Match Reports from 14th October 2013
Ladies 1stXI 3-1 Loughborough Students 2ndXI
Goals: Sarah Brimyard, Dani Hagan (2).
The ladies left sunny dry Northampton for an uninviting 5pm game against Loughborough students. Halfway up the m1, the looming grey skies produced torrential rain. We arrived in a dark, cold and wet Loughborough for our 3rd game of the season. Following tradition Brimyard again lost the toss.
The game started at a fast pace with the students pushing hard with saints keeping control and attacking back. The first goal saw a sweet reverse shot by Brimyard find the back of the next, after which there was slight deliberation as to whether she was actually in the ‘D’, which of course she was.
There was a lot of tennis being played with possession being given away by both teams in the middle of the park but there were also good leads and some nice patterns of play occurring.
A fantastic up field 3 pass collaboration between Brimyard, Cozens and Hagan saw Hagan with a 1-1 with the keeper. Keeping her cool she took it round and slotted it home. Apparently she was grateful it went in as she could hardly hit the ball with her icicle fingers. The rest just cheered her from behind.
Saints went into half-time 2-0 up.
There was no respite from the game from both the rain and Loughborough students. They were constantly intercepting passes, running everywhere and piling on the pressure. Some excellent work from the defence and Cavey in the middle of the park saw us soak up the pressure and keep control of the game. Claire Leech pulled off some excellent saves to keep the ladies in the game.
Lachan Read decided to start off a series of footballing incidents when she slipped in the ‘D’ and took their player out with a sliding two footed tackle.
After some footballing in the ‘D’ by Kathryn Mepham, the students won their 2nd short corner of the game. This they managed to convert slotting the ball in the air past LEECHY and just beating Mephams stick on the line.
A well won short corner by saw a clinical execution of the Brimyard–Hagan combo to alleviate the score to 3-1.
The final play saw Loughborough students win a short corner. The no goal no foul rule was applied by the Saints and there was a sigh of relief when it hit their foot.
A hard but well fought match by the saints saw them claim the 3 points and retain pole position at the top.
MOTM: Claire Leech – for some outrageous saves and fantastic goalkeeping
DOTD: Lachan Read – for playing the wrong sport with her sliding tackle.
Ladies 2ndXI 4-1 Belper
Goals: Sally Cory (2), Emily Wilkins (2).
The Ladies 2s made a long trip to Belper on Saturday morning for a tough league encounter against one of their bogey sides. Despite being stuck in traffic on the way, the ladies pain was eased some coffee AND their very own X-Factor star, Siri, who serenaded the ladies in the car. What a treat!
Saints struggled for any fluency in the first half as they struggled to acclimatise to the Belper pitch. Indeed they were indebted to keeper Kathryn Wallace who pulled off some heroic saves in goal. Sadly her stand-out performance wasn’t enough as Belper did finally break the dead-lock shortly before half-time.
Despite the lack of jelly babies at half-time, the second half saw Saints completely turn things around, as Sally Cory deflected the ball in from a cross-shot by Becky Mellor to make the scores level. Goal number 2 shortly followed courtesy of an EmilyWilkins strike.
With MOTM Millie Denton making some dangerous runs in the oppositions half, Catherine Best and Nic Holton working hard in the midfield area, and Sally Trappit-Jones mopping things up at the back it looked like Saints were well on their way to victory. Cory scored again from a classic ‘in and out’ short corner. Belper nearly pulled a goal back but Saints defender Annie Toman was there on the goal-line to make the clearance. This was a crucial moment in the game as shortly after Wilkins scored her second after a goal-mouth scramble to seal the game and finish the game at 4-1.
The team celebrated with their post-match ‘circle of love’.
Cory celebrated with more excitement than her 2 goals, as she found her knickers! Whilst DOTD Laura Thomas had to hop home with 1 shoe, after her other one went missing!
Post-match teas were unusual! Forget garlic bread, apparently Lemon drizzle cake dipped in tomato soup is the future!
Men’s 1stXI 3-1 Telford & Wrekin 1stXI
Goals: Stuart Clark, Ben Scott, Tristan O’Connor.
The Men’s 1s won this game comfortably in the end as they dominated the game from start to finish. Sadly the score-line didn’t do them any justice, but goals from Stuart Clark, Ben Scott and Tristan O’Connor were enough to ensure 3 points for Saints in this Midlands Premier Division encounter.
Men’s 2ndXI 1-4 West Bridgford 2ndXI
Goals: Scott Mahoney
The Men’s 2s got knocked out of the second round of the England Hockey Cup after a spirited display away in Nottingham. After suffering a couple of late withdrawals, Saints travelled up with a bare 11. On arrival Matt Gausden realised he’d forgotten his shorts, so had to borrow a pair of Ally’s, which could only be described as ‘hot pants’. Not a pleasant site for his team-mates or the opposition! Whilst James Knibb looked in a delicate condition after a few ‘quiet birthday beers’ the night before.
The game started at a decent pace, with both teams looking to suss each other out. West Bridgford’s 15 man squad looked the fresher and were enjoying more of the possession, however Saints were looking very dangerous on the counter-attack through forwards Knibb and Jack Pogson. Nick Beattie breathed a sigh of relief as his own-goal was disallowed for an infringement. Saints went down to 10 men during the half as Knibb saw yellow for a stick tackle. Shortly before half-time Bridgford took the lead.
The second-half again mirrored the first-half, and the never say die attitude of the away side shone through as they deservedly equalised mid-way through the half. Scott Mahoney converting a well-worked attack down the left flank with the help of Sam Mitchell and Jack Pogson. With fifteen minutes left it looked like the game could be heading to extra-time, particularly after Bridgford missed a penalty flick! However there was to be no ‘underdogs’ cup heroics in this game, as Bridgfords’ larger squad and freshness shone through in the closing stages to score 3 goals in quick succession to leave the score-line as 4-1. A very harsh score on Saints who should be proud of the team display they produced.
Thanks to Scott Bashford for travelling with the team to umpire.
MOTM: Scott Mahoney – superb in breaking down West Bridgford’s attacks, and was a real focal point of the attacks. Jack Pogson was a very close second in the votes.
DOTD: James Knibb . Although a special mention should also go to skipper Chris Reid for his “Tourette’s” moment during the game!
Team: Jay Worsfold (GK), Ben Northedge, Nick Beattie, Ally Rose, Chris Reid (c), Matt Gausden, Dan Whittaker, Scott Mahoney, Sam Mitchell, James Knibb, Jack Pogson.
Saints 3rd XI 4-1 Coalville 3rd XI
Goals: Knight (2) Pibworth, Howard
Saints went into their first home game of the season looking to build on the draw the previous week. Coaville on the other hand had won 7-3. Despite this Saints held the upper hand in the opening minutes and it wasn’t long before they took the lead. Comben’s pass to Pibworth allowed him time to squeeze the ball into the corner of the goal. Dispite several other chances it was Coalville against the run of play who scored next. A slightly fortuetus deflection past Bashford. This shook Saints into action. Pibworth picking up a stray ball to cross for Jack Knight to cooly convert. It was Knight again who scored Saints 3rd after more good work by Comben. In truth the strikers could have had many more with some great interchanges but finishing was not on the menu.
The second half saw Saints exert a commanding presence, with McIlwaine orchestrating a good passing performance by the defence and midfielders. Instead of the usual low percentage passes, Morris and Miller strayed the ball left and right allowing the wingers to run the visitors ragged. After another good movement, Howard found himself in space to flick the ball home from close range. 4-1 the score stayed, but Saints can take confidence with a comfortable with yet improvements still to be made. Next week Saints visit Khalsa, another newly promoted team who so far have won 2 out of 2. A win there and Saints will gain the early season momentum last years early form did not bring.
Maybe it’s something to do with the reappearing of Jim the Squirrel
Squad: Scott Bashford (gk) Jason Hillier, Steve Morris, James Miller, Nigel Down, Harry Yorke, Luke Pibworth, Pete Comben, Jack Knight, Luke Howard, Ian McIlwaine, Harry Stobart
Beeston 4XI 3-0 Men’s 4th XI
Saints travelled to National league outfit much changed from their previous weeks heroics against Cannock. With an average age of mid-teens, Saints started poorly ignoring all the important parts of playing good sides – pass to your own side, strong tackling and passing. It owed much to the goalkeeping of Will Powell and veteran Gary Paterson’s’ industry in the midfield that Saints surprisingly got to half time at 0-0. The performance had improved as the first half went on and into the second half the defensive back line started to look more and more at home against their classy opponents. Unfortunately two quick goals in the middle of the second half took the game away as the Saints lack of numbers started to take its toll. The heads never dropped at any stage and the quality of hockey improved from the Saints youngsters as the game wore on. A scrambled goal in the last minute most probably gave a truly representative score line. Saturdays game against Edgbaston becomes a real must win and the hope all the big guns will be available.
MOTM: Will Powell – great game – really growing into the role of the 4xi team keeper.
DOTD Ricard Pryce – showering deficiencies
Men’s 6thXI 0-3 Leicester
Leicester had the lions share of position and territorial advantage and opened the scoring after 15 minutes forcing the ball over the line after some sustained pressure. The second goal came not long after with a good run along the touchline by a Leicester attacker.
With millions spent of the facilities, skipper Ian Street could have spent a quid on some new astros and went over twice on the waterbase pitch. This led to him spending most of the match in the dugout nursing a thigh injury….
The Saints defence of Martin Skinner, Nigel Riches, Tom Woodhouse and Jamie Cochrane had an excellent game and when Leicester did get through, Dean Gibson was in man of the match form with a series of fine saves.
The second half was defence v attack and Martin Skinner in particular felt under fire as most parts of him were struck by the ball at some point.
In the end the Leicester passing game was put to one side and a mazy run from a short corner led to a 3rd goal. A battered and brusied side made short work of the pizzas after the game and look forward to Warwick Uni 4s at Moulton at 2pm next Saturday.