Harleston travelled down to Tring in the first round of the Mixed Cup competition with a 9 person squad. Harleston took the lead early on after four succesive short corners Tristan Baynes slotted a flick across goal leaving the keeper helpless. Tring came back at Harleston and equalised with a reverse stick shot into the corner of the goal. Harleston came straight back with a reply through Phil Cobbald who after ghosting in at the top of the cirlce rifled the ball home. Again Harleston could not maintain their lead as Tring replied through a short corner. With 5 minutes of the half left Magpies found thier third with a well struck short corner by Phil Cobbald.
The second hald started with Magpies conceding an early goal, this seemed to spur the team on, Phil Cobbald completing his hat trick before adding his fourth from another short corner. The score was soon 6-3 following good play down the right from Lucy Miller and Tristan Baynes which the left the defence bewildered allowed Dave Francis to finish off the move, this completed a spell of 3 goals in 5 minutes for Harleston. Katheryn Hinsley continued to work hard up front causing problems for the defence when ever she had the ball. The defensive threesome of Glen Masterson, Leigh Sitch and Amy Tuffs kept Tring at bay with Gavin Cole in goal rushing off his line to deny a clear goal scoring opportunity. Harleston added to their tally Tristan Baynes adding his second before feeding Dave Francis through for him to collect his second as well. Tring scored a concelation goal before Phil Cobbald scored his 5th nearly taking the keepers head off to make it 9-4.
After the disappointing result last weekend Harleston travelled to Bedford looking to secure a vital 3 points, a hard task as Magpies had struggled to win at Bedford in recent years. The team were bouyed by the return of fit again Colin Wheelhouse. The game started at a high intensity with some good end to end attacking hockey from both sides. Harleston were moving the ball well but at times gave away cheap possession and should have been punished. With a bout 20 minutes played Harleston found the break through at a short corner when Andy Hipwell flicked the ball past the bemused Bedford keeper. Bedford continued to push forward in the first half before being reduced to 10 men, this gave Harleston some breathing space to see out the half at 1-0.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with both teams pusing to find a goal. Harleston eventually found the break through when Sam Moore was gifted the ball by the Bedford defence Sam calmly rounded the keeper before slotting the ball home. Bedford were again reduced to 10 men which Harleston took full advantage of, Sam Moore grabbing his second goal after good play from midfield allowed him a tap in at the far post. Magpies soon made it 4 after good play down the right from Tom Sumner Stuart Leate and Tristan Baynes allowed Andy Hipwell to arrive at the top D to slap the ball home into an open goal. The rout was finished late on when Tristan Baynes converted from the spot after Richard Ling had been brought down. This was a real team performance with everyone working hard to the get the result that we needed.
Next weekend Harleston face league leaders Cambridge Uni in a crunch game at home.
This week Magpies, entertained Lowestoft ladies. Having suffered a 4-0 loss to them away earlier in the season, Magpies had somthing to prove. Magpies had few spells of neat possesion in the first half having quickly found that the long balls through the middle of the pitch up to the forwards were causing the Lowestoft defence problems. Magpies tried to keep possesion on many occasions but a game with many stops meant that trying to find momentum was difficult. Lowestoft were awarded a couple of short corners, which the defence handled well, which magpies replied with Lucy Miller driving the ball well from midfiled into the attacking circle and Jess Hull picking up anything loose in the attacking half of the field.
In the second half Magies really showed great strength and determination, as Lowestoft pushed for the win. On a number of occasions Magpies got themselves into positive positions around the attacking circle but were quilty of trying to play the ball through the defence, only to give possesion away again. An unfortaunte injury to Laura Betts, meant the Magpies side was quickly shuffled round, but never the less the dead lock was broken late in the second half when a Kathryn Hinsley shot from the right, despite the acute angle, deflected off the keepers stick to find the goal. Lowestoft responded quickly and mounted the pressure to find the equaliser but a head injury meant yet another stop to the game. Play resumed with few minutes left and Magpies calmly defended well for the reamining time, to win a tough game.
With a double header of games over the weekend Magpies made the perfect return to League action when Anna Truman opened the scoring with an excellent reverse stick shot after ten minutes. Six minutes later Angie Wheelhouse made no mistake from a cross from the right to put Magpies 2-0 in front. The confidence from these early goals enabled Magpies to control the midfield as they increasingly found their passes with some good attacking moves.
Firebrands upped their performance considerably in the second half and Magpies did not have it all their own way as they found themselves facing a team that suddenly had the bit between their teeth. Even so Magpies squandered a number of good chances that could have put the game out of reach. After 58 minutes Georgie Field pulled a goal back for Firebrands and Magpies had to play out an uncomfortable final ten minutes before clinching all three points.
CLIFTON 1 – 0 HARLESTON MAGPIES
Sundays game saw 2nd placed Magpies play 3rd placed Clifton in a titanic battle. Magpies produced one of their best performances of the season as they unsettled Clifton in the first half as they pressed them all over the pitch with a tremendous work ethic and discipline. There were few chances in this game for either side in what turned out to be a very tight match. Magpies defended well as a team but were also finding it hard to break Clifton down.
The second half continued in the same pattern as there was nothing to choose between the two teams in a gripping match and it looked as though an inspired goal or penalty corner for either side would clinch the match.
Unfortunately the game was decided 10 minutes from time when an absurd yellow card saw Magpies reduced to ten players. Magpies had to reorganise quickly but it gave Clifton a massive advantage and with four minutes to go Dawn Mitchell scored the winner. It was a gross injustice to a Magpies team that had turned in some performance and they were rightly aggrieved by the manner in which Clifton had been given such an advantage.
Last season these two teams met in the cup and magpies romped to a 10-0 victory. This year the opposition had matured and gave magpies a much sterner test. Magpies created chances with their pace but it was nomads who nearly took the lead when a sloppy pass was intercepted by nomads, their shot hit the post and rebounded into the path of an advancing nomads player who somehow managed to put the ball wide from close range. This was the wake up call magpies needed, and within two minutes of this scare Jimmy Wheeler had put Magpies ahead with a good finish from Mike Warlows cross. Carl Sitch in midfield and Ben Gowing in defence were playing well and with Bertie Steggles the magpies keeper marshalling his defence well, chances for nomads were limited. At the other end too much selfish play and poor final passes meant the spectators and coach had a tense afternoon. The win puts magpies in the last 16 of the competition but if they are to progress further they will need to play as a team more rather than individuals trying to beat too many men themselves.
Magpies continued their winning streak after coming from a goal behind. Magpies fought hard in the first half and created some chances, winning short corners, but were unable to beat the Bury keeper, Emma the Bury no 5 was their playmaker who had some strong runs thwarted by the magpies defence. Bury took the lead through their first short corner of the game 15 minutes from time. The young magpies were not going to give up and Victoria Marfleet soon equalised when her shot deflected up from the keepers pads and over her head into the goal. Magpies continued to press winning more short corners sensing victory still possible and Lizzie Clymer scored the winner a minute from time with a well taken shot from the edge of the circle. This win puts magpies mid table.
Magpies will feel unlucky to come away from this game with nothing. After a solid start, with most of the play in the Peterbrough half, injuries in defense forced Magpies to play 90% of the game with a totally new central defensive partnership. Stuart Peters and Mr. Versatile, Gavin Cole did well against difficult opposition. Magpies will feel that they dominated possession against un-ambitious opposition, and produced some good passing hockey. Once Peterbrough took the lead, mid way through the first half, they barley ventured out of their half, let alone into the opposition D. Excellent work in midfield from Lawrence Baynes, Richard Larkin, Paul Shelly and Robbie Kinsella gave Magpies the possession they needed, but in a crowded Peterbrough D, finding a way through was always going to be difficult. Magpies will need to be more clinical in the final third in future weeks.
LADIES 1s v Firebrands 1s – A –W 2-1 SUN LADIES 1s v Clifton 1s – A – L 0-1 LADIES 2s v Lowestoft 1s – H –W 1-0 LADIES 3s v Bury St Edmunds 2s – A –W 2-1 LADIES Colts A v Broadland 1s – H – D 1-1 LADIES 4s v UEA 2s – A – L 0-3 LADIES 5s v Pelicans 3s – H – L 1-2 LADIES 6s v Pelicans Colts – H – L 0-2 LADIES Colts B v Lowestoft Railway 2s – A – L 1-2
EHA TROPHYMIXEDv TRING – A – W 9-4
MENS 1s v Bedford Town 1s – A – W 5-0 MENS 2s v City of P’borough 3s – H – L 0-1 MENS 3s v Dereham 3s – H – L 1-3 MENS 4s v Dereham 2s – A – W 2-1 MENS 5s v Felixstowe 2s – A – L 1-5 MENS 6s v Norwich Union 4s – H –L 2-3 MENS 7s v Crane 2s – A – L AW 0-3 MENS Vets v Colchester – H – W 5-3 EHA Cup – Boys U18 v Cambridge Nomads – H – W 1-0 EHA Cup – Boys U15 v West Bridgford Monarchs – H – D 1-1 lost on flicks
