Reports 4th October 2008
Men's 1st XI run out 5-3 winners over Spalding I
Men's 2nd XI come out on top in the intra-club derby, 3-1 against Cambridge South III
Men's 3rd XI fight valiantly but lose 3-1 to Cambridge South II
Men's 4th XI are beaten 5-0 by a strong Rutland III side
Ladies' 1st XI lose 6-0 to Ely City I
Ladies' 2nd XI suffer a 9-0 defeat to Sawtry I
Cambridge South Men's I 5 - 3 Spalding Men's I
H/T: 4 - 2
Scorers: Chris Baker (3), Keith Hewitt, Russell Johnson
MoM:
In a pulsating game studded with big scoring chances at both ends, South finally emerged triumphant after surviving a determined second-half onslaught from a Spalding side still looking for their first win in Division 3NW.
Such a close-fought outcome seemed unlikely after a twenty-five minute opening spell in which South played what captain Chris Baker judged to be some of their finest hockey ever. Spalding, relegated twice in the last two seasons, were under the cosh from the very first minute when Rob Garrett, racing through on one of his many tantalising breaks, forced the visiting keeper to put his body on the line right at the edge of the circle. A flowing five man move from left back was followed by a neat, swift interplay between Keith Hewitt and a hungry-looking Lukas Snetler and it was Snetler's aggressive thrust forward that led to South’s first short corner, parabolically despatched by Baker via some part of the Spalding rearguard to give South the early lead.
Spalding looked to hit back quickly but, just when one of their pacy strikers appeared to be away, Chris Graveling consummately filched the ball from him and slid a pass to Garrett, who delivered a precision cross for Keith Hewitt to rifle in a classic turnover goal after nine minutes. Moments later, Garrett put in a deft three point turn and motored across the circle, slipping the ball just wide with the keeper in no-man's land.
Undaunted, Spalding counter-attacked, creating a golden scoring opportunity which Steve Parker in goal diverted away with an excellent split-second pad save. Spalding's first short corner, a hard, low drive, was swept clear by Graveling after the block by Parker.
South resumed their authoritative passing game, with Mike Thorogood, playing an assured role further back than last season, combining well with the busy Chris Massey to feed Hewitt and Baker. A beautiful take in midfield by Rupert Webb, whose positioning and thoughtful close passing work were features throughout, led to goal attempts by Snetler and Baker, both saved, and, after Matt Readman had displayed his prowess at the reverse-stick tackle, Baker held off a challenge in midfield to feed Snetler. With the next move, Snetler, Hewitt and Garrett sliced through the Spalding defence and Garrett gave Russell Johnson, bursting forward, the perfect cross for a clinical finish with the keeper relentlessly drawn out and beaten.
The game remained open, however, and, though South created numerous further chances (and Hewitt became the latest neophyte to be tricked by the bewildering number of sidelines at the Abbey), Spalding refused to throw in the towel. They gained just the luck they needed when, from their second short after thirty-two minutes, they pulled one back through a pair of bizarre deflections which left the scorer clutching his head in either agony or disbelief, or possibly both.
Seizing the moment, they attacked once more from the right and the ball again cannoned against the backboard as Parker was unsighted. But South mustered late resolve, with Hewitt setting Garrett up for a near-miss as he cleverly slipped the ball over the advancing keeper and then forcing a short as the ball got stuck near the penalty spot. Using one of the well-tried variations, Baker and Garrett executed perfectly, leaving Baker to shoot in low via the keeper's jersey to create a two-goal advantage which was nevertheless threatened in the dying moments of the first half when a lone Spalding striker tried an angled deflection which Parker, flying to his right, athletically sticked wide.
The second stanza began in similar all-action style, with the visiting keeper denying Snetler with an extended stick after a fine move authored by Readman and Jim Thorpe. Despite tenacious forechecking by Snetler and Hewitt, Spalding broke away to outpace the defence but were thwarted just inside the D by a diving Parker, who then gloved away a rising hit after a further Spalding short had narrowly failed.
As Spalding made space up the right, Thorpe was repeatedly called upon to deliver several of his magisterially calm clearances, whilst Readman hoovered up spare men and skipper Baker, predatory as ever, tried to seize the initiative in midfield. A fast approach by Garrett up the Spalding right was followed by a textbook pull-back cross which went unconverted, but South were forced increasingly on to the back foot as the visitors drove forward in numbers. A heavy drag-flick from their fifth short hit the bar and the rebound looked destined for the net until Parker miraculously found a way to cover with his left foot and then block-and-tackle the ball to safety.
It was all hands to the pump again as Parker made another triple save and Thorpe and Graveling briefly relieved the pressure with cool tackling and blasts upfield; moments later, the keeper's glove took another hammering, Massey cleared with some nerve across the face of his own goal and a sixth short, again a flick, was batted spectacularly away to the right. After this sustained pressure, something was bound to give and, following another dangerous slipped short, Spalding got their reward when a raking run to the right led to the perfect square-back and an easy lift-in while the massed South ranks were outpaced and outmanoeuvred.
At 4-3 with five minutes to go, it was anybody's game but, with the South defence keeping their heads and Readman and Massey working anxiety-soothing triangles, enough breathing-space was found for a counter-attack which resulted in skipper Baker slipping the ball under the visiting keeper's armpit for the insurance marker. South then put everybody behind the ball and a real elevan man effort saw the game out, with Johnson working hard in left defence, Webb straight-driving a boundary into the far corner and Readman conjuring a great reverse interception before, in the last action, Hewitt narrowly failed to convert a pass from Baker.
Skipper Baker was understandably pleased with the team's performance and it was much to South's credit that they were able to weather the storm from a determined Spalding outfit who were never prepared to say die and whose short corner routines in particular always looked dangerous. This was an excellent all-round effort in which, despite being severely tested on occasions, South's experience and resolution came through with all boxes ticked.
Team played: Steve Parker, Rupert Webb, Chris Graveling, Jim Thorpe, Mike Thorogood, Chris Baker (c), Chris Massey, Rob Garrett, Russell Johnson, Keith Hewitt, Matt Readman, Lukas Snetler
Cambridge South Men's III 1 - 3 Cambridge South Men's II
H/T: 0 - 1
Scorers: Tim Clapp, Mark Pears, Dave Aston
MoM: Leo Tomita - for his tackling, distribution and all-round game
LoM: John Benedikz - for allowing John Greaves *two* chances to score!
Photos from the match are in the Gallery.
Cambridge South 2nd XI overcame their club rivals, the 3rd XI, winning 3-1 away from home (i.e. at The Perse!) after a strong spell either side of half time.
South 2nds went into the game missing some key players and with a squad that included six defenders and only four recognised midfielders. Captain Kev Rowland therefore had to mix up the tactics and play a number of people out of position, so it was hardly surprising that the team started slowly.
The opposition were out of the blocks quickly and in the first ten minutes most of the play was in the 2nds half. However with MoM Leo Tomita marshalling a defence of Ron Oren, George Wych and Nick Bristowe, the opposition were closed down quickly and unable to take advantage of this early territory.
As the half progressed the 2nds began to turn the screw, creating numerous chances. In midfield, Kev and John Benedikz were always in control, Neil Sneade (no doubt spurred on by the need to impress his new daughter [Ed. - who slept through the whole display]) was irrepressible, finding space and time in abundance and Al Sinclair will no doubt be in the nightmares of the 3rds defence for some time to come.
Despite this, the goals did not come until the 2nds moved up another gear with twenty-five minutes on the clock, switching into the pass and move mode that we know we can play. Good play from Tim Clapp and Dave Aston resulted in the ball being offloaded to Mark Pears at the byeline who crossed a tricky ball back across the D. In a maelstrom of shots and saves, finally a shot on goal was stopped on the line by a 3rds' player's foot - penalty flick! Tim Clapp stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way, planting the ball firmly into the bottom corner.
Into the second half; the 2nds kept up the same high standard of play and it was only a matter of time before more goals came. Five minutes into the half, Tim Clapp (playing a blinder of a game) picked up the ball in his own half on the right hand side and set off on a mazy run towards the corner flag. Beating what seemed like the whole 3rds team, one after another, he cut inside and teed up the ball for Mark Pears who, with plenty still to do, fired a superb strike into the top left hand corner. Fantastic hockey, worthy of Division 4!
At this point it looked like the match could end up a rout, such was the dominance of the 2nds' midfield. The game was put beyond doubt when Leo surged forward from defence, winning a free hit just over the half way line. He took the hit himself quickly and the ball eluded every defender's stick, finding Mark at the top of the D. Mark played a superb dummy, leaving the ball to run through to Dave as two 3rds defenders ran across each other, who, with calm and presence of mind that belied his years, simply rounded the keeper and struck the ball into the net.
Three goals to nil and the 2nds were coasting, but there was still time for a consolation for the 3rds. A short corner was conceded; the initial shot was partially blocked by Lino in goal but the deflection found John Greaves right on the line who pushed the ball goalwards and, despite two great saves from John Benedikz, eventually it went over the line.
So South 2nds finished up worthy winners. After the match, captain Kev Rowland said: "We were slow to come out of the blocks today which meant we gave territory away. It's at this time where we risk going down a goal early on. Though we raised our game to win today, everyone of us needs to focus on switching on from the first whistle to gain an early advantage rather than having to fight our way back into the game. After getting our rhythm, the passing and movement from the team today looked very impressive and created real chances."
Team played: Lino Di Lorenzo, Ron Oren, George Wych, Leo Tomita, Nick Bristowe, John Benedikz, Neil Sneade, Al Sinclair, Kevin Rowland (c), Dave Aston, Mark Pears, Tim Clapp
Cambridge South Men's III 1 - 3 Cambridge South Men's II
H/T: 0 - 1
Scorers: John Greaves
MoM: Ian Glover - defender extraordinaire, starman...again
Photos from the match are in the Gallery.
The superior skills of the Cambridge South 2nds were frustrated for much of the first half by the tactics and commitment of the 3rds, who although short of recognised defenders, adopted an appropriate formation to combat the threat of young, skilful opposition. The only goal of the half came from a penalty flick, expertly dispatched, giving the ever-solid keeper, Shahbaz Ali, no chance
The second half followed a similar pattern, although the "Home" team (South 3rds) had some good attacks, and were able to get into the D, but sadly not in enough numbers to cause real trouble. Andy Lewis and Simon Ta were prominent in many moves, and the midfield managed to link the play with good passes.
The 2nds grabbed two well worked goals from breakaways, using their superior pace and ability to get into space, to build an unassailable 3-0 lead. Towards the end, the 3rds, showing fitness and skill belying their lower ranking, were on top, and scored a deserved consolation as a Simon Ta shot was stopped near the line only for ace poacher John Greaves to force the ball over the line from close range for another trademark goal. Other chances fell to Toby Bull, who regularly managed to find a good position, and Stu Creed, who epitomised the team effort. The 3rds were unlucky not to get more goals before the end, although it was a creditable performance against the higher club team, who will undoubtedly be chasing promotion this season.
Team played: Shahbaz Ali, John Greaves (c), Wilco Dijkstra, Ian Glover, Paul South, Rupert Espley, Stu Creed, Andy Passmore, James Cobbe, Simon Harper, Toby Bull, Andy Lewis, Simon Ta
Rutland Men's III 5 - 0 Cambridge South Men's IV
H/T: 3 - 0
Scorers:
MoM: James Hodge - for his tireless running
Rutland has entered three teams into the same division this year and playing against the top of these three was always going to be a big test.
CSHC 4ths started brightly enough and for the first five minutes, the opposition looked very beatable. However, they started warming up soon after that. The same story repeated itself three times in the first half, leading to a half time score of 3-0 as the inability to get the ball away cleanly from sixteen yard hits lead to each of the goals. Rutland did have rather a lot of the possession and did try a few times to score with lifting flick shots. Phil Le Gouais did well to keep the score respectable for the second half.
CSHC 4ths came out in the second half looking more organised and held out well against attack after attack. The fourth goal was a very skilful flick into the keeper's top left corner and the fifth goal was another flick high into the goal. James Raikes came back to help in defence, but his only reward was one of the high flick attempts hitting his chest. The pain was compounded by being told off by the umpire for complaining about it being dangerous.
The Rutland team had quite a number of players that can easily play a couple of divisions higher and, despite the scoreline, the team played well against very good opposition.
Team played: Phil Le Gouais, David Bridge, Ky Ho, John Sharp, John Somerville, Simon Jelly, James Hodge (c), Shahzad Ali, Tejas Belagod, James Raikes, Rob Smith, Tim Dean
Cambridge South Ladies' I 0 - 6 Ely City Ladies' I
H/T: 0 - 3
Scorers:
MoM:
Photos from the match are in the Gallery.
CSHC Ladies 1sts, sponsored by PwC, struggled to cope with a committed and well drilled Ely team in this early rematch of last years second and third placed teams in the division.
Although fairly even in the early stages, South couldn't quite maintain enough possession to settle themselves and the linking between the midfield and front three never quite clicked, despite the committed running of Tash up front.
Ely eventually made their pressure count about halfway through the first half and by halftime the score was 0-3 in their favour.
The second half became steadily more of a rearguard action for South as injuries forced them to adjust formation repeatedly and the lack of substitutes told as legs wearied. It took some heroics from Cassie in goal and good team defence to restrict Ely to two goals from short corners and an unlucky bobble that was swatted home from short range.
Hopefully South can put up more of a fight in the rematch at Ely.
Team played: Tash Cox, Liles Dee, Hayley Sharpe, Georgie Hurford, Emma Clarke, Julie Sadler, Becca Graveling, Rhiannan Williams, Cassie Woodfin, Ciara Metcalfe
Sawtry Ladies' I 9 - 0 Cambridge South Ladies' II
H/T: 4 - 0
Scorers:
MoM: Sarah Massen & Louise Gutteridge
With only nine players, we knew this was going to be challenging. Everyone worked hard and did lots of running to cover the space as best we could.
Sarah M made lots of great saves, supported by some strong defending, but Sawtry, with a strong centre forward, made use of the two person advantage to keep up the pressure.
South kept working and were unlucky with a few attempts on goal just going wide.
Overall a good team performance and an enjoyable game despite the scoreline.
Team played: Vicky Lavis (c), Sarah Massen, Sarah Aves, Lou Tonkin, Louise Gutteridge, Kelly Charman, Kristy Taylor, Charlie Orrock, Mel Harrison
Reports 8th October 2008
Men's Indoor shade a 7-6 win over Wild Oats
Cambridge South Men's Indoor 7 - 6 Wild Oats
H/T: 2 - 4
Scorers: Mike Thorogood, Chris Massey (2), Rob Garrett, Al Sinclair, Paul South, Chris Baker
MoM:
Awaiting report
Team played: