OC Hockey Club

Hamstrings  4 – 2  Surbiton 

The local Derby approached and, with the team sheet posted, there were comments of ‘nice’ and even ‘great’ team.  Would the Hammies live up to this?

Pre-match the accolade of a much coveted award was a near certainty as Manmeet rushed home to get his blue shirt having turned up in oppo whites.

OCs started strongly with crisp triangles and Surbs not getting an eye in for almost 10 minutes. The deadlock was finally broken when Jonker drove to the byline passing to Mike on the P-spot who slotted it through the keeper who nearly stopped it but left the ball trickling towards the line…Barry being quickest to pounce scoring from all of 1/2 an inch. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time – A clear contender for goal of the month.

Having controlled the game so well, and with confidence too high we started to pass directly to the oppo, dribble up our own arses and paid the inevitable price: 1-1. There was a great save from Nige and a number of good ones from the oppo keeper keeping scores equal.

With some rousing half time speeches – which in summary said: “hockey hasn’t changed, do simple short passes, stretch the pitch and go round the keeper”… it remained to be seen if we’d all been listening…

A few minutes later it seemed we had, with some nice short passes at the top of and inside the D between Jamie and Barry leaving the keeper stranded for Steve to slot into an open goal.

Having learnt from our earlier experience and this time remaining consistent we soon notched another through some nice passing with Baz assisting Mike and then a 4th with Closey converting a shortie.

Surbs did manage to pull one back on the break but it was too little too late. Final whistle 4-2.

Had we been great? – 2nd half we were with Baz’s dribbling and passing standing out for MoM (or was it his spectacular goal?)

Had we been nice – given it was a very convivial affair for a local Derby (the first time ever?), we were that too – much helped by calm umpiring from Crumby & Phil (). Onwards and upwards. 

Goal scorers – Barry Jones, Steve McCann, Mike Newton & Matt Close

MoM – Barry Jones

Simon Shelly made 3 great saves to keep the score at 1-0, before Andy M slid a perfect pass to Andy S, who deflected the ball home. Mac then made the second, with Knappy deflecting home another pacy ball send goal-wards.

However, we were unable to score the important 3rd goal, spurning 11 short corners and a host of decent attacking positions and chances. We were left to rue the fact when HW equalised in the 50th minute in one of their rare second half attacks. All said and done, we have only dropped 7 points thus far in the season, but need to ensure that it stays this way…

On Saturday, 1 March, we faced tough opposition in the form of Indian Gymkhana. We delivered a strong performance throughout but eventually lost 2-5.
The game was marked by excellent saves from Michelle, who denied IG many scoring opportunities. Our defence was solid, while midfielders Jess and Zoe stood out with their impressive tackles.
Chloe and Freya showcased great ball control along the sidelines. We scored a fabulous goal in the first half and created numerous scoring chances.
The match ended with another fantastic goal, scored from a deflection. Overall, it was a great team effort against well drilled opponents.
Player of the match Bryony

Written by Bryony McCarten1

Women’s 6s  0 – 2  Berrylands 1s

It was an afternoon of mixed fortunes as our side put in a spirited performance but ultimately fell short, going down 0–2 in a fast-paced encounter. From the opening whistle, the team showed confidence and strung together promising passes. However, bad luck struck early when we went behind 0–1 almost straight away. Despite the early setback, we kept calm and immediately pressed forward, with Carolina nearly leveling the score soon after. Yet just ten minutes into the game, our opponents doubled their lead against the run of play.

Undeterred, we dominated possession for the remainder of the first half, keeping the ball pinned in their territory. Hard work and constant pressure rewarded us with a short corner in the 27th minute, as everyone on the pitch pushed forward relentlessly. The final moments of the half were all in front of the opposition’s goal, capped by a powerful shot from Amanda that narrowly missed.

The second half opened with a fresh surge of energy, led by the younger players—particularly Eva, Mae, and Meghan—who impressed with their swift runs and confidence on the ball. Within the first seven minutes of the second half, we forced another short corner and came even closer to scoring. The pressure never let up; another series of short corners at the 55-, 57-, and 58-minute marks had the opposition on their heels. Berryland was hardly in our half, but we somehow were unable to convert our chances into goals. Jess epitomized the fighting spirit in midfield, while the defensive line and wings continued to press high.

Although a goal eluded us, there was no shortage of standout performances. Players of the Match honors went to Eva, Jess, and Kara, reflecting their tenacity and impact from start to finish. Despite the loss, the team’s resilience, skilful link-up play, and unwavering determination leave plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into the next fixture.

Women’s 4s  1 – 1  Merton 1s