A good weekend as the Men’s 1st XI record their first win of the season while the Ladies go top of the Surrey Prem
Men’s 1st XI 2-1 Reading 1st XI
After a disappointing result away at Southgate last weekend, the Mens 1st XI were keen to make amends as they looked to secure their first victory of the season as they hosted Reading on a cold wet Saturday afternoon. The boys knew it would be a tough ask given the opposition came down from the Premier Division last season, but the team were keen to rise to the occasion.
The game got off to a quiet start as Reading had the lion’s-share of possession, but struggled to break down the well-organised OCs defensive unit. With little chances to report for either side, the OCs were happy to enter the first quarter 0-0. The second quarter saw the OCs grow into the game, frequently penetrating the Reading circle, and eventually securing the first short corner of the match. Cool, calm and collected, the OCs converted the short corner to go 1-0, courtesy of a Will Marshall drag flick into the bottom right corner.
Leading 1-0 at half time, the boys were keen to not let Reading get back into the game. A consistently well organised OCs defence saw the Reading side grow frustrated, and OCs were unlucky not to capitalise on a few fast paced counter-attacks. With the game still finely poised, the OCs managed to upgrade a loose ball from Jack Smart across the D to a short corner. Straight off the training ground, the OCs converted a slick routine with Ben Wilson deflecting goalwards. The boys had a 2 goal advantage with just under 10 minutes to go.
This led to a tense final 10 minutes, which was not helped by a green-card for Charlie Lamb after the umpire adjudged him to be ‘intentionally breaking down play’. Down to 10-men, the OCs instantly conceded, and had to hold on to a 2-1 lead with 6 minutes to go. After relentless Reading attacks, they managed to win a short-corner. However Josh Doble was keen to ensure the party wasn’t spoiled, and expertly kept out their drag-flicker’s effort. The final whistle blew, and the cheers could be heard across all of Thames Ditton. A fantastic 3-points for our Mens 1st XI against a formidable opposition. The team now travel to Sevenoaks next week as they look to keep this momentum going and bring home 3 more points.
Cheam 1st XI 4-1 Men’s 4th XI
After only dropping two points in the opening four matches – with a couple of great escapes on the way – we came unstuck against a well-drilled Cheam 1st XI who were by some way the best side we have faced. The defence survived an early barrage but we were on the back foot for long periods and as we defended deep we found ourselves with little in the midfield and it was no surprise when Cheam took the lead from a short corner, more so when we leveled from a penalty-flick two minutes from half-time. The second-half followed a similar pattern, Cheam regaining the lead from a half-cleared short-corner ten minutes in. The game then turned in a two-minute spell on the hour. Eds Copleston, very much alone for a lot of the game, took a long ball with skill, rounded the keeper but hurried his shot which went just wide. From the 16 Cheam drove forward and scored a third, and 40 seconds later wrapped things up with a fourth. Special mention to a hungover Sam Carne who pulled off four stunning goal-line clearances, which was three more saves than our keeper managed.
Teddington Oaks 2-2 Men’s 5th XI
We have always had pantomime villains and cultural heroes with Dirty Den of Eastenders fame, Nasty Nick from an early Big Brother series and Dennis The Menace from The Beano, Rogue Robin, enter the pantheon . All has changed since the chance meeting with the Epsom umpire a few weeks ago. By not socially distancing from the tirade of abuse that filled the air that early season game our skipper absorbed some of the less palatable microbes and has since been carded for picking up the ball and now becoming verbally embroiled with a very grumpy and chippy teenager in the pink of Teddington who had plenty to say for himself. Quite simply Rob C has gone rogue. in addition there is the burning question of “what colour mini will be used from his fleet for the early morning trip to Cheam next Saturday?”.
To be fair to the skip the second half umpire did zero to calm the situation down but rumour has it that he was using the North Korean umpires hand book where Kim Jong Un has decreed that rule 17.2 (b) be added, entitled 규칙을 넓게 해석합니다.
Having had a mere 12 late on Thursday due to half term we ended up with 15 including Wrighty who arrived in time for the start, terminating his South Coast holiday in Fareham after a mere 70 minutes, armed with a sandwich or two. Ado and Jonty also pitched in meaning we had a 15 man squad. As I continue to be a sad old bu**er 25 years on from my debut season where Saturdays from September to mid December and from early January to late March are for hockey, I never understand the half term migration to wherever. This is especially so this year as wherever can anyone go?
As the weeks go by we are becoming more attuned to the higher league. Our warm ups are better and we are more focused. The real positive is that we do seem to be learning and correcting the faults of earlier weeks, We started better than in any game thus far against another decent side and came away with a very hard fought point that makes up for the point we felt we deserved earlier in the campaign in the game where the skipper contracted his Rogue virus. These things do balance out over a season. Our man of the match was once again Seb who made a number of top saves especially mid way through the second half when 3 quick saves in succession were top draw. As a club we are lucky to have a number of very good keepers throughout the teams although it is hard for those playing every week not to progress up the club. I would not play in goal for all the tea in China with herberts trying to send a missile your way at 90 mph which is why the collective noun for goalies is probably “a delinquent of goalkeepers”.
One down at half time from a very well worked Teddington goal became 2-1 in our favour by the 55 minute mark with Joe scoring a sublime goal with no little skill when not giving up on a ball running out of play over the back line to the left of their goal and calmly committing the keeper before slotting home, a quality goal out of nothing. Our one and only short was converted 10 minutes later and we had the curious stat of a 45 year difference between the two scorers, a club record ?
Teddington were however not done and eventually scored from one of their many corners having dominated the 10 minutes after we scored number 2. However they seemed to run out of steam and we created a couple of good chances towards the end where yours truly should have set up Wrighty, sandwiches now consumed, with a simple square pass rather than trying play an eye of the needle pass to Tesco Tim but a win for us would have been hard on Teddington. Of the two teams we were the happier with a point.
We returned to TD just in time to see the end of 1s game and a seriously massive win against Reading which was probably the most historic win in the club’s 80 year existence.
Just enough time for 66 people at the club to socially distance in two groups of 6 making one group of 66 reveling in the joys of being part of a buzzing club before wending our way home on a filthy October evening.
Reading Rustlers 1 – 0 Stormers
Reading away saw a strong squad reduced to bare bones with OAP dazzler sheltering and webs predictably asked to tend to the kids. Heavy traffic (and leaving late) meant we started with 10 for the first five mins. Readings team looked composed and asked questions of the defence and it wasn’t long until the home team deflected the ball past goalies near post. OCs began to settle and the game opened up before the whistle blew for half time. The second half saw OCs stringing together some nice link up play and Readings pretty hockey in the middle looked less affective. OCs decided to help the umpires by admitting to three short corners. The favour was not returned the other end proving being sporting isn’t necessarily the right thing to do. Unbelievably Stuart Ripley was not MOTM as he had a goal disallowed by being at least three inches outside the D (and he didn’t move it five yards). A few questionable decisions followed and the final whistle was blown. A draw would have probably been a fair result.
Barnstorms 3 – 6 Wayfarers
Saturday saw the Barnstormers in action once again. Not for the fainthearted this game had everything. Attire was everything and this week the we proudly wore pink socks and a very-hot pink headband in support of the Club raising awareness for breast cancer. This, however, was the most creative the team got all day as we battled hard to overcome playing with 10 men for at least half of the game. Crunching tackles kept everyone on their toes and a couple on their knees as both teams fought for that first goal. Hungry for some action, the never-in-doubt whistles of Virge and Martin ensured that Toby was given a much needed rest, twice, but only after we had picked up our first injury.
Right on cue, and after only eight minutes, the sniper picked off Yongy, adding further misery to the fact that he had driven up from Dorset to play the game. Upfront, our forwards of Quinton, Adair and Davies created loads of chances but sadly missed most. Neat interplay between the Wayfarers midfield and forward line saw them score the first goal somewhat against the run of play. Si Quinton, back from Covid, stepped up and slotted our first goal taking us into the break with honours even.
What a second half the crowd of two were in for. It took only five minutes or so for the cards and goals to flow. Like rabbits in headlights, we had what can only be described as a shocking 15 minutes. Deft footwork and slight of hand that Paul Daniels would have been proud of, saw the Wayfarers centre forward go head-to-head with Nige, for what turned out to be match changing.
In true warrior form, Nige did what he had to do. Never backing down and sliding passed the ball but not the player, Nige floored him.
The ‘tackle’ was enough to earn him a 10 minute rest and Toby went in goal for the penalty flick. Havoc ensued for the next 10 minutes and we shipped two further goals. After the shock of Nige finally seeing yellow had gone – it is has been brewing for five seasons – it was time for us to turn it on. Man of the match, Quinton, still had one goal in him, and found the back of the net for the second time. Enter the Chairman, Adair, for a forward’s steel and we were back, almost: the lead had been halved. Sniffing an outside chance of a mighty come back, we chucked everything including the kitchen sink and a few hamstrings at the Wayfarers: game on.
Defending with their lives messers East, Stevenson, Wareman, Eve and Newton held firm against the final onslaught brought to life by our spirited fight back. Into the D the Barnstormers battled with Poen (what is his real name?) and Watkins leading the press and winning three short corners, which turned out to be very short, short corners – one earning Matt Close a harsh DOD nomination and subsequent award. Time was called with the hosts losing three goals to six. Teas back at the clubhouse was probably the highlight of the match, as aching legs tucked into an athletes supper of pie chips and gravy. On a positive note, our average hockey led to a decent fines session and we were able to donate £300 to Breast Cancer Now. November sees us travel to Crawley, and Tulse Hill and also welcome new comers to the league, Woking, to the Fortress.
Ladies 1st XI 2-0 Tulse Hill & Dulwich 2nd XI
On Saturday 24th of October the Ladies 1s played Tulse Hill and Dulwich Ladies 2s at home. We started strong, winning a short corner in the first three minutes. Just before half time we successfully got another corner, and our first goal was from some quick passes past the defenders by Georgie Syms and Katie Richards, with Katie Richards securing the goal. We defended well, most of the game being played in the oppositions half. Near the end of the second half, a second goal was scored by Georgie Syms after she brought out the keeper and pushed the ball behind her. The final result was 2-0 to OCs, taking us to the top of the Surrey Prem.
Ladies 3rd XI 0 – 0 Guildford 5th XI
It was a wet and windy afternoon at Manor Road as we assembled for our match against Guildford Ladies 5s. Guildford had also been promoted with us last season and so we knew it wouldn’t be an easy game.
We started the game strong and put the pressure on their defence from the start. Josie and Georgina made some great runs and crosses into the D and between them our forwards Fay, Francesca, Issy and Eilidh piled on the pressure with some nifty skills – giving Guildford’s GK the chance to show us what she was made of. But despite our efforts, we couldn’t seem to bag that goal. Guildford struggled to get through our press and our back line of Lizzie, Josie, Holly and Daisy made short work of closing down any breaks from Guildford that came our way, with some strong tackles and passes down the wings and to Sarah and Ally holding strong in the middle. This meant a quiet start for Evie, who didn’t get a touch in the first half. In fact, we managed not to concede any defensive shorts all game – testament to the strong performance from the back line. Nil nil at half time.
Guildford started the second half strong. It felt like a more open game, with play moving quickly from one end of the pitch to the other. Guildford worked our defence hard but we didn’t let them capitalise. Evie made two great saves and we kept the clean sheet. Bravo! We continued to focus on our intensity and Amy and Ciera kept up the pace in the midline and continued to drive on their D. We grabbed a couple of attacking shorts but were not able to convert, despite some powerful strikes in from Sarah. Some more scrappy play in the D and we nearly had it, but alas, we couldn’t get the goal we wanted and the final score of nil nil felt like a bit of a blow.
It was a frustrating score line in a game which we dominated, but overall a really strong team effort and a lot of positive play to take into our next league game against Woking!
Ladies 4th XI 9 – 0 Berrylands 1st XI
Weather was looking fairly good and hopes were high. Our checklist:
- All players turned up at the right place ✔ (but needed reminding!)
- All players were wearing blue/orange tops✔ (Debbie now aware we don’t wear white tops for home games!)
- Everybody checked in prior to the game (but post match all correct)
- Half time chat “don’t be complacent, we may be 5-0 up but if it goes down to goal average, keep scoring”✔
- Teas were waiting for the oppo back at the club (text missed but on proof of showing text sent, teas were rustled up quickly)
- Plenty of room for oppo to enjoy their tea under the gazebo as it started raining (our oppo sat in drizzling rain).
Game started well with plenty of passing and pressure on Berrylands defence, but despite numerous great rocket crosses from Megan, none of those were converted. So, then we took off our blindfolds! However, there was great play from a side that is now settling in to a good routine. Yasmine received top accolade “vegetable of the match” and presented with some sweetcorn courtesy of Debbie, who has obviously too many veggies in her plot, who knew of such an award? Final score 9-0, although our own players thought it was 10. Goal scorers: Jenny x 3, Yasmine and Amelia x 2, Megan and old timer Jane x 1 each.
Ladies 5th XI 3-2 Sunbury and Walton Hawks Ladies 4th XI
Back to home turf for the ladies 5s on Saturday, with the last match of the day. As it got closer to pushback time the wind started to pick up ominously, we all secretly thought rubbish weather could be a good thing as any potential for an audience would quickly evaporate given you can’t huddle together for warmth right now.
We started well yet not as hard as in the past two weeks (you’d think we would learn…) and the Hawks were quick to push through our centre and getting dangerously close to our D. We rallied and the play became more evenly matched, with each team fighting for possession yet losing it quite quickly. The opposition defence were distributing more consistently however and then we briefly lost our shape allowing a run through the middle from a youthful player, which ended in a lucky deflection and 1-0 up for Hawks. Worse, a slip from our staunch defender Sue saw her leaving the field with a twisted knee.
Deep breaths, still time to fix this …. We push on and this time go out full gas and Lily, George and Jacqs make some great plays to end with a lovely tip in from Lily on her debut game with the 5s. Scores are even. Phew. And, half time follows swiftly after where we find Sue has been putting her bench time to good use and works us through some tactics to restore our shape, and tells us in no uncertain terms to get out there and not come back till we make it 3-2.
As we return to the field the weather takes a very nasty turn, lashing rain and wind now. Isa fires us up with a reminder of how often we’ve trained in such vile weather and we are on our home pitch; we need to own this game! The new formation makes instant impact with the mids holding the centre strongly and the forwards making lots of great shots on goal. Jacqs puts in one of her sparkling runs through everyone to face the opposition keeper one-to-one and flicks the ball gently past her. Followed shortly after by a sweet deflection by Lucy G to put us 3-1 ahead. The Sunbury & Walton ladies don’t give up though and consistently break through, eventually they send home a solid strike to claw back to 3-2. Our subsequent attacks end in near misses on goal and then horrors, we allow Hawks to get a solo run of their own to go head to head with our keeper Jo … who nonchalantly tips the ball aside. Lovely stuff. Time is fast ticking down now, and more pressure from the Sunbury side to try for yet another break from the middle as that had worked well for them so far but Jo’s not having it and any such attempt gets cleared an epic distance. We gather the troops and take up a defensive hold for the last 90 seconds – and do as Sue told us, ending the game with a 3 – 2 win. A great game, thoroughly enjoyed by both sides. PoMs for Isa and for Sarah who were absolutely rock solid at the back.
Barnes Ladies 5th XI 5 – 0 Ladies Friendly
Each week we are putting together a squad of ladies from across 4 of the ladies teams to play a friendly match. This week saw our ‘friendly’ ladies assemble for a breezy early match against Barnes. Barnes attacked with brutal effectiveness and we were down 3 goals before we had even realised the start whistle had blown. When we did switch on, it was game on. We fought back with lovely solidarity and some fabulous team hockey. Stand out performances from Olivia and Zali, who literally put their bodies on the line to get in their D. True grit from Katinka, as a heck of a tough game for a goalie! Brilliant play from Annie and Rae, supporting our offensive. Everyone worked hard and the score doesn’t reflect what was a tough but enjoyable game. Given that most of the ladies had never met before, let alone played together, the second half was excellent – with some spectacular near-misses at goal. Next time, we’d beat them.