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Newsletter 2005/06
Since 2003/04 the club has produced weekly match reports. From the start of the 2005/06 season this became a weekly newsletter, distributed during the season, containing match reports from each of the games played that weekend as well as other key information and a selection of adverts and offers.
Fri 09-Dec-05Issue 11
This week's read doesn't get much better whichever way up you hold it. Too much optimism in the previous edition perhaps - I shan't be tempting fate again soon. The Tornados did well, but that was about it, save for an interesting collection of Men's 1s who won in the Cup on Sunday. For now it's time to brood, but not to panic. The Red and Green Army will return stronger and more entertaining than ever this weekend. If not on the pitch (there's not much symbiosis between our results and THD social events), then at the clubhouse. The Christmas Party awaits. Hold on to your hats and the rest, for now....
reports by: Gareth Weir, Jimmy Ireson, Aidan Brock, James Terrett, Mark Jones, Graeme Evans, Lucy Muldoon, Stacey Sellman, Claire Whitehead, Frances Barber and Victoria Wright.
Men's 1s vs. Slough (league): Lost 5-6
According to the BBC website, "startling new evidence has shown that over the last 20 years despite a substantial rise in their income the proportion of UK citizens deemed to be 'happy' has increased only slightly. Optimists live longer than pessimists and this latest research suggests that by making a few simple changes to your life anyone can become happier and more content. Last summer, in one of the most ambitious social experiments ever conducted on television, the new BBC 2 series 'Making Slough Happy' set out to prove the evidence is fact not fiction and document how a skilled team of happiness experts attempt to bring sunshine to Slough. With a range of community events taking place throughout the whole town everyone was encouraged to get involved to make 2005 Slough 's Happiest Summer Ever!"
notes to editor: THD 1s can now reveal that, in order to secure the results of the happiness test, the production team persuaded THD to play a pantomime of a hockey match in which they first depressed Slough by destroying them and leading 4-1.. And then, in true festive spirit, donated them 5 goals to ensure they took home the 3 points. Merry Xmas Slough . (GW)
Team: Chris Roberts, Gareth Weir, Andrew Eames, Tom Hughes, Chris Smith, Dave Hancock, Andy Balchin, Andres Labourt, Will Nurse, Jimmy Ireson, James Huntley, Dave Casement, Graeme Fotheringham.
Goals: Will Nurse (3), James Huntley, Jimmy Ireson
MOM: Will Nurse
Men's 1s vs. Colchester (Cup): Won 2-1
Tulse Hill dominated a shoddy Sunday game, memorable only for Dave Casement's re-enactment of the Battle of the Bulge as he ran across enemy lines towards the keeper only to be cut down by an unseen sniper. The crowd went wild! Two goals from short corner specialist Will Nurse (who claims he'll be top scorer by January) were all that an inspired Colchester keeper would let in. In reply, Colchester had a perfect 100% attacking record - one shot, one goal. 2-1 to the THD Red and Green socks. (JI - reportedly)
Team: Chris Roberts, Chris Smith, Tim Howarth, Aidan Brock, Matt Groom, Richard Banwell, Will Nurse, Tom Hughes, Dave Casement, Lee Snowden, Graeme Fotheringham.
Scorer: Will Nurse (2)
Coach: Andres Labourt
Men's 2s vs. Hampstead & Westminster 3s: Drew 2-2
We seem to have taken over from the Royals as the team who gives away 2 goal head starts and this week was no different. (Only 3 regular players short this particular Saturday). We started sluggishly and were soon two scrappy goals down to the self proclaimed H&W 1Cs (!). The tone was set early when Nick J was yellow carded for 'handbags' after 2 minutes. Thereafter THD reacted creditably to the strict umpiring. Half time saw a new impetus following a very uncharacteristic (and totally deserved) dressing down from our usually circumspect keeper Wiggy. We shut up shop at the back and started to dominate possession, led by the nuggety Banners in midfield and the impossible to deal with pace (and passing, no really!) of Nick Jacobs up front, the latter earning us a flick after being taken out following a lovely end-to-end move. The flick was duly dispatched and dispatches seemed to be the order of the second half with three yellows being shown to an increasingly frustrated and very verbal opposition. So to the final act, in the final 30 seconds of the match. THD short corner, the Hoff calmly strides up and doles out instructions " I'll hit it and everyone sprint in on goal for the follow up". In the end Snowy struck a slightly wayward push out but the plan worked, Nick J scooping the rebound over the goal line.
Our play merited a win. Furthermore the never-say-die attitude that characterises this current team shone through and two points in two weeks against the second and third in the league respectively means we are finally starting to fulfil our potential. After a dreadful start to the campaign this team are definitely making an impression; H&W were so impressed they're using the Hoff to advertise their Christmas beach party - nuff said.. (AB)
Team: Justin Collins, Aidan Brock, Alex Brown, Chris Coleman, Matt Groom, Ferg Jagger, Richard Banwell, Lee Snowden, Andy Potapa, Joe Griffiths, Will Atkinson , Nick Jacobs.
Scorers: Aido (PF), Nick Jacob
Next match: Saturday 10 December vs. PHC Chiswick - 13.00 away
Men's 3s vs. Hampstead & Westminster 3s: Lost 1-2
With many absentees and losses to the 2s, we faced a tough task against high-flying H&W. And in the first half we got battered. H&W moved the ball quickly, we didn't mark very well and it was only the heroics of Jeremy Porter and some wayward shooting that kept the score down. Quite perversely however, we took the lead. A sloppy pass from the opposition led to a one on one with Nick Harris finishing with ease. Unfortunately, like many of my Saturday nights, amusement turned to disappointment as H&W hit back with two goals and put us firmly on the back foot leading into the break. We had been too weak in the first half, and the second half saw a more determined performance with some big tackles which disrupted H&W attacks. Superb niggling, spoiling and shouting proved to make a big difference and an equal share of the second half spoils. MOTM goes to Mike Killen who led the strong challenges in the middle and our fight back meant that like some of my Saturday nights, although not happy with the result, we could respect ourselves in the morning. (JT)
Team: Jeremy Porter, Mark Pulford, Wes Cole, Robby Leyton, James Terrett, Graeme Lyness, Mike Killen, Neil Vose, Adam Taylor, Geoff Pritchard, Nick Harris, David Fogden
Scorer: Nick Harris
Umpire: Billy Dowie
Next match: Saturday 10th December vs. St Albans 3s - 12:30 @ Dulwich College
THD Tornados vs. Hampstead & Westminster 7s (away): Won 2-1
Sugar, honey and babies with lollypops. none of these are as sweet as the victory we had at the weekend. On paper it looks like a giant killing, in reality they were nowhere near our size. With a defence that weathers a storm better than a New Orleans suburb, a midfield that has a tempo higher than Tchaikovsky's Adagio for Strings and an attack that has more goals than a Life Coach's pep talk..how could the result ever have been in doubt? This season may well be our Everest but this point was our base-camp alpha. It will only get colder and harder from now on but we plan to get there first, not randomly wander off alone and freeze to death. The season's not over yeti! As my old mate Confucius used to say, "Never give a sword to a man who can't dance." (MJ)
Team: Lee Tearle (GK), MJ, Rolly Ferneaux, Nick Thomson, Tom Alexander, Si Wilshire, Dougal Davis, Rich Fenton (MOTM), James Perrott, Nick Jones, Dan Hopkins, Loz Mockery and Irfan Begg.
Scorer: Dan Hopkins (2)
Umpire: Si Riley
Coach: Chris Richman
Next match: Saturday 10 December vs. Guildford 4s - 15.00 away
THD Diamonds vs. Hampstead & Westminster Thirsts: Lost 3-5
Thankfully we don't have to play Hampstead & Westminster every week. The Diamonds' only previous defeat was to the club's team of Spaniards, so Saturday's deserved beating to the Thirsts was doubly painful. While narrowing the gap between second-placed Diamonds and the rest to six points, it also allowed the Spaniards to extend their lead at the top to four. There could be few complaints as the Diamonds never got to grips with the bumpy, slippery pitch and certainly never got to grips with the un-5th team-like performance of the Thirsts' main man in midfield, who scored one marvellous reverse stick goal and orchestrated events throughout. From a one-nil lead, secured by Dom, THD were 5-1 down shortly after the break and heading for a hiding. Even the quality of tackling was of low quality, with both sides
Scorers: Dom, Tim, Nick
Next match: Saturday 10 December vs. St Albans - 14.00 @ Dulwich College
THD Royals: No game
Next match: Saturday 10 December vs. Blackheath Heathens - away
Women's 1s: No game
Next match: Saturday 10 December vs. Hounslow, Barnes and Ealing - 10.00 @ Duke's Meadow (absurd!)
Women's 2s vs. Croydon MO 1s: Lost 1-3
A somewhat disappointing score with the game not at all reflecting our standard and ability over the opposition. Both teams were full of determination at the start, evident with the amount of big hitting that was taking part on both sides. However although THD do have a good side of 'hitters' behind them, we also have many other skills but for the most part we forgot to use them. We fell to their level of playing in the first 20 minutes. Apart, that is, from a great strike by Kato which reached Penny up front. With Penny's quickness and sharpness of classic stick and ball dribbling, she beat the defenders to pass it across the D to Harriet who finished it off with a great sweeping goal. The side line gave a big cheer (even the Men's 1s sounded vaguely impressed). But t his merely added more fuel to the Croydon girls' fire and they did come back harder and faster and scoring. We just could not seem to break them down, although with Sarah L doing some great interceptions and good stopping, it was hard to see where we were going wrong. Too much play going up the middle so I was told by our excellent team of supporters on the side.
The second half saw Croydon scoring from 2 short corners. It never came together for us after that despite some good individual moments - Liz on the left made some great passes on long corners and followed them up with a few strikes on goal, but the Croydon tactic of hit and hope out of their D generally paid off. We didn't guard the middle well enough on 16s, and on our own 16s tried to hit it through the middle too. This was not our finest hour. It will go down as the game of big hits and no width. Next week we're going to get up early and eat mince pies and hope that does the trick. Great to see Lucy P back on the pitch. And thanks to Pipes, Chris Richman (and Charley!) for umpiring. (LM)
This week's loverley losers were: George Sykes, Kate Selway, Kate Blumer, Lucy Muldoon, Lucy Partington,, Rosie Carter, Emma Kitley Harriet Gallagher-Powell, Claire Deverill. Penny Stephens, Liz Young, Biba Tunnicliffe, Sarah Longair.
Scorer: Harriet Gallagher-Powell
Player of the match: shared between Longbeard and Kato
Umpires: Jo Malkin, Chris Richman/Charley Williams (half each)
Next match: Saturday 10 December vs. Old Cranleighans - 10.00 start (ouch) @Thames Ditton.
Women's 3s vs. Old Kingstonions 1s: Lost 0-3
The game started well with pressure from both teams, but disaster struck when our captain got a ball to the head from a 16 yard hit out (again, really sorry). We then got a short corner that narrowly went wide of the post. They just came at us all guns blazing and had a flurry of short corners for themselves but their breakthrough came with an open play goal half way through the half. Neither that nor the rain stopped us from battling all over the park and trying to get that ever elusive goal. Before half time several other short corner routines came and went with a couple narrowly missing the back post and my head. We came out stronger in the second half but couldn't put anything in the back of the net and they scored again from open play. We weren't going to let them walk all over us but in our hunger for the ball we made a few silly tackles and ending with a green card being awarded against myself. Half way through the second half they were awarded a few short corners in quick succession and they scored again from a very well thought out corner. We continued to fight but it came to nothing in the end. (SS)
Team: Dulcie (GK), Stacey Sellman, Nens Corren, Lou Curry(C), Karen Dodds, Kate Vicary, Julie Lapsley, Lucy Gaskin, lizzie Frost, Fatima, Tish.
Umpire: Julie Ferrett
Next match: Saturday 17th December vs. Epsom 3s - away. No game this weekend = more time to get ready for the Christmas party!
Women's 4s vs. Richmond (away): lost 0-3
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