Fri 19-Feb-10
Issue 17
Match Reports | Race Night
It was another week to forget for THD sides. Only one side in action recorded a victory. A few of the teams had slip weeks, so it isn't as terrible as it sounds.
The Women's 1s and the Men's 1s continue to find it hard in the top league. The Men's 1s were especially unlucky to lose to South London rivals Spencer. The Men's 2s, 3s and 4s at least finished with a point each this weekend. This is good news for the 2s and 3s, who have maintained their unbeaten streaks.
The Women's 5s also lost out to other South London opposition, by 3 goals to 1 against Wayfarers.
The Quentin Hogg Memorial Ground had forgettable moments as the Saracens lost 4-0 to Richmond Redoutables and the Tornados threw away a 3-0 halftime lead to finish honours even against the Richmond Stags. Anyway, putting this week behind us, onward to better hockey next week!
Ramana Thirumoorthy - Editor
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27-Feb-10
Race Night
All the fun and excitement of a day at the races on a giant screen. Even if you have never seen a horse race before you can't fail to understand what's going on! All that you need to do is to pick a number between 1-8 and buy the corresponding ticket from the tote. The tote is then closed and a sealed race is chosen at random and shown. Plus you can become the 'owner' of a horse for a night, 'Sponsor' a race and take part in the final 'auction' race!
Quality fun for everyone as everyone is welcome - including friends, family and any other non-clubmembers
First race at 7pm, Admission £2. |
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This weeks match reports from the THD Teams in action.
Reports by: Someone from the M1s, Nick Jacobs, Nick Marsh, Charles Krasun, Graeme Evans, Mark Annear, Ramana Thirumoorthy, Katie Stone, Tim Sylvester
Mens Section
Mens 1s vs. Spencer: Lost 1-2
Winning is a habit. That's the thing with sayings - they are usually correct. Spirits were high on derby-day with a feeling that getting a result against second-placed Spencer was well within reach.
With Hoppo having confused at least two members of the side with his pre-match game plan and questions such as "what side of the pitch is this" and "what are you going to do today", the game plan was clear for most, and for the first half, effective.
The fruits of our forray into the mid-season transfer market appear to have paid off - debutante Freshy (described by one man, who was obviously short of options on Valentine's Day, as "a Fresh face, a breath of Fresh air". THD showed good amounts of penetration, with some passages of play showing just what this side is capable of. The final execution still needs to be worked on as there was a failure to convert the chances which we created.
With neither team being able to exert any dominance on the game, the teams went into half time at 0-0.
Having lost Hoppo to a family emergency at half time and with the perennially-shinpad-wearing, evergreen Richard Banwell stepping off the sidelines and into the breach, the THD that came out at the start of the second half was not up to par with their first half performance. This was shown by conceding two soft goals in relatively quick succession. The first of these came from a deflected short corner. The second involved the recently-returned Rob Heath forgetting he was wearing a THD shirt, diving at a ball to deflect it past the stranded Piggy to a Spencer player who had come free of the concrete-booted-I-Prefer Brown.
THD then, through sheer power, got a goal back. The Freshy short corner drag flick off the top had such a lack of venom that the keeper could not manage to impart sufficient speed on the ball to deflect it over the crossbar, instead only managing to loop it directly over his head, with a Spencer player clearing it off the line into the path of Simon Broadway to fire home for the first time in a while.
Despite an increase in tempo towards the end of the match, with incisive counter attacks from each side, no further score was recorded. The final 10 minutes were a rather disjointed affair with the midfield running shuttles and Piggy having to make a number of rushed saves. Winning is a habit, and unfortunately THD do not have that habit at the moment.
Oh, and Alex Brown stuck his hands down a pair of shorts that were currently in use (and not by him), for which he saw yellow. He did however manage to avoid TFC thanks to a blatant, and unfortunately very popular, stitch up.
The progression of the team from the first half of the season has been marked, however the results need to start coming. THD are currently second-bottom, although only 3 points off 7th place. Playing as we did on Saturday for the remaining 7 games should see us take a pot full of points and see us safe, however the reality is that we are second from bottom and points do need to be won.
Squad: Piggy, Hoppo, Browny, Smudge, Mowser, Joe L, Matt, Gavin, Rob, Bino, Tom, Simon, Freshy, Banners
MOTM: Freshy
TFC: Matt Hann
Next match: Away vs. Oxford University
Mens 2s vs. Chelmsford 2s: Drew 3-3
A 2 hour drive, freezing cold temperatures, a bare 11 players and some dubious umpiring are not a great recipe for a day of hockey. Finding ourselves 1-0 up with a good short corner move ending in Snowy striking the ball home raised the optimism that we could get a positive result, however, through a mixture of errors and tiredness we allowed Chelmsford back in the game and with 5 minutes to go they had a 3-1 lead. Through hardwork and determination we forced numerous short-corners and with Felix all fired up after their centre back decided to elbow him in the head we turned things around and he slotted 2 short corners home in quick succession to level the game. Many thanks to Ed for stepping up and having an outstanding game. (NJ)
Squad: Sheldon, Robby, Matt, Felix, Snowy, Mike, Foggy, Ed, Nick, Timmy, Darren
Scorers: Snowy, Felix x 2
Umpires: Theirs
Next match: Home vs. Hampstead and Westminster 3s, 1230hrs, Dulwich College
Mens 3s vs. Hampstead and Westminster 5s: Drew 1-1
A tough game was ahead of us against a side who didn't deserve to beat us last time around. A lapse in concentration for 90 seconds immediately after half-time allowed them back in with 2 goals and we couldn't recover, but this time we knew if we applied ourselves correctly then we could get the 3 points that would start sending us towards safety.
A bright start led to some early chances being missed but our dominance was starting to show and they were beginning to become tired after our solid passing was stretching them. However, we still couldn't score and it was down to some decent saves from Steve that kept us in it as opposed to being 2 or 3 down by half time. However, a period of 5 mins worth of sustained pressure from them just before half-time after they had finally found their feet enabled them to slip the ball through some lacklustre defending and go into the break 1 up. It was a dismal end to the half that nobody wanted.
We begun the 2nd half slightly sleepy and they came at us hard and we did well to repel. With a change of umpires for them at half time, the rules were approached slightly differently/oddly and there was now a change to the feel of the game. They came at us hard, and after some highly dubious short corner decisions, we managed to stay afloat and keep the score to only 1-0, again with some fine saves from Steve. We countered down the right - an area we attacked on few occasions - and a simple ball across enabled us to slot it in and make the game look easy!
The last 10 minutes were nail biting, never knowing if their umpire was going to give a random short for some of the most imaginative reasons, but we held on and managed to fight back, even getting a short corner on the final whistle. Even with everyone lining the D we still couldn't manage to put the ball away, so 1-1 was probably a decent result and one we would have taken at the start. Still unbeaten in 2010, but with the better of the two H+W sides next week, a tough ask is ahead to turn the 1 point into 3. (NM)
Squad: Steve, Alex McD, John, Tim, Chris Coleman, Bungle, Sam, Paul, Sparky, Potty, Ducky, Ben, Frankie, Rob
Scorers: Ben P
MOTM: Steve Butcher
TFC: Ducky
Umpires: Mark Jones & 1 of theirs
Next match: Away vs Hampstead & Westminster 4s
Tornados vs. Richmond Stags: Drew 3-3
The Polytechnic Sportsground is something from a bygone age, when Higher Education was a privilege and the Corinthian spirit was as ubiquitous as mussels and cockles; the Quentin Hogg Memorial Ground is a windswept hole that has, year after year, tripped the Tornadoes up with its Arctic blasts and total lack of even the basic levels of sporting decorum.
So it was with some joy that we went into half time on Saturday 3-0 up. We had passed the ball around, been confident in possession and attacked the D, giving JC the opportunity to tuck home from a yard out at least twice (I seem to remember all the goals being the same. If someone else got a third, sorry. If all 3 were by JC, you owe me a drink.) It wasn't perfect, but, at half time, we felt that with a slightly higher intensity and a bit more ball pace, we could get another 3.
There were another 3. But we didn't score any of them. Yes, the umpiring was poor, and in one case distinctly partial, but we only had ourselves to blame. No increase in ball pace, repeated passes leaving a man sold short, careless marking and a general lack of application made us look utterly disinterested. While individuals will look back on a game to forget, as a team it showed again that we can look as many times at the table as we like and say "We're one of the best teams in this division", but until we go out each Saturday and prove it, we are condemned to another season of "also-ran"-dom.
Yet again, points dropped leave us off the pace and slipping out of even the play-offs, which is a farcical situation given some of the hockey we've played. But the last 20 minutes of Saturday made us look like team facing relegation and, again, we're looking to the next game to prove we actually want to play hockey on a Saturday, which has been said too many times this season. So eventually, we all have to decide why we play... (CK)
Squad: Joe, Charlie, Pully, Aido, Tom, Bristles, Wilsh, MJ, Fents, Little Fish, Rob, Zesh, Ben, JC
Scorers: James Casey (2 or 3), possibly someone else
MOTM: Implausible given he's lazy and fat, JC
Next match: Home vs. Blackheath Heathens, 110hrs, JAGS
Diamonds vs. Surbiton 5s: Won 2-0
There was no team sheet, the plastic bag full of balls was missing and there were no hockey rules to discuss. With the boss away, Saturday's encounter served as a reminder that the post-Dowie era of Diamonds hockey is fast approaching. It will take some getting used to, but in the meantime Billy will be pleased to learn that the passing and movement he has preached over the last five years was much in evidence. So too was the willingness to scrap for possession when crucial points were on the line.
In a game we had to win in our quest for mid-table obscurity, Nick almost provided the perfect start after his run and shot rattled a post. Joe was also a constant threat with his pace, but Surbiton - in dire need of points themselves - caused problems and were denied when Lee rolled back the years with a penalty flick stop just before half-time. Having missed a flick of our own the previous week, it was a bonus to put matters right at the start of the second half; Nick, chosen for the role after a lengthy pre-match audition, stepped up to show Surbiton how it should be done. With Ben superb in his determination to win every challenge, the lead was preserved with few alarms before Joe stepped forward to wrap up the points near the end. (GE)
Squad: Lee Tearle, Tom Illingworth, Frankie Whitwell, Ben Salisbury, Graeme Evans, Olly Walton, Adam Smith, Nick Allen, Stephen Ireton, Sam Younger, Joe Del Greco, Tim Harris, Nick Marsh
Scorers: Nick, Joe
Umpires: Steve Butcher & Chris Coleman
Next match: Away vs. Spencer 6s
Royals vs. Indian Gymkhana: Postponed
We had no match this weekend - Indian Gym had a Vets cup match on Sunday so wanted to conserve energy for it. Instead, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show a photo from a night out long-gone by:
(MA)
Special Moment of The Day: See above
Next match: Home vs Tulse Hill & Dulwich Saracens, 1230hrs, JAGS
Saracens vs. Richmond Redoubtables: Lost 0-4
The game started with good prospects: we had three substitutes, more players recovered from injury, playing against a team slower than us (finally!) and the return of our energetic captain Mr Townsend. However, we found the going tough, losing Duncan to injury within the first ten minutes. Richmond had a few good players who punished us when we forgot to play simple, basic hockey.
They scored two goals in each half. We can take a few positives from this game. Spirits are still high, and we face a winnable game, as ever, against our own Royals next week. (RT)
Squad: Joe Boylan, Charles Townsend, Miguel Ledo, Colin Leeman, Michael Silverleaf, Ramana Thirumoorthy, Oliver Clark, Ian Townsend, Duncan Carmichael, Mark Humphries, Ben Langford, Nick Weller, James Smith, james Taylor
MOTM: Charles Davenport, back from broken finger-ness to glory at the back
DOTD: Ian Townsend, back from broken finger-ness to ignominy at the front (9 votes - ouch) and completely missing in a one on one with the keeper (I thought there was someone right behind me; there wasn't...)
Umpire: Phil Fishwick
Next match: Home vs Tulse Hill & Dulwich Saracens, 1230hrs, JAGS
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Womens Section
Womens 1s vs. Trojans 2s: Lost 1-2
No match report.
Next match: Home vs Oxford University 1s, 1100hrs, Dulwich College
Womens 2s: No match
Next match: Away vs. Old Kingstonian 1s
Womens 3s: No match
Next match: Away vs. Wimbledon 2As
Womens 4s: No match
Next match: 27 February, Away vs. Surbiton 5s
Womens 5s vs Wayfarers 4s: Lost 1-3
It was a cold start over in Battersea on Saturday morning. The opposition started the psychological battle with their Hakka style warm-up. It wasn't enough at the start of the match though as our team calmly whizzed round their frantic running. Then Audrey got the first cracking goal in.
By the end of the first half the match had turned into a tight deadlock with each side giving very little away and Emily keeping nearly every ball out of the goal. Her persistence earned her the title of MOTM.
Unfortunately by the end of the second half the Wayfarers' managed to get the edge and a lot of the game was played at our end of the pitch. Our team still played well together but Wayfarers just got a few too many chances. Perhaps it was their impressive warm-up. (KS)
Squad: Clare, Flo, Len, Lucy H, Izzy, Rachel, Alanna, Laura, Mags, Erica, Audrey, Andrea
Scorers: Audrey
MOTM: Emily
Umpire: Lucy Snell
Next match: 27 February, Away vs. Woking 2As
Womens 6s: No match
Next match: 27 February, Home vs. Cranleigh 2s, 1230hrs, JAGS
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Mixed Section
Dragons vs UCL Academicals Mixed: Lost 0-3
In an unremarkable game of hockey marked largely by our inabaility top pass to our own players, we lost 3-0. More interesting therefore, is a brief description and history of the game of Rugby.
Rugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century.One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, up to 100 metres (330 ft) long and 70 metres (230 ft) wide. At each end of the field is an H-shaped goal.
William Webb Ellis is often credited with the invention of running with the ball in hand in 1823 at Rugby School when he allegedly caught the ball while playing football and ran towards the opposition goal. Although the evidence to support it is doubtful, the Ellis story was immortalised at the school with a plaque unveiled in 1895. In 1848, the first rules were written by pupils; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the Blackheath Club's decision to leave the Football Association in 1863 and the split between rugby union and rugby league in 1895. (TS & Wikipedia)
Squad: Ellie, MJ, Snowy, Ollie, Little Fish, Susannah, Alanna, Helen S, Gaz, Helen B, Furlong, Kathryn F, Tim
MOTM: None of us. Possibly their bearded guy.
TFC: Me, cross-field aerial to their centre forward - FAIL
Next match: Home vs. Wanderers Daquiris, 1230hrs, BP
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