Ladies 2nd XI 4-2 Derby Asterdale

Goals: LA Chacksfield (3), Meg Patrick

 

Clare's 40th Birthday present!!

 

On what turned out to be a sunny day in Derby, saints ladies 2’s prepared to open their league campaign against a team who last year had “whooped our asses” quite significantly.  No nerves this year and after all had assembled on the school field and had an inspirational talk from Jonno and super captain Leechy we got down to the serious nature of the inaugural conker competition.  There were unfortunately no conker winners, only total losers, such as Ferne for hitting her own arm so hard it left a mark, Leechy who couldn’t hit a conker and so gave up and I Karla who managed to hit herself on the thigh and leave a perfectly conker shaped bruise.

So after a rousing conkerific warm up saints took to the pitch and looked ready to win.  In the first 5 minutes LA Chacksfield made a friend with the opposition and we could see that we could easily rile them.  If we hadn’t of sat back and watched the match unfold in front of us we could have scored more goals but as it was LA scored goal number one from a wonderful penalty corner, won by Emily Kilner. (those who were there can giggle to themselves at this point over the wonderful umpire’s signal). Then Derby scored twice in succession from open play which took us by surprise.  Saints managed to level the score just before half time with a quick spot of theft at the top of the D from Tango (Beca Wilkinson) which led LA to have a swipe that Meg Patrick tapped in sweetly.

2-2 at half time!  Big team talk sponsored by skittles and jelly babies this week.  Clearly a good choice as in the second half we switched on the beautiful hockey we are more than capable of and scored two sweeeeeeet goals to ensure the win.  Our 3rd goal was a penalty corner injected from Caz McCabe to LA and then a beautiful strike straight past the dwindling Derby keeper.  Our last goal just to wrap up the win came in the last ten minutes from open play.  Sally Screaming Adlen took the ball through a wonderful space created by Ness Kingston removing the “shadow”, straight toLA who smacked it into the back of the net as if there was no defence.

 

A brilliant scoreline to reflect our ability, but next week we must switch on quicker and react to every ball, or we may have to sedate Jonno on the sideline.

 

MOTM: Emily Kilner

DOTD: Claire Leech

 

 

Ladies 3rd XI 3-0 Towcester 3rd XI

Goals: CJ Thompson (2),  Jules Herring.

 

Saturday saw the ladies 3s take on their first opponent in a league match. After a sterling warm up led by their captain, the ladies took the pitch raring to go.

After a predominantly attack-heavy first half, full of wonderful play towards the forwards CJ Thompson and Vex Bailey from the midfield the half time whistle blew on a 0-0 score line.

The half time talk led by Jonno and Emily Wilkins gave the ladies that extra push they needed (along with a chance to catch their breath...).

Within minutes of the whistle blowing commencing the final half of play, saints skilfully manoeuvred the ball and worked their way through Towcester's defence. An excellent finish from CJ Thompson put Saints exactly where they deserved to be - in the lead at 1-0. Impressive play along the wings fed the ball back into the D for Jules Herring to finish it off in the back of the goal making it 2-0. A break in the Saints' play gave Towcester a chance to score for themselves but Emma Brennan's supreme goalkeeping and the defence's strength stifled that chance straight away.

Fancy another goal? CJ Thompson did, which saw Saints sitting at a 3-0 lead; excellent. 

MOTM: Jules Herring for excellent, committed play throughout the game.

Written by Georgia Anniky - DOTD

 

 

Ladies 1st XI 1-2 Springfields 1st XI

 

Goals: Caroline Avery

 

The ladies played host to Springfields in their second match of the National League Conference campaign. Both teams were searching for their first points of the season so it looked as though it would be a tight affair. Indeed it proved to be as both teams contested in an even first half. Unfortunately for Saints, the opposition were 2 goals up through 2 short corners.

 

The second half saw the ladies come out all guns blazing as they proceeded to dominate the rest of the game. They won a series of short corners which they couldn’t quite convert however with 10 minutes of play left midfielder Caroline Avery popped up at the back post to finish off a well worked team move. They pressed and pressed for a deserved equaliser, unfortunately it wasn’t to be and the game finished 2-1 to Springfields.

 

Men’s 1st XI 2-0 South Nottingham

 

Goals: Ben Northedge, Grant Carlin

 

 

The Men’s 1s made it 2 wins out of 2 in the league as they beat newcomers South Nottingham away. Goals from Ben Northedge and Grant Carlin ensured a comfortable victory. They now play host to one of the pre-season favourites, Coventry & North Warwick on Saturday at Moulton College. Push back is 12pm.

 

 

Men’s 2nd XI 0-2 Corby 1st XI

 

They now call it the ‘Knibb’s of the Day’ Award!

 

Saints travelled to sunny Corby for their last pre-season match. Having arrived over an hour early for the game (captain Matt Gausden a bit keen!), the team were led through a warm up by Tom Wightman that included ‘herding the guinea pigs’?!                 

The match started positively for Saints as they kept possession against a Corby team intent on defending their half. However despite all this possession they couldn’t break down the defence as time after time they played a silly pass or tried to beat a defender when an easier option was available. Midway through the first half Saints thought they’d scored as defender Danny Whitfield dragged a short corner onto the underside of the cross bar, only to see it somehow bounce the wrong side of the goal-line and away from the D. Other chances then fell to forwards Dan Rose, James Knibb and Tom Scott-Collins. However half-time finished 0-0.

The team talk led by Matt Gausden and Guy Roberts focused on being patient with the ball, wait for the space to open up, and hold your discipline.

 

Surprisingly the team listened to this as for the next 15 minutes they did all of this to perfection and again they had chances to take the lead. This was as good as it got. Saints then pressed the self-destruct button as James Knibb stupidly got himself sin-binned for dissent (clearly he wasn’t listening at half-time!). The team then fell apart as they lost complete shape within midfield. This allowed Corby to score one from a short corner. They then scored the killer second goal 10 minutes, despite what appeared to be a forwards foot in the build-up. Saints pushed for a way back into this but couldn’t break a stubborn Corby defence.

A fairly positive performance for 3/4s of the game, but plenty still to work on before their first league match next weekend.

MOTM: Guy Roberts – commanded the back-line.

DOTD: James Knibb for getting sin-binned. Having now won the award at least 10 times during the last year, there have been some calls to change the name of the award to Knibbs of the Day!

 

Squad: Sam Biddle (GK), Pete Riches, Guy Roberts, Danny Whitfield, Matt Gausden (c), Tom Wightman, Josh Hawkins, Athiq Thamby, Sean Henry, Max Heaphy, Scott Mahoney, Tom Scott-Collins, Dan Rose, James Knibb

 

Men's 4th XI 2-3 Men's 3rd XI

 

Difficulties with opposition pulling out of games meant that the thirds and fourths had a training game against each other. The form books went out of the window as the thirds were put under considerable pressure from the 4s and went down two goals to nil in the first twenty minutes. The thirds pulled themselves together and scored one then two goals and started to play in a more coordinated fashion, giving them a lead with 5 minutes to go. A good loosener before the league starts next week.

Special mentions to Ally Rose, George Roberts, Sam Bigley and Dan Whittaker who all played well.

 

 

Men’s 5th XI 2-1 Corby 2nd XI

 

Goals: Steve Morris, Tom Dysko

 

The Saints came out fighting after a heavy defeat last week. After some rousing pre-match encouragement from stand in Captain Rob ‘Temp’ Cary, and the knowledge that all umpiring decisions would be fair and equal (thanks to the dream team of Rachel Langley and newbie John Keep) the push back came.

 

Saints spent most of the first quarter in the opposition half, with the youth and vigour of Jacob ‘Quick Stick’ Pryce and Luke ‘Danger’ Howard wreaking havoc on the wings and allowing Gareth ‘The Boss’ Voss and Tom ‘Dancer’ Dysko to dominate the midfield. When the ball did make it through to Saints defence, Steve ‘So Solid’ Morris and his crew beat the opposition back, first with open stick blocks, then with reverse. It was not long before use was made of the acres of space in the middle of the park that the ball found it’s way into the D for Ed ‘Desperate’ Arnold to find an opponents foot and win the short, which ‘So Solid’ Morris dispatched into the bottom corner with the expertise of somebody who has been doing so since before most of the team were born.1-0.

 

After the break both teams were feeling generous, as Corby kindly pushed the ball back to Saints, only for Jeremy ‘Gentle Touch‘ Wan to send off the pitch and donate possession back. After some frantic play from Corby, the ball found its way into the back of Saints net after a short corner. 1-1. Then as the frivolity came to an end, tensions grew and the opposition began to draw the attention of the (fantastic) umpires. It was not long before Corby were a man down to a yellow card, Rachel was informed she was on a ‘learning curve’, and Saints were back to dominating. Rampaging into the D and peppering the keeper with shots from ‘Temp’ Cary, ‘Danger’ Howard, ‘Quick Stick’ Pryce and ‘Dancer’ Dysko (one aimed at the Goal Keepers face, the other neatly into the back of the goal). 2-1.

 

Saints stayed hungry for more until the end and couldn’t resist one more attack before the final whistle. Observing the oppositions incisive arials throughout the game, ‘Dancer’ Dysko could not resist throwing one of his own. Perfectly weighted, beautifully high, and stingingly dangerous…  Dysko could hear DOTD calling as the ball disappeared backwards over his own shoulder.

 

MOTM: Luke ‘Danger’ Howard, for striking fear into Corby’s left back.

 

DOTD: Tom ‘Dancer’ Dysko, for the new move- ‘The Backwards Arial’

 

Attendance: 9

Tea: Sausage, Chips and Beans