this constant attack minded play left Saints extremely exposed at
the back and allowed a rogue attacker from the opposition to scramble
through and put Saints 0-1 down. This urged Saints to then attack even more
and again leaving Titanic size holes at the back exposing poor Mr Tumble in
goal.
Now as we all know Mr Tumble has many talents but could not for all the sign language in the world drag his defence back to help and just before the end of the first half John Player managed to score again.

Unfortunatly even the half time team talk did not drag Saints back from their
demise, as mid way through the second half were caught again when Saints
pushed further forward and allowed John Player to counter attack and finish
with a shot passed the ever annoyed Mr Tumble.
Saints continued to attack and from their persistence scored a perfectly
executed short corner.

This game finished 3-1 to John Player, but on reflection saints should of won
due to superior possession. Here is to the first league game and think it can
only be onwards and upwards, oh and the forwards learning to navigate their
way to the general area of the oppositions goal.

 

Leamington 3rd XI 0-5 Mens 5th XI

 

Goalscorers: Rob Cary 2 (1pc), Luke Pibworth 2 (1pc), Lewis Ward pc

 

Squad:Ed Holt (GK), James Ruse, Adam Shepherd, Lewis Ward, Joe Cliffe, Jon Keep, Ed Arnold, Tom Dysko, Steve Morris, Marcus Spencer-Brown, Rob Cary, Luke Pibworth 

Attendance:3

Tea:Very small plates of food

News:Ed "The Red" Milliband makes it a hat-trick of Eds.

 

Return of The Pib

 

Luke "Four Weddings and a Puncture" Pibworth chose a comfortable warm-up game to make his goal-scoring return for Saints Vs as they prepare for the first league match of the season against Sutton Coldfield next week. 

Once Ed Holt had completed his deodorant-based pre-match routine, Saints quickly took control of this encounter, playing some flowing hockey for the inevitable Pibworth to make it 1-0 as the ball bounced of his stick from a penalty corner and into the goal.

Another short corner and Saints were two up as Rob Cary opened his account with a second attempted flick, again from a penalty corner.

And Caryshould have made it three with a glorious cross from Jon Keep which somehow missed the net and drew groans from Saints' travelling supporter.

Apart from Steve Morris not wanting to take off his woolly cardigan and slippers, the second half started pretty much in the same vein, as Lewis Ward dispatched another penalty corner which nearly broke the back-board.

Later on, the game became a bit stretched as Saints got complacent, and Leamington's pacey attackers started to run with the ball. The oppo even managed to draw a save from "Woody" Holt, whose dead tree technique finally paid dividends.

A few more hairy moments (including James Ruse randomly falling over) though were easily mopped up by Ward and Adam Shepherd as the visitors extended their lead courtesy of Pibworth's second, his first reverse-stick goal of the season.

Leamington's goalie did his best to keep the score down with a cheeky back-heeled save, but could not prevent Cary from making amends for his first-half miss with a well taken, flicked shot to make it five.

 

MOM: Lewis Ward

DOD: Rob Cary

 

 

Ladies 2nd XI 0-0 Kettering Ladies 2nd XI

 

Squad:Claire Leech, Claire Dale, Hanna Wilkins, Jane Ogden, Tara Doyle, Ness Kingston, Sally Adlen, Caz Whitehouse, Laura Wychgel, Molly Ogden, Becca Wilkinson, Clare Noble, CJ Thompson

 

Saints 2s faced local rivals Kettering 2s in their first game of the Midland Feeder League East. Saints started the game at pace & quickly had Kettering on the back foot. Becca Wilkinson made an early impression with her pace at right midfield, making a number of crosses which went begging at the far post.

Strong tackling from Jane Ogden & Hanna Wilkins denied Kettering any opportunity of making it into the D.  Although Wilkins did cause slight panic when she was taken out by a stray landmine midway through the first half!

Saints dominated both territory & possession in the first half but were unable to convert any chances they had.

The second half saw Saints continue to dominate. Kettering spent much of the half camped in their own half. Saints worked the ball well from one side of the pitch to the other through Claire Dale at centre back & Ness Kingston at centre midfield. Sally Adlen, making her 2s debut showed great strength & discipline alongside Kingston at centre midfield.

Despite their dominance Saints found themselves unable to convert the numerous chances they had. Maybe nerves got the better of them in this opening league fixture.

 

Man of the Match: Becca Wilkinson

Dick of the Day: Hanna Wilkins

 

 

Mixed 1st XI 2-2 Mixed 2nd XI

Scorers: Aaron Hill 2, Matt Herbert, Liz Hone