Reports 15th March 2008
Ladies 2nd XI win 6-0 against Market Deeping II in the League Cup Final
"Battle of the Sexes" friendly sees a 5-1 victory for the Men's 3rd XI over the Ladies 1st XI
Men's 1st XI lose 3-2 at Wisbech Town II
Men's 2nd XI beat City of Peterborough VI 1-0
Men's 4th XI beat Rutland III 1-0
Cambridge South Ladies II 6 - 0 Market Deeping Ladies II
H/T: 3 – 0
Scorers: Mel Harrison (2), Charlie Orrock (2), Bex Baker (2)
MoM: Mel Harrison
Match report by Pip Noon. Match photos in the Gallery.
The match took place at King’s School, Ely, on the most exposed hilltop in the Fens, overlooked by the sentinel-like presence of Ely’s cathedral tower. Sarah declared “Ely is the coldest place on earth”; there was some discussion that the coldest place in Ely had to be the railway station. Despite the challenging weather conditions, the players were joined by a number of ‘groupies’ from the men’s teams, and shouts of encouragement from these virile males definitely instilled bravado in the Ladies! There was no question about it: South just had to win this Cup Final!
The match started on time at 1.30pm, both teams keen to get going in the blustery wind. South’s Seconds, arriving early at the venue, had even had time to warm up and psyche-up on Jelly babies. South were determined to win the match, and this dominance was most prevalent in the first half of the game. Energies were slightly depleted by the final quarter, coupled with the needlessness of having to score any more goals against the opposition!
South won the first push back and, with a following wind, made their way up the pitch into the Market Deeping D within the first minute. South’s mid-field and forwards were well spaced; South were playing textbook hockey, which was a pleasure to watch, and the pressure was on. A short corner was awarded to South and AI made a strong hit but it trolloyed over the backline within a metre of the goalpost. Market Deeping’s hit-out was completely encircled, and South soon took possession again, pushing forward. An opportunistic slip-shot by Mel put the first goal in after 10 minutes.
Market Deeping’s push-back was then channelled into a long hit into South’s half; Market Deeping dribbled quickly up towards South’s D. Daisy’s forceful defence kept them out of the D; the ball was cleared from South’s half comprehensively. South ran up the pitch with some clean passes and went for their third chance on goal: Mel passed to Bex but her conversion went just past the goalpost. Another shot on goal saw a Market Deeping defender, facing the wrong way, deflect the ball over the line into their own goal after 14 minutes. The last South player to touch the ball was Charlie; this goal was therefore attributed to her. The Market Deeping defender was distraught and squatted at the sideline in disbelief at this unfortunate quirk of physical forces.
Some tussling on the right wing after the Market Deeping push-back saw a tangle of legs and sticks which sent Lou tumbling, but unhurt. Bex was well placed on the left wing to take up the ball. Play moved into the D again, Mel took a twisting sweep on the ball like a discus thrower, but the ball went past the left post by a couple of metres. A great ‘oooh’ was let out by the onlookers. A hit-out was intercepted swiftly by South and AI won a free hit just outside the D; this made contact with a Market Deeping defender’s foot and South were awarded a short corner. AI’s strike on goal was deflected by a Market Deeping stick, and the ball glanced off the pitch. The long corner brought no luck and Market Deeping were able to clear the ball and move up into South’s half of the pitch. Market Deeping’s first short corner was cleared efficiently by Jodee; the long corner failed to make inroads into South’s solid defence.
Play was in South’s favour again. A strong pass from Mel to Cat presented an opportunity to score but Market Deeping managed to keep the ball out. Another short corner was received by AI but she wasn’t able to find a way through the defenders. On hit-outs, Market Deeping’s defenders were noticeably static; they were however, very fast to break with the ball once in possession. Another frustrating scuffle took place in the Market Deeping D but once again, South weren’t able to get through their defence. A long corner offered another chance on goal and the ball went into the D twice but South were repulsed. Bex took another chance but she was unable to get her stick to the ball. Mel took another swing but there were too many defenders. A long corner was then translated into a short corner; this brought no joy again and went wide of the goal. The Market Deeping hit-out had little chance of offering them a break in their favour, and some rapid passing up the pitch by South gave Mel and Bex a chance on goal. Bex received a raised ball from Mel and she expertly adjusted her stick to send it towards the backboard just before half-time.
Half time score: Cambridge South 3 – Market Deeping 0
Market Deeping gained more of the play in the second half, typical of South’s second halves this season. With three goals in the bag South could have slipped into complacency, but the desire to make this a ‘good one’ never fully deserted the team’s mindset.
Market Deeping broke out hard on the second half push-back but South took control again quickly. Vicky hassled the Market Deeping midfield determinedly. Market Deeping’s bunching gave South the chance to use either Bex or Mel on either of the wings. Another chance on goal saw South awarded another short corner; 4 or 5 chances to shoot just couldn’t be made into a goal, much to everyone’s frustration. Was this the wind conspiring to keep the ball away from the goal-mouth? There was a short delay as the Market Deeping goalkeeper fixed a broken kicker strap. At the opposite end of the pitch stood South’s goalie, ‘lonely Loopy’, resplendent in her canary yellow kit, having seen little play at this stage. This was soon to change.
Play recommenced and Mel made it into the D but couldn’t find a way to score. Market Deeping’s energies rallied and they gained advantage of the game; a massive hit gave them the opportunity for a sideline hit in South’s half of the pitch and a shot on goal passed just 3 metres wide of the post. South picked up their senses and returned to attacking mode, but another break by Market Deeping presented a clear danger to South; their shot on goal was kicked out by Loopy. Market Deeping’s next short corner failed as Loopy managed to kick the ball away again. Market Deeping returned into the D and an obstruction by South’s defence saw them awarded with another short corner; fortunately Market Deeping failed to score from this. The hit out was intercepted by Jodee who stole away with the ball up the wing towards the half-way line, thence passing the advantage to South’s forwards. A short corner awarded to South was wasted and the ball passed over the backline. Market Deeping switched up the pitch and a shot on goal from a great distance was left to go over the line by Loopy. Everyone was relieved at this sage decision to leave the ball well alone.
Attacking again, South found their way into the D and Mel found the goalmouth exposed and slipped the ball past the keeper to score the fourth goal of the match after 25 minutes. Market Deeping took the push-back and, unflagging, caught South unawares with a strong offence. South’s midfield players quickly returned to assist their defenders. Mel broke with the ball from the half-way line into Market Deeping’s D but her strike was well defended. Taking the ball into South’s D, a Market Deeping forward took a shot at Loopy who took a great kick at the ball, dispatching it to the 25 metre line. Daisy collected the ball and moved it forwards. Mel crossed the D with the ball and it was swiped into the goal by Bex.
Market Deeping’s push-back was soon followed by a nasty tackle on Mel’s foot; she opted to sub-out for a few minutes and I subbed in, to assist in a short corner. No goal was forthcoming and another 2 long corners and another short-corner failed to see the ball go into the goal. Market Deeping defended very well. Mel returned to the pitch and I subbed-off, nursing my Achilles tendon which was protesting after less than 5 minutes on the pitch. South’s final goal was made by Charlie in the last 5 minutes of play.
Market Deeping had an air of urgent desperation upon the next push-back and good stick-skills turned to hacking measures; Daisy was hit twice by a Market Deeping player who was determined to pass the ball through her, and she fell to the ground clasping her knee (site of an old injury). Market Deeping’s forwards pushed ahead, not hearing the umpire’s whistle, and took a shot on goal which sent Loopy diving spectacularly across the goal like a Premiership football goalie, arm and stick outstretched. The goal was disallowed [ed – actually, it went wide. And play went back for the previous whistle]; Daisy picked herself up to play the remaining 2 minutes of the game. South made another gallant effort to score but Mel’s cross was thwarted by a Market Deeping defender. The final whilst was blown just after South took a long corner.
Full time score: Cambridge South 6 – Market Deeping 0
After the match, players and supporters made their way to The Fountain pub for ‘refreshments’. Sadly, I was informed that one of Market Deeping’s key forward players was absent from the game owing to a close family bereavement. We should like to offer our sincere condolences to her.
Team played: Lou Tonkin, Daisy Watts, Paula Lynch, Sarah Aves, Pip Noon, Vicky Lavis (c), Jodee Webb, Louise Gutteridge, Cat Egglestone, Anne-Isabelle Richard-Picchi, Charlie Orrock, Mel Harrison, Bex Baker
Cambridge South Ladies I 1 - 5 Cambridge South Men's III
H/T 0 - 2
Scorers
L1: Vicky Lavis
M3: Andy Lewis, John Greaves (2), Alex Scally, Paul South
Men's MoM: Ian Evans; calm and controlled in defence. Always in the right position and taking the right options
M3 report:
Male strength and speed overcame female skill and team organisation in an excellent open game played in a competitive spirit. The first half was quite even and the teams were separated by two good goals; the opener from skipper John Greaves, moving the ball away from the advancing keeper before shooting firmly form a narrow angle, and the second from a classic and unstoppable Andy Lewis tonk from distance. The ladies team never gave up, and played some great moves with quick short passes between 3 or more players.
Superior strength told in the second half, with three more goals. Alex Scally nicked one from his customary 1 yd range, Paul South had a solo dribble and shot with typical panache, and John Greaves got his second from Rupert Espley's penetrating pass into the D, which he slotted home. The Ladies grabbed a consolation late in the game, when the otherwise excellent James Pope passed the ball calmly to their forward close to goal.
This was a good testing run out for the men’s 3rds as they look to end the season successfully. The Ladies were able to harry any man dwelling on the ball too long, forcing the men to pass earlier, and make the ball do the work.
L1: Sarah Messen; Emma Clarke, Tash Cox, Helen Niblock, Liles Dee, Gemma Thomas (jc), Hayley Sharpe (jc), Rhiannan Williams, Julie Sadler, Caroline Dent, Ellie Herbert, Ellie Raffan, Vicky Lavis
M3: Shahbaz Ali; Paul South, Rupert Espley, Ian Evans, John Greaves (c), Andy Lewis, James Pope, Wilco Dijkstra, Ky Ho, Alex Scally, Ian Glover, James Raikes
Wisbech Town Men's II 3 - 2 Cambridge South Men's I
H/T: 1 - 1
Scorers: Chris Baker (2)
Cambridge South, proudly sponsored by PwC, were unable to convert chances into goals as they lost 3-2 to Wisbech Town seconds on Saturday.
Cambridge started sharply and controlled long periods of play in the first half, but struggled to create any clear-cut openings. They improved as the half wore on, though, and Chris Baker was able to open the scoring after Robert Garrett forged his way into the Wisbech D. Wisbech equalised soon after, however, with an accurate shot from a short corner that slipped in at the right post.
The set-back didn't deter Cambridge, and in the second half they continued to push forwards looking for the goals to reward their slick passing in midfield. This allowed Wisbech to hit Cambridge on the counter-attack and on one of these attacks they forced a short corner, from which they took the lead as the shot bounced over keeper Steve Parker.
Despite creating more opportunities, and getting many short corners, South were unable to find the back of the net and it was Wisbech who were next to score, before Cambridge pulled one back late in the game (again through Chris Baker). This was an improved performance from Cambridge, but they were left to rue a lack of sharpness in front of goal.
Captain Chris Baker commented that "the team was let down by poor finishing in front of goal and also the final killer pass".
Team played: Steve Parker; John Benedikz, Chris Graveling, Jim Thorpe, Rupert Webb, Chris Baker (c), Mike Thorogood, Eliot Read, Russell Johnson, Chris Massey, Robert Garrett, Lukas Snetler
Cambridge South Men's II 1 - 0 City of Peterborough Men's VI
H/T: 1 – 0
Scorer: Al Sinclair
Cambridge South 2nd XI, proudly sponsored by PWC, hosted Division NW5's 2nd place team City of Peterborough 6ths at Fortress Leys, for what would indeed be quite a test for South who lost 3-1 when they travelled to Peterborough in the first half of the season.
Peterborough pressured South from that start winning the majority of the midfield skirmishes only for their attacks to crash and break against the notoriously stubborn South defence. Marshalled by Neil Sneade, George Wych and Andy Passmore cut out Peterborough's flighty forwards, while Dave Monck eclipsed the top of the D.
South consolidated its defence with midfielders dropping back to help out, and in response to Peterborough’s aggressive formation began using long ball tactics. Dave Moncks 16 yard strikes found Tim Clapp playing high and Samin Ishtiaq wide on the right again and again, resulting in some 1 on 1, and 2 on 2 situations which could have resulted in several goals for the home team.
Peterborough failed to cut out South’s long ball and were soon punished when Al Sinclair from a break managed to force himself through several Peterborough defenders into the D and decisively strike home the ball ten minutes before the half.
This game of Cat and Mouse continued into the second half, with Peterborough being increasingly frustrated by the unbreakable South defence and South’s unstoppable long balls. More break away attacks by South resulted in several opportunities that could have seen the score line widened on a number of occasions were it not for the Peterborough goalkeeper.
Inevitably South’s hard pressed midfield and defence began to flag towards the closing quarter of the game, fortunately goalkeeper Jon Price was able to step up and swat away several very good chances that could have well have been Peterborough equalisers. The sheer tenacity of Colin Singleton, and Matt Kern who had dropped back to help out in defence, for the final minutes of the game, ensured South's victory and secured 3 points which contributed to an all time record league finish for Cambridge South 2nd XI.
Team played: Jon Price, Neil Snead, Dave Monck, George Wych, Andy Passmore, Gareth Hebbron, Colin Singleton, Tim Clapp, Matt Kern, Samin Ishtiaq, Dave Stock, Al Sinclair, Andy Lewis
Cambridge South Men's IV 1 - 0 Rutland Men's III
Scorer: Wilco Dijkstra
MoM: The Rutland goalie
LoM: James Pope – for giving away a free-hit by playing keepy-uppy with the ball in front of the umpire!
Cambridge South 4ths, sponsored by PwC, were made to work hard for this narrow victory by a very young and quick Rutland side.
South had the majority of the possession and territory throughout the match, but struggled to create many clear-cut chances. When a shot on goal was achieved, it was generally thwarted by the Rutland ‘keeper, who was very good. However, he was also of a similarly young age to many of his teammates, with a consequent lack of inches, and it was this that was (accidentally) exploited for South’s winner.
Wilco was picked out by a cross at the top of the D; he swept first time and somehow succeeded in launching the ball skywards. The ball took a crazily looping trajectory, lobbed over the ‘keeper despite his attempts to leap up for it, before dropping rather flukily into the net. South therefore took a hard fought three points, in what was a good match.
Team played: Shahbaz Ali; Shahzad Ali, Martin Grove, John Somerville, David Bridge, Alex Scally, James Pope, James Hodge, John Sharp, Ian Glover, Wilco Dijkstra, Ian Evans, Seb Dias, James Raikes (c), Jack Chalk