Match reports - November 10, 2007

1st XI 0 Wanderers 2 (Click here for match photos) Today was the day that our problems came home to roost. Having been relegated last season and had a patchy start to their season in our league Wanderers were always going to be a side that were able to play a more pacy and aggressive style of hockey that would find out sides in our league. So it proved to be as we were played off the park in the first 15 to 20 minutes and should have been two goals down, with Wanderers squandering a gilt edged chance in the first three minutes and messing up a three-on-one five minutes later. Robbo made a wonderful save with his left foot before the half was out.

The final half of the first period saw our best period of the match and we could have also scored a couple following some good build up play, the spreading of the ball wide and attacking the back line. We welcomed back Smudger from injury and inSimon Bray made his debut and showed that although ring rusty he has the skill to create danger in the oppo’s 25 and the innate ability to score goals. Adair had a half chance to open the scoring when the ball came quickly off the keepers pads, Bray flashed a shot inches wide and the Wanderers goalie made two difficult saves look easy. When we did force short corners the routine was woeful breaking down as it did at the top of the D. An even score line at half time was about fair on the balance of play but it was always going to be the case that the first 10 minutes of the second half would decide the game.

Having pressed us hard at the beginning of the match and utilising their pace and the space between our forwards and midfield and midfield and defence Wanderers were expected to do the same as the second period commenced. Accordingly we allowed ourselves to be dominated and instead of having the sense to slow the game down and play the ball wide and up the flanks we continually gave the ball away and it was only a matter of time before we conceded the first. A few minutes later it was two as Wanderers showed us the benefit of practising short corners slotting their first one home from a well worked move our conceding an unnecessary corner from a sloppy tackle in the 25. The first was a product of the left hand side of the defence being overloaded and Wanderers queuing up to roll the ball home.

From the point of the second going in there was only going to be one winner and although we had three more short corners we never looked like threatening the goal until Simon Bray popped one home two minutes from the end for the umpire to rule it out for some unknown reason. Even so it would have been too little too late and in any event we did not deserve anything from the game against a side that was better drilled, fitter and faster than us who cracked the ball about at real pace. Wanderers were without a doubt the best side we have faced this tear – not only because we competed for a mere 20 minutes but because of the control they had for 75% of the game, snuffing out most of our offensive play. A switch in the middle towards the end gave us a slightly different impetus and we should now look hard and honestly at ourselves and decide if we wish to coast for the remainder of the season or change our attitude and approach, start training and resurrect our faltering season.

Time and in particular the next two weeks will tell.David Knapp



Tulse Hill 1 Ladies 1 A 9.30am push back meant an early start for the ladies, especially as we were having to travel over to Tulse Hill and Dulwich. The start of the match was fairly eventful in itself as at 9.30 we were short of a goalkeeper an umpire and a striker, all travelling up from Sussex, and the journey taken even longer than anticipated. Luckily by 9.35 they arrived just in time as the game could not be held up any longer than 9.40. So with no warm-up Katy padded up and ran onto the pitch. The game eventually started at 9.40 minus the captain and vice captain as at 9.38 Tulse Hill informed us our cars couldn’t be parked in the centre car park and that the ticketman was on his way round! (tactics….?) Helen and I moved our cars and ran a good ½ mile up the road back to the pitch to discover the game had started. We were obviously on the back foot from the start as the girls moved into some unfamiliar positions to cover myself and Hels, luckily we had two subs! We subbed onto the pitch but the unsettlement of the start left us struggling to find our footing and playing our game. We struggled to get organised for the first 15 minutes, TH pressing us hard and Kety having to make some storming saves (we shall consider not warming her up more often!). But our defence of Ros, Tux, Rosie and the two Helens held strong and they failed to score. As we began to settle into our game we put some pressure back on them and had a couple of good breaks some good crosses into the circle but failed to convert. At half time the score was 0-0.

We went out hard in the second half, determined to have a better start than the first, and within minutes were attacking there goal with a couple a near misses. The midfield of Vikki, Ana, Sarah Hardiman and myself upping the work rate. We won a few short corners but no conversions. The first substitution we had in the second half was unusually the umpire! Poor Nigel wasn’t feeling best and fortunately the umpire for the following match stepped in for him! Tulse Hill kept the pressure on though also winning short corners and eventually managed to score a goal leaving us 1-0 down. We didn’t let our heads go down though and having the advantage of subs this week meant that our forwards of Nina, Dora, May could keep their work rate high and keep putting the TH defense under pressure closing down their free hits and intercepting balls. Our work rate was paying off as we began to dominate possession. Left back Muriel found herself in the usual position of in the oppositions circle by the post and came close to scoring but couldn’t quite convert! Eventually the pressure paid off and from a long corner, and some good crossing throughout the team Dora managed to put the ball beyond the keepers reach! 1-1. We continued to press after levelling with several good chances and 1 1/2 minutes form time had a penaly corner but TH held strong. The match fininshed 1-1 another five minutes and it may just have gone our way! It was a great team effort from the girls who all played really well and did well to keep our heads up and pull it back. An excellent performance to take us into next weeks match at Wimbledon!