Ladies 1s

L1s went on a trip to second in the league Sudbury. We went 0-1 up with a ‘beautiful’ goal chipped over the keeper from Katherine Abbie until she admitted it wasn’t that beautiful as it deflected off the keepers stick. Either way it was a goal.

Sudbury had one really strong player who scored off a short and then an amazing tomahawk.

Other highlights:

Mog’s wonder saves one of which she took on the chest and just managed not to be blown backwards.

Fish saved a goal by hitting it into the back of Mog’s head.

Kathy has a fluid sack on her elbow.

Faith ruined team hide.

Em eating her way through all the e numbers

Ended 2-1 to Sudbury.

MoM Mog, DoD Fish

Oh and Fish scored last week btw in case you didn’t know.

Hold on late entry on highlights, Fish just asked Em if she has a furry mouth.

Men’s 1s

M1s win 5-2 against Long Sutton to go second in the league (2nd place lost 2-1) and into the promotion places (although we are still not allowed to talk about it apparently).

Goals from Chris Drewe, Liam Radley (2), Richard Arkle and Felix Joel Evans sealed the win in a match that Forest never really hit the heights of previous weeks.

Onto Felixstowe tomorrow where a win would put us 4 points ahead of their nearest promotion rivals still with a game in hand.

2pm tomorrow at the Academy…you know it makes sense to be there

A resounding 8-0 (we think it was 7-0 but umpires said 8) win today against Felixstowe means that the 1s need 4 points from their remaining 3 matches to guarantee promotion to Prem A.

Goals from Liam Radley (4), Dan Smith, Richard Arkle, Felix Joel Evans and one unclaimed goal secured an easy win.

Thanks to those that turned up to support, especially those there weren’t wives, girlfriends, fiancées or daughters of players (Fish and Katherine).

Another double header next weekend. The champions Letchworth on Saturday, 1pm at the Academy, and then a long away trip to Harleston Magpies on Sunday.

Ladies 2s

L2’s trip to Southend paid off with a 1-0 win! With some great 1-2s, runs, calling and all round teamwork slotting into place it was a well deserved result. Shout out to goal scorer Kareen, MOM to Harriet Barber (everywhere at all times) obvious DOD to Rachel McKimmon for forgetting her stick in 2nd half. Great work girls!

Men’s 2s

What happened to Jack Jacey? Hopefully nothing bad, but my guess is that he was hanging out with phoenix’s 11th man. Fingers crossed the two of them had a cosy afternoon together. Phoenix turned up with 10, which contributed to our 8-0 win.

Despite going awol, Jack’s 70 fines didn’t earn him pop. That accolade went to Matt O’Hara who let down the threes by going skiing this week, along with various other crimes against humanity. 105 fines – a new record!

Well done to Imran Arshad got a birthday hat trick, or ‘hat truck’ as Jonathan Jones would call it, earning himself mom.

Tom Lowe deserves special mention for being a bench impact man. Never in the history of sport has someone affected a bench so effectively. Well done on the goal too. Jonesy uncharacteristically hit a clean strike to score a goal, congratulations.

Guy Kuipers bagged his one for the season, underlining the assertion that he is the club’s best right back. But given Ed Bear Stubbing wouldn’t pass to him, is he as good as chap?

Nate banged in a fantastic reverse stick strike, but still didn’t look that pleased about it!

Who scored the other one? Was it the prodigal son, Matt Tanswell?

A final highlight to note was Chris Tanswell having his first shot of the decade. Great work mate, but stick to our half in future, yeah?

Ladies 3s

So with only a few games left, the Ladies 3’s went out positively today at home against Upminster. However our respective positions in the table reflected the outcome of the game. A win for them 4-0. However, there was lots of play to be proud of and equally lots we need to work on as a team.

Amber Banbury was MoM for her movement onto and with the ball to create some great attacking play.

Next week we meet Southend. We have to win.

Come on girls. We can do this!!

Men’s 3s

Mens 3’s went to Colchester Garrison where we battled like soldiers.

Paul’s car said it was -39c onroute to the game

Little Dan rang his little socks off and fell asleep in the car

Paul Scored in open play from a great team move

Joe had a pitch tantrum

Alex scored a blinder

Cillie smashed a short corner screamer into the goal

Steve had a hypo throughout the second half

We won 2-3

Our last 2 games face Redbridge and Upminster who are both already relegated so we might play with 11 out field players just for fun!

Ladies 4s

Francis made the most incredible pavlova. The meringue was crisp on the outside and fluffy and chewy in the middle. The fruit was fresh and tangy. Just mouthwatering and easy on the eye too. Stunning.

Oh, yes, the game. We won 3-0 against Redbridge and Ilford with no subs! Yippee!

We lost 7-1 to them before Xmas, so we were anticipating a tough game. But we were all over it from the outset, really. With everyone on fine form, we spent most of the game in their half with many chances on goal. Kwai managed to convert one of our opportunities into a goal, finishing a lovely aerial cross from Charlotte. I scored our second after a fab cross from Minty, who played a cracking game despite having the plague.

After half time, we had lots more opportunities and some very near misses. Kwai managed to secure another goal, putting the final score at 3-0.

Every single player on that pitch worked so hard and played so well today. Thanks to coach Chukker for his sideline support too, much appreciated.

MOM: Charlotte for tireless work and creating countless opportunities. Also POP: Charlotte for being the opposite of a Weeble and always falling down.

Men’s 4s

Men’s 4s faced newly crowned Div 6 SE Champions Harlow 1s. And in a good old fashioned sporting manner, we gave them a deserved guard of honour, onto the field of play, before Pushback.

Having given them a guard of honour, my match instructions were, to make sure that’s all we give them. Down to bare 11, and with myself carrying a calf injury we knew it was going to be a tough ask. But as the team have done, for most of the season, they met the challenge head on, and absolutely dominated the opening exchanges, and took a deserving 1-0 lead.

We kept pushing, playing well, stopping our opponents playing, and having them completely rattled we had a few chances to add to our lead, which we unfortunately didn’t do. From a penalty corner to us, they broke at pace and equalised, just before HT, 1-1 and very much against the run of play. A very soft goal to concede, too easy.

From this moment, everything was downhill, Oliver Loessl then picked up a groin strain and by the end of the match could not even move, but to his credit, he played the whole game, in much discomfort. We held on until HT at 1-1. It was going to be very tough for the 2nd half, and so it proved.

Harlow got their 2nd, again it was a soft and particularly unlucky goal to concede, so 2-1. Our injury list then got longer as Horace Keating got hit on the elbow with a stray stick, he had a deep cut, so off to Whipps X he went. So down to 10 players with 2 carrying injuries, 8 fully fit players on the field.

Again my players showed the desire, passion, commitment and willingness to work for each other as a unit, although we conceded another 2 goals, we made sure we had the last word in the game, scoring our 2nd goal of an extremely tough afternoon.

So we lost 4-2 to the team, that are worthy champions, although I think it was a very flattering result for them. Again I was so proud to be the captain of the men’s 4s, we have never given up on a game all season, we didn’t yesterday either, in a set of very adverse circumstances, for us.

Two games to go, seasons goal achieved, as a team we should be extremely proud of ourselves. Let’s go out for the last 2 games, play with freedom express ourselves and above all enjoy it!!!!!

Goal scorer Nadeem Ahmed (2)

Special mention for Nadeem’s 2nd, great determination to break tackles and get his goal.

MOTM Martin Hands-Clarke-Played out of position, ran himself into the ground, covered every inch of the academy pitch, his all round game was superb, and just epitomised everything that’s been good about the men’s 4s this season. Well done mate.

Men’s 5s

Men’s 5’s made the short trip to Mile End Stadium to face East London. With East London only a point behind the 5’s it was always going to be a tough game.

East London got off to the better start but couldn’t find a way though the 5’s defence. The 5’s started to get a foot hold on game and with their first short corner of the game took the lead after Aamir Sultan smashed home. The 5’s continued to push and soon doubled their lead after once again Aamir scoring direct from a short corner. A 3rd was soon scored once again from a short corner after Aamir slipped to ball back to Benjamin Frith-Salem to flick home around the post. The first half finishing 3-0 to 5’s

The second was a very even affair but the 5’s stretched the lead after Aamir completed his hat-trick. East London did manage to score making the final score 4-1 to the 5’s

‪#‎2cupfinalsleft

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Otters

An understrength Otters team somehow lost a game against Romford at Lee Valley which we controlled for large periods. With Man of the Match Biel performing well in a central attacking position we created a hatful of chances, but had only Emran’s goal to record while Romford exposed our use of a kicking back to lead 2-1 going into the final minutes, then tacked on a couple more as we committed numbers forward for a very disappointing 1-4 final scoreline.

Mixed

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