9 wins out of 9 matches, great day to be a Norwich Dragon #proudtobeaDragon!!
These wins maintained the top positions of most of our teams and lifted others up the table, EVERY team is either 1st, 2nd or top half of their Divisions.
Men’s 1s are 4th in their Division
Men’s 2s are 2nd
Men’s 3s are 1st
Men’s 4s are 5th
Ladies 1s in 2nd place
Ladies 2s are 5th
Ladies 3s in 1st
Ladies 4s in 1st
Ladies 5s are 6th
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Mens East League Division 2 North
Norwich Dragons 1s 4:1 Magpies 3s
Dragons started this game like a train, dominating possession and forcing Magpies to defend their goal in numbers. Despite this possession and many long corners Dragons were not able to convert the pressure into goals. Having weathered the storm Magpies were able to attack on the break and it was them that opened the scoring: Gavin Cole meeting a fine cross from the right wing to fire his first time shot into the goal past the Dragons’ keeper. Dragons continued to enjoy most of the possession and Alex Browne scored for Dragons after a good advantage from the umpire. Matt Knights made the score 2-1 to Dragons, finishing off a good attacking move from Dragons. Magpies continued to trouble Dragons on the break but were thwarted by quick reactions from Robbie Whiting in goal and an excellent goal line clearance from Danny Knights. The half-time score was 2-1 to Dragons.
Magpies showed strongly after half-time but were not able to breach the Dragons defence. Dragons continued their hard work from the 1st half, creating a number of chances, but were unable to hit the target. At the other end they were grateful to see a penalty stroke decision changed to a penalty corner and to weather a melee in front of goal after another penalty corner, where the Dragons players seemed to loose their bearings. Eventually Alex Browne completed his hat-trick with two good strikes.
Final score Norwich Dragons 4, Harleston Magpies 1
Dragons man of the match was Sam Parmenter
Photos from this match here
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Mens East League Division 4 North East
Norwich City 4s 1:5 Norwich Dragons 2s
A rearranged game saw Dragons playing City at the UEA. Dragons were hoping to build upon their performance last week and gain the 3 points to keep them near the top of the table.
Dragons started strong with a few attacks in the first few minutes. However a counter-attack by City led to an unfortunate deflection from a Dragon stick into their own goal. This galvanised Dragons into immediate action. Player of the Match Adam Sayer brought the sides level after a few well placed passes, and great movement up the pitch topped of by a strong strike beyond the keeper. The visitors soon took the lead thanks to captain Cley Hamilton’s slap shot following a great through ball from Mark Flatman.
The rest of the first half saw Dragons continue to work fantastically together as a team with precise passing, movement off the ball and determination in the tackles. By half-time Dragons had scored 3 more goals through Simon Nisbet, Dan Cheesman and another well worked goal by Adam Sayer. Dan Cheesman’s goal came after a strong run to the top of the D and an excellent strike to the bottom corner of the goal, giving the City keeper no chance.
A strong display in defence from Piers Gordon-Brown ensured any City attack down Dragon’s right side was quickly snuffed out resulting in Dragon’s keeper Dim Ives hardly having a touch of the ball in the half. Halftime 5-1 Dragons.
The halftime team talk focussed on continuing the passing and movement shown by Dragons, and hopefully to get a few more goals.
City started strong in the second half and continued to press Dragons hard as they were pushing up the pitch to get a goal. A couple of outstanding saves by Dim Ives kept the ball out and Dragons were able to have a few attacks themselves, although further goals proved elusive as City went on the defensive.
A strong team performance with which Dragons should be very pleased and will carry on into their game next week.
Fulltime score 5-1 to Dragons.
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East Men’s Hockey League Division 5NE
Norwich Dragons 3s 6:0 Magpies 6s
Dragons Scorers: Will Kirby x 3, Jon Goodson, Mal Hant, Adrian Kemp.
Dragons started the match with fast stick to stick passing moving the ball from side to side of the pitch and probing down the flanks. This pressure proved too much for the opposition with an early goal being scored by Jon Goodson. This spurred the Dragons on and Henry Laming playing his first match for the team was providing a lot of pace and movement along the forward line. Further goals followed from Adrian Kemp, Will Kirby and Mal Hant who was playing his first match of the season and slotted in as if he had not been away. Half-time arrived with the team 4-0 ahead.
The team had a good team talk and started the second half determined to carry on in the same manner. Team debutant Barnie Abraham was having a great match at right back always providing an outlet to bring the ball out of defence and was providing attacking runs down the flank and great crosses into the D and deservedly was nominated man of the match. On the rare occasion Magpies attacked Dragons goalkeeper Sam Clark was smartly off his line to clear the ball away before the Magpies forwards could take advantage and he was ably supported by his defensive colleagues as they kept their sixth clean sheet of the season from seven matches. The score line was added to by two goals from Will Kirby to claim a hat-trick and but for good saves from the Magpies keeper the margin of victory could have been even greater.
This result gives the team confidence as they go into next week’s match against one of the other early season strong teams UEA 3s.
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East Men’s Hockey League Division 6 North East
Norwich Dragons 4s 4:1 Norfolk Nomads 2s
Scorers: Ollie King x 2, Andy Key, Own goal
Game will be awarded 5:0 as a result of the Norfolk Nomads 1s game being conceded.
On the back of an excellent performance last week, Dragons wanted to get back to winning ways and faced a Nomads side who can sometimes be tricky and unpredictable.
Dragons started well and quickly got a foot hold on the game and through some good play resulted in them taking the lead in the first 10 minutes through an own goal. Nomads immediately responded and got back into the game with some pressure themselves but this was quickly seen out as Dragons doubled their lead through an excellent top of the ‘D’ strike from Andy Key.
The remainder of the half ebbed and flowed with both teams enjoying good possession but the scored remained 2-0 to Dragons at half time.
Dragons once again were the quicker team out in the second half and started to dominate the game with some good passing and movement, continuous pressure on the Nomads 16 yard hit kept Dragons in control. The midfield of Rob Jenkins, Chris Harrison and Paul Keating intercepted the ball on several occasions and kept the attacks coming with Dragons in the oppositions area for long periods. Eventually they got their reward with Ollie King increasing the scoreline with 2 goals in quick succession.
Despite Dragons having majority of the attacking play, Nomads pulled a goal back after being allowed to get forward in sloppy circumstances, a minor setback against an excellent team performance.
Even with the result being awarded, Dragons enjoyed a strong game and need to carry this into next week.
Man of the match was awarded to Ollie King, taking his goal opportunities very well.
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East Women’s Hockey League Division 2 North East
Loddon 1s 0:7 Norwich Dragons 1s
Dragons returned to their old stomping ground to play the team with whom they shared a pitch for three seasons.
The visitors dominated the first half, having many attacks and absorbing Loddon’s attacks efficiently. Dragons showed great control of the ball with some excellent passages of play, although at times the final ball into the D was lacking. The first goal was scored after Claire Baker received the ball in the D with her back to the goal, dribbled past the oncoming keeper and neatly passed the ball into the goal with her reverse stick before the defence could recover their positions. Dragon’s second goal came after an attacking run down the right by Hannah Roney ended with Natalie Beal sweeping the ball passed the oncoming keeper.
Pressure from the visiting team put Loddon on the back foot in their own D and a resulting short corner led to Dragons third goal. Captain Hannah Roney was quickest to react to a scramble at the post, slotting the ball into the goal from close range.
Three nil at half time to Dragons.
After a team talk from Pete Thomas, Dragons came out for the second half determined to build on their half time lead.
The game continued to be dominated by Dragons, with the solid defence of Emily Rolls, Angela Murgatroyd and Rowie York-Smith snuffing out any Loddon attacks and central midfield being controlled by Karen O’Neill-Simpson and Debs Smith.
It was not long before Dragons scored their fourth goal. Neat work between Hannah Roney and Natalie Beal saw Claire Baker converting from near the penalty spot.
Two further goals came in quick succession with Natalie Beal scoring Dragons fifth and sixth goals. A save by the keeper from a short corner strike by Rolls saw Beal flicking the ball over the flailing keeper to make it five-nil to Dragons. Then some neat work in the D between Lizzie Cheesman and Claire Baker saw Beal scoring from an acute angle after the keeper deflected the ball into her path.
Beal’s fourth, and Dragon’s seventh, came after determined work from Claire Baker in the D, with her shot being deflected to player of the match Natalie Beal, who calmly slotted the ball home.
A convincing win by Dragons sees them continue their great start to the season. Dragons look forward to the challenge that Sprowston will bring next week.
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East Women’s Hockey League Division 2 North East
Norwich Dragons 2s 3:1 Ipswich & East Suffolk 1s
With players missing for various reasons, Dragons were forced to ‘shuffle the pack’ asking players to play in a different formation and some different positions. As a result, the team took a while to settle, and it is fair to say IES had the better of opening exchanges, forcing a number of short corners, which were well dealt with by Maddie Denman and the rest of the Dragons defence.
Gradually, Dragons started to get into the game, however their performance and work rate was not up to the high standards of previous weeks. With Ally Windsor-Waite and Niamh Lowe-Davies building a good understanding on the right, they started to create some promising attacks, however going into the half-time break the score remained goal-less.
The half-time teamtalk focussed on the need to be more ‘switched on’ and increase the work rate. The team listened to what was said and didn’t disappoint, upping the ball speed, retaining possession better and generally working that much harder for each other.
Dragons first goal came from hard work on the right, with intelligent running upfront to stretch the opposition defence allowing Sarah Radley to win the ball and move it on quickly to Saskia Delacave, who swept the ball in expertly from the top of the D – a classy goal.
The second came quite quickly, with Player of the Match Ally Windsor-Waite, linking up well with Niamh Lowe-Davies. Ally attacked the D, leaving a number of IES defenders in her wake, to pull back a pin-point pass to Sarah Radley who found herself in a great position on the P spot to place the ball over the keeper.
IES never gave up, and put further pressure on the Dragons defence. They pulled a goal back with a very smartly taken goal by Maria Wheelen, coming through from defence.
Dragons showed how much they have matured as a team, Lucy Hopgood continued to pass the ball around nicely in midfield, with Kerri White and Sarah Wagstaff keeping control and discipline in the centre at the back. Dragons kept attacking, with the 3rd goal coming following a bit of a scramble in the D, Laura Bailey however kept her cool, and slotted the ball past the keeper to secure the points for the Dragons.
This Dragons team is really starting to build together nicely. Their desire to dig deep and work hard for each other will stand them in very good stead for the rest of the season.
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Marshall Motor Group Norfolk Women’s League Division 1
North Walsham 2s 0:6 Norwich Dragons 3s
Dragons seemed to start the game better prepared than North Walsham and looked the stronger side. In open play, Dragons passed the ball from the left, back and round their defence, up the right wing to be slotted into the North Walsham goal by Emma Moolman. Although Dragons attacked through much of the first half, the ball was frequently given away as North Walsham defended doggedly. North Walsham were fast on the break and kept Dragons’ defence on their guard. Dragons won their first penalty corner just as the half time whistle blew. Hazel Medler stepped up to the ‘D’ and converted the corner with a straight strike, giving Dragons a more comfortable lead.
Despite moments of good play in the first half, Dragons’ captain, Amelia Dawson, felt the team could play better. Her team talk was tough but obviously effective because Dragons stepped up a gear in the second half. The goals flowed. In open play, Klara Moolman scored by taking the ball around the North Walsham keeper. Amy Brown did the same after receiving a slip left from a penalty corner. Emma Moolman added her second when she converted a cross from Pollyanna Watson. Finally, Amelia Dawson dribbled the ball on her own from a long corner on the left around several players along the base line to score from an almost impossible angle.
Despite the final score, North Walsham challenged the Dragons’ defence on several strong attacks, which resulted in Dragons’ keeper, Amy Forse making several good clearances and Hazel Medler deservedly being voted Dragons’ player of the match. Special mention to Sophie Thomas, who built many of the Dragons’ attacks with great passing and support to Olivia Thomas on the right. A big ‘Thank you’ to Sophie Farrow for coming up from the Dragons 5s to play a credible rolling substitute.
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Marshall Motor Group Norfolk Women’s League Division 2
Sprowston 2s 1:4 Norwich Dragons 4s
The Dragon’s opened the game in their usual style… lulling the opposition into a false sense of security by watching them score in the first thirty seconds of the game!
However, the Dragons shook themselves up and began pushing forward, Sue Cross doing a fantastic job on the right wing.
Dragon’s won their first corner of the match, which resulted in a beautiful equaliser by Annika Richardson. Much of the game was in the Sprowston half, and the Dragons were rewarded with a 2nd goal, put into the D by Holly Francis for the slip into goal by Debbie Santa Clara. Despite these two goals, the Dragons were a little chaotic in their positioning.
Stand-in captain Sue took the opportunity during a break in the game to give a little pep talk to the team and a few changes in player positions were made for the 2nd half.
These changes and a greater awareness of personal positioning saw the Dragons putting up a cohesive offence, keeping the ball up in the Sprowston 25, with some good work between Beth Bygrave, Sue Cross and Marcy Windsor-Waite, backed up by Flora Gregorie. Beth in particular did a sterling job consistently stopping the ball getting through the mid-field and bringing it back towards the D. The defence did have some occasional work to do: Abi Cowe, Megan Harvey, Gemma Rump and Laura Bruce holding the line, and goalie Giselle Nieuwoudt managing to move her frozen limbs enough to make some good saves. The Dragon’s 3rd goal was off a short corner, Beth making a solid strike for Debbie to deflect into goal at the left post. The final goal was brought in to the D by Holly, passed to Annika who placed the ball expertly, helping Debbie coming in on the right to make it a hat-trick with an easy open goal.
Player of the Match went to Beth, closely followed by Marcy.
Photos of this match here
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Marshall Motor Group Norfolk Women’s League Division 2
Norwich Dragons 5s 1:0 Hornets
Goalscorer: Lisa Harwood
Player of the Match: The Team
Dragons were not able to field quite their strongest squad, but by showing far more commitment this week they managed to squeeze past Hales Hornets whose second half tactic of keeping one high forward nearly brought a reward. Dragons’ tactic was to start conservatively, with Lois McGregor as sweeper, and Rhianna Belham, Emma Buxton and Katie Buxton in defence. With Rosie Korn running the midfield, every Hornets attack was dealt with comfortably – but Dragons did not have enough bite in attack.
The second half was more exciting. Dragons dropped the sweeper role, and Sophie Farrow, Jade Blanchflower and Shantelle Melton all provided lateral runs up front and Lisa Harwood played high forward. Hornets also began to find their own high forward, so Chiara Bond, Lizzy McDonnell, Armiria Pounsford and Katie had to work hard defensively as well as create attacking moves. With time running out, desperate measures were called for. Bridget Le Good will probably never dare to run with the ball again, but managed to beat three players down the left, move the ball across the baseline and get the ball through to Lisa Harwood. Lisa came to the ball with her back to goal, turned and pushed the shot home. Lisa had rocked up as a last minute substitute for the injured Nicky King, and was duly mobbed by her grateful teammates.
The match was far from over. Hornets redoubled their efforts, and Morag Morrison marked a welcome return in goal with a good diving save and some strong clearances. With two minutes to go, Hornets got past Morag, but Bridget was on the line to block the shot and Lois was on hand to sweep away to safety – a typical example of the resolute job Lois did all match, an unsung hero.
Dragons can look forward to another ‘scrap’ next week and in training must focus on picking up the ball at speed, thinking about where their pass is going before they make it, and doing something about their flippin’ feet. With such a good team performance, there was no clear winner of the player of the match, and all the players can congratulate themselves on a job well done.
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Marshall Motor Group Norfolk Boys Development League
No fixture
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Marshall Motor Group Norfolk Girls Development League
No fixture
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The Hoof table this week is as follows:
| Position | Team | Hoof Average |
| 1 | Ladies 4s | 4.88 |
| 2 | Ladies 3s | 4.44 |
| 3 | Ladies 1s | 4.40 |
| 4 | Mens 3s | 3.75 |
| 5 | Mens 2s | 3.56 |
| 6 | Ladies 2s | 2.67 |
| 7 | Mens 4s | 2.44 |
| 7 | Mens 1s | 2.44 |
| 9 | Ladies 5s | 1.89 |
| 10 | Boys Development | 1.25 |
| 11 | Girls Development | 1.00 |