They said it couldn’t be done, but it was done; The ladies’ 5s did it, but who else did?

The done its… L1s, L2s, M2s, L5s
The donuts… M1s, M3s, L3s, L4s, M4s, M5s, Mixed All-Stars

Of course this weeks special mention goes to the L5s and everyone who’s coached and assisted them this season; super team effort. A nod and a wink goes to the M2s and L1s for great wins to stay in the promotion hunt – keep going gang; nearly there.

More details of who done what, when and where below.

Ladies 1s

The ladies 1s travelled away to Thurrock hoping to keep their promotion chances alive, and came away with all three points after an impressive 7-1 win. Forest started strongly and were one up after a couple of minutes when player of the match Jenny Field finished calmly with a well struck shot from the right of the D. Forest continued to press Thurrock high up the pitch and doubled their lead soon after with a goal from top goalscorer Lucy Butcher. Goals from Katherine Abbie and another from Jenny Field saw Forest go into the half time break with the score at 4-0.

Thurrock were offered a glimmer of hope when they converted their only goal of the game shortly after half time but it proved to be only a consolation as Forest stepped up a gear and played some fantastic hockey throughout the second half. The Thurrock goalkeeper ensured that Forest didn’t reach double figures with some fine saves but further goals from Kate Murphy and a third and well deserved hat-trick from Jenny Field. Katherine Abbie added a seventh a few minutes from the end. Overall a great team performance from the ladies and they must take this form into their next match against top of the table Holcombe to stay in the race for promotion.

Ladies 2s

Spiffing game from the ladies 2s today. A 6-1 slammer against Brentwood 2s. Great team effort, with 2 goals from Philippa Leguen De Lacroix, 2 from Emma Haward, 1 from Isabel Shields and 1 from Lizl Le Roux. Great communication in defense and wide passes enabled us to win this one. If we can keep that up, and team it with passing just that little bit more quickly, then I’m confident that we can win the rest of our games. Until then, time for a celebratory beer.

Ladies 3s

Ladies 3s lost 3-5 to Basildon with 10 ladies and no goalie! We fought to the bitter end and never gave up! Very proud! And my dad enjoyed watching us play! First time he has watched me play in 11 years! Onwards and upwards! 3 games left…

Ladies 4s

MIA

Ladies 5s

I’ve been waiting all season to write this match report. Warning though, it’s written after a few celebratory fizzy drinks, so may be full of love and adoration!

As everyone knows, the Ladies 5s work hard and have played some damn good hockey to little avail to the teams in our league working their way through the divisions with their superstar youth. But this one, we knew we had a chance of winning. We didn’t want to be too cocky though and went in with a pressured feeling captain which couldn’t be hidden on the pitch!!

We were short on midfielders this week and heavy on defenders, so some of our defenders were pushed into midfield and even attacking positions. There was a few rabbit in headlight looks in the first few minutes but everyone settled into their unknown positions well. East London initially took advantage of this and we started off with a defensive match. We’ve become defensively strong though and they couldn’t get it past us, despite a big hitting Scottish girl with short hair called Fiona (anyone actually seen Fi Pennie today?!!!). We made lots of efforts to keep positions today which meant that when the ball made it up into the attacking half, we were ready. Midfield literally ran the field pushing up on the attack and slowly dying on the run back into defence!

The first goal came in the first half and how we screamed!! However we knew we could do better in our play and went into the second half with a determination not to give the match away and put ourselves up. Play got stronger, everyone worked incredibly hard and two more goals were scored in a half dominated by us. Fantastic well done to our goal scorers to Kiesha Dwyer, Maria Joannou and Leonie Alderman!! These girls aren’t forwards! I took Ki and Leonie out of their normal defensive roles and look what happens! But a super special mention to our Lady of the Match Maria – playing her first ever match with equal amounts of bundle of nerves and desperation to play! It’s daunting to get on the pitch but to get a goal in your first match is amazing!!

Big thanks to everyone who has shown us support this season. We feel a very loved team and we know that we’re backed by the club in our efforts to win a match. We hope we’ve made you proud! Thanks to the captains of the other ladies teams Katherine Abbie Sylvia NankivellCharlotte Harris Clare Haig Hannah Fowler this week who didn’t pull players up and played with less so that we stood a chance of winning this match, we really appreciate it. Special thanks to East London, Redbridge and our division rep who really helped me out yesterday afternoon after some mix up left us without an umpire. And always thanks to our Ray Russo.

We hope we’ve made you proud Philippa Leguen De Lacroix and Lucy Butcher, thanks to you both for all your efforts! But mostly thanks to my team…3 matches left as captain and I’m so proud of you all, you work incredibly hard, never give up and you deserve this – this wasn’t East London laying down and being walked over, this was a match that we fought for and got our rewards.

Now… do I beat Gary Joy for the longest match report?

(Editor- No sorry, Gary went even bigger this week!)

Men’s 1s

The men’s 1st team travelled to top of the league Cambridge City, to play a team who had beaten them 6-0 earlier in the season. The return fixture was a very different affair.

Forest put in a fantastic team performance and were unlucky not to come away with a point, as City got the winner in the final few minutes of the game. A tough 4-3 loss, but captain and coach we’re very happy with the team’s performance.

Special mentions to man of the match Dan Metcalfe for some fantastic saves and to Chris Drewe for his fine finishing. Hopefully the team can continue next week with a similar performance and get a win.

Men’s 2s

Today we scored our 100th goal of the season, except that we didn’t score it. That honour went to Mr Daniel Goodacre, captain of the East London team we played today. His OG was the difference today, so congratulations and thanks to him.

Jonathan Jones and Alec Zetter put crosses in all day, but our strikers were uncharacteristically inaccurate. I put it down to Marcus Webb being ‘probed’ by klingons last week.
Thanks to Yogi Patel for all the great saves and Cillié Truter for his clearance off the line that was DEFINITELY with his stick, not his shin.

Well done to Rich Mills for getting on East London’s most wanted list, by putting a man in hospital.

Three more glorious points.

Men’s 3s

Relegation battle continues on for the 3s.

We lost 2-1 against 2nd in the league Old Southendians, a team who we pegged back for long periods of the game but for a few slips in concentration.

Great work rate from all and strong performance to take into the last three games of the season.

Oh and there were cards galore yesterday, which means hefty fines for Paul Matthews, Sean Bean Carey and myself (Vinay).

Men’s 4s

Saturday we welcomed local and title rivals Wapping 8s to The Academy, in what promised to be an explosive top of the table clash, and it didn’t disappoint in that respect.

The game had much riding on it for both teams, with the winners securing promotion, and probably in the long term the League Title.

With 4/5 regular players missing, we knew it was going to be a tough task, and so it proved to be.

For the opening 20 mins of the 1st half, Wapping dominated proceedings, with some very slick hockey.

From their 1st Short Corner, the ball was Expertly drag flicked into the top corner 1-0 Wapping.

But to our credit, after spending the opening period of the game on the back foot, we began to impose ourselves on the game, with some slick and stylish hockey of our own.
Creating chances and Short Corners, but their GK was outstanding, making some very good stops.

As the half ended, we were very encouraged by the way we had finished the half, and our HT team talk, was based around the quality of our finish to the half and to start the 2nd half in the same manner.

HT 0-1.

We did exactly what we spoke about at HT, and come out again playing very well putting them under pressure, moving the ball well, defending much better and creating chances to level the game up, but their keeper was having an absolute Worldy.

With about 15 minutes left, our good play and persistence was finally rewarded, when from a botched short corner, Amir managed to get a strike in, which was brilliantly deflected in by Goal scoring machine Frank, 1-1 and no more than we deserved.

It was now all about who blinked first, and unfortunately it was us, Wapping from somewhere upped their game to another level, and we just couldn’t get enough ball, or even get out of our own half, we began to sit deep and invite pressure, an invitation that was duly accepted.

We were digging deep and defending doggedly. They then forced 5 consecutive Shorts, the first of which, I charged down with my thigh(yes it hurt), charged the next one Down with my stick, we really were putting our bodies on the line, on the 5th short Forest hearts were broken, as they finally breeched our defence, 2-1 Wapping.

At this point in sheer frustration at conceding, I launched my stick which narrowly missed the Umpire (Sorry Ozzie, was not meant to go anywhere close to anyone). That Red Mist moment meant I got a yellow card, during which time Wapping wrapped the game up with a fine team goal.

So 3-1 the final score, the team were so disappointed and Wapping had secured promotion,

Little were we to know, that later in the day, how that disappointment would turn to sheer Joy (No pun intended) as results filtered through, we discovered Old Loughts had list to Rochford 4-2, which meant with a single game remaining, Old Loughts could not catch us.

So WFHC Men’s 4s had also secured promotion, and deservedly so.

A new benchmark for a very good men’s 4s team within the club, Div 7 SE, is the highest league we’d have played in.. Fantastic achievement we’ll done to each and everyone of you….

A couple of other points to make before signing off:
1) there were words exchanged between myself and the Umpires, for which I apologise.
I would like to say at this point, that the two umpires, Rich Mills andUzair Pandor umpired the game superbly, at times under fire from both sets of players.
2) a massive thank you to all of you, who came out to support us. Just sorry we couldn’t give you the right result.

Men’s 5s

A top-of-the-table East London side that has been scoring double figures in matches of late was always going to be a bit too strong for the Mens 5s. But we battled bravely and, despite picking up a range of injuries, limited the opposition to 6 goals.

While producing plenty of decent passages of play we rarely threatened the opposition goal. The last 10 minutes became an intense contest of itself with East London striving desperately for another goal which would have been their 100th this season, while we responded with equal determination to prevent it, and our success in doing so was a definitive “moral victory”.

Man of the match votes were spread throughout the team, with Shaun having a great game in goal, and Rosti making some timely interceptions, but most votes went to Ming for an energetic display in midfield and Daniel for a composed performance at right back.

Mixed

Sunday, WFHCs mixed side, travelled to John Orwell, to play Wapping. We went with a very scratch side, unfortunately having to draft in 4 players from other clubs.

Having decided on a 3-2-3-2 formation, that in all honesty lasted about 5 minutes, as we were absolutely swamped by a far superior Wapping Side.

But this is Waltham Forest HC, and we are made of stern stuff, and boy did we dig in, and park the bus, as wave after wave of Wapping attack come at us. We were defending superbly, and on the rare occasions we got the ball, we played some decent hockey.

At times we were playing with 6 Ladies, 5 men due to an injury to Ed, and also Ed got himself a yellow card, for smashing the ball back at the umpire, after a decision went against him…..

In the end we got beaten 2-0, and we conceded two quite soft goals, the first we gave the ball away just outside the D and were punished, the 2nd an OG, that was very unfortunate.

We really did show complete desire and commitment to the cause, but in the end it wasn’t enough. We left everything out in the hockey field, and were exhausted at the end of the game. Very proud of the shift we all put in yesterday, in what turned out to be a very tough afternoon of hockey.

A big shout out to all the players who turned out for the mixed side, on Sunday, especially the 4 players from other clubs, Rhea, Clare, Jackie and Lee Bennett, much appreciated.

MOTM – Katrina Hurrell

POP – Ed Bear Stubbing

‪#‎ProudCaptain‬