This Week’s Results

Team	Opposition	H/A	Score	Scorers	Player of Match
L1s	Ipswich 2	A	0-5 (W)	Tabba Tabrett x2 Maddy Reynolds Katy Hands Joanna Raymond	Olivia Thomas
L2s	Yarmouth 1	H	7-2 (W)	Jess Haw x3 Sarah Borrett Debs Smith Sam Franklin Kiera Goymour	Jess Haw
L3s	Bury 1	A	5-1 (L)	Harriet Rant	Stella Windsor Waite
L4s	Evergeeens 1	H	2-3 (L)	Lilli Ballard Trish Hagan	Sophia Haehnelt
L5s	Low Ladies 2	A	0-5 (W)	Liz McDonnell x2 Gemma Ballard x2 Beth Elgood	Beth Elgood
L6s	Magpies 5	H	1-6 (L)	Kelly Mills	Emma Merryweather
L7s	L8 (f)	H	4-1 (W)	Adelice Kraemer x2 Mia McGhee x2
L8s	L7 (f)	H	4-1 (L)	Karen Davidson	Jess Lockwood
M1s	N City 3	H	5-0 (W)	Stu Leate Will Main Sam Avery Jono Chaney-Baxter Rupert Snelling	Will Main
M2s	IES 3	H	2-1 (W)	Eddie Gould Jason Wolfe	George Wright
M3s	Nth Norfolk 1	A	4-1 (L)	Mitch Smith	Tbc
M4s	Ipswich 3	H	0-1 (L)		Neil Shorten
M5s	UEA 4	A	1-1 (D)	Will Bloom	David Pentin
M6s	Dereham 4	H	0-2 (L)		Alex Wolfe
BD A	Slip Date
BD B	Slip Date
GD	Slip Date

East League,  Ladies 1N
Norwich Dragons Ladies 1s v Ipswich 2s:  5-0

Goalscorers:  Joanna Raymond, Tabba Tabrett x2, Maddy Reynolds, Katy Hands
MOM:  Olivia Thomas

The Ladies 1s rediscovered their form this week and were rewarded with a 5-0 win
against Ipswich 2s. The team set out with the goal of upping the intensity of play from
the previous two weeks. The increased focus was evident from the opening whistle, and
within two minutes, the Dragons had won a short corner. The game continued in this
vein, with the Dragons enjoying the lion’s share of possession. Lauren Laurie was making
some excellent runs up front, alongside fellow forwards Katy Hands, Tabba Tabbrett
and Maddy Reynolds. However, it took some time for the first goal to come, as the
Ipswich goalkeeper managed to keep our strikers at bay. However, the attacks kept
coming, and after a scramble in front of goal, Joanna Raymond managed to get hold of
the ball on the left post and slot it through the keeper’s legs to put the Dragons 1-0
ahead. The second goal came a few minutes later, and looked much the same; following
an initial short corner strike, confusion in front of goal saw the ball fall for Katy Hands
on the right post, and she tapped in to put the team 2-0 up. Despite being depleted by
illness and injury, the girls did not let the intensity drop and set out to close the game out
early. Having lost possession high up the pitch, the hosts looked like they were about to
attack on the break. But some hard leg work from the forward and midfield lines saw the
ball won back in the middle. Player of the Match, Liv Thomas then went on a mazy run,
driving the ball into the D and perfectly placing the pass to the left post, where teammate
Maddy Reynolds was waiting to put the visitors 3-0 up leading into half time.

The second half saw the Dragons begin to tire, and Ipswich began to test our defence.
However, their chances were calmly dealt with by some fine goalkeeping by Luisa
Valentini, a goal-line save from Jess Bennett, and some brave running from Liv Thomas
in the short corner defence to ensure another clean sheet. Mia Bartrum was tireless in
midfield, attacking and defending with enthusiasm and tenacity. After absorbing some
pressure and regrouping, the Dragons went back on the offensive, and Tabba Tabbrett
joined in the scoring. She slotted one into the back of the net from the penalty spot off a
pass from Liv Thomas, and scored a second from a strike from the top of the D,
bringing the final score to 5-0. This was a much better performance from the team after
a frustrating couple of weeks, and we look forward to maintaining our intensity as we
take on second placed Bedford 2s next week.

East League, Ladies 2NE
Norwich Dragons Ladies 2s v Yarmouth 1s:  7-2

East League, Ladies 2NE
Norwich Dragons Ladies 3s v Bury St Edmunds 1s:  1-5

Goalscorer:  Harriet Rant
MOM:  Stella Windsor Waite

Another sunny Saturday and this week Dragons Ladies 3’s travelled to Bury St Edmunds to play their game in the tropical climates of the walled garden pitch. This week saw the team give East League debuts to Fiona Fletcher, Chloe Mikronis, Catherine Matthews and Stella Windsor Waite and involved six Dragons teenagers within the travelling twelve players.

The game started and continued at a very high tempo, with Bury St Edmunds having most of the possession within the Dragons half. However, the defence of Kat Speirs, Katie Franks, Ally Windsor Waite, Angela Murgatroyd and Stella Windsor Waite proved very difficult to break down, with Ally and Angela showcasing their strictly efficient defensive footwork in the centre.

The determined defence combined with the midfield trio of Harriet Rant, Elsa Scott and Hannah Ellis, who supported the enthusiasm of the forwards Harriet Marlee, Chloe Mikronis, Catherine Matthews and Fiona Fletcher, creating a couple of attacking chances for Dragons. Despite the quick attacking pressure applied by Bury St Edmunds they only managed to score one goal before the half time whistle. Dragons felt confident they could still score and stay in the game in the second half.

Unfortunately, the additional player to Bury and heat meant Dragons could not sustain the intensity of the first half and the Bury attacking pressure proved too much and two goals were fired home early in the second half. Dragons remained positive and managed to create a few more attacking chances, one of which fell to Harriet Rant who scored with a clinical shot from the middle of the D.

Bury continued to pressure the Dragons goal and managed to score two more goals before the final whistle. Some stand out performances given the many changes within the team, including Stella Windsor Waite who was awarded player of the match.

Empresa Norfolk Women’s League, Premier Division
Norwich Dragons Ladies 4s v Evergreens 1s:  2-3

Goalscorers: Lilli Ballard, tbc
MOM: Sophia Haehnelt

Empresa Norfolk Women’s League,  Division 1
Norwich Dragons Ladies 5s v Lowestoft 2s:  5-0

Goalscorers:  Liz McDonnell x2, Gemma Ballard x2, Beth Elgood
MOM:  Beth Elgood

Ladies 5s travelled to Lowestoft for a sunny (and sandy) morning game. After some stellar pre-game music (yes please Queen) to get the team motivated, we took the game hard to Lowestoft, with some lovely linking play, making the ball work for us on a very slow pitch. For much of the first half, the ball was pinned in the attacking half. Dragons pressure was rewarded with a number of short corners, two of which were converted to points, with goals for Lizzy and Gemma.  Dragons worked well off the ball all match to ensure passing options and (following training advice) avoiding taking the ball into contact. Special commendations must be given to Sue, for soldiering on after taking an early ball to the head, and to Beth, who played pretty much every position (except for goalie – next week perhaps?) The bench was beautifully managed by Emma, who somehow managed to keep track of the multitude of positional changes, and kept Dragons focused with her off pitch instructions.

The second half followed much the same pattern, with Dragons keeping the ball pinned in the
attacking half. Lowestoft defended valiantly, their keeper making some incredible saves, often
appearing as if from nowhere to send the ball careering off the pitch. Ultimately, the pressure was too great, and Dragons slotted in three more – one more a piece for Lizzy and Gemma, and one for Beth with a beautiful strike from the top of the D. At this point, a shout-out should be given to Mia, who despite looking formidable in the warm-up, was not actually called upon to touch a ball for the entire 70 minutes, though I’m sure those half-time jelly-babies helped keep your concentration up!

Empresa Norfolk Women’s League, Division 1
Norwich Dragons Ladies 6s v Magpies 5s:  1-6

Goalscorer:  Kelly Mills
MOM:  Emma Merryweather

On a beautiful October day, the Ladies 6s prepared to take on a strong Magpies 5s side at the den. Coming off the back of two consecutive wins, the dragons were raring to go, with some new additions to the squad since our last match. We knew that the Magpies would be a young, fast and strong team, and Captain Hannah Woods motivated dragons to try to bring home the win.

Dragons took a while to get into the game and were caught napping to concede an early goal. Magpies’ pace and skill as a team overwhelmed our midfield, and a few breaks later Dragons were 0-2 down. Some fantastic work from our defensive line of Kate Atkins, Emily Grint and Hannah Woods, including a clearance from mid-air on the goal line from Emily, kept us in the game at this point. Special mention also to Emily Roper in goal, who not only pulled off some brilliant saves but was a constant vocal presence from the back of the pitch, when too often communication was lacking and led to mistakes. We gained in confidence however throughout the first half, with some excellent passing up the wing resulting in a short corner for Dragons. This was masterfully put away by Kelly Mills, bringing Dragons back into the game. Unfortunately, we could not hold onto this momentum, and finished the first half 1-3 down.

After a half-time pep-talk from Hannah, Dragons were ready to go again, however the fire had somewhat been extinguished and we reverted to a style of hockey that did not suit our game. Ultimately, we failed to pass the ball around and instead were trying to run the ball up the pitch, where time and again we ran straight into an opposing player. The final score of 1-6 was disappointing, and the dragons left with plenty to work on for the next game. Despite not quite coming together as a team, there were some fantastic individual performances, with Player of the Match going to Emma Merryweather, closely followed by Emily Roper and Kate Atkins. With no game next week, the 6s will train hard to come together as a cohesive unit and come back stronger and fighting in our next game.

Friendly
Norwich Dragons Ladies 7s v Norwich Dragons 8s :  4-1

7s Goalscorers:  Mia McGhee x2, Adelice Kraemer x2
7s MOM:

8s Goalscorer:  Karen Davidson
8s MOM:  Jessica Lockwood

Ladies 8’s took on Ladies 7’s in a non-league game at home yesterday. We were treated to yet another beautiful Autumn day in Norwich. Push back was delayed due to an earlier match starting late and so it was 5pm by the time we were on the pitch, just as dusk was setting and revealing the most stunning skies and the flood lights were switched on ready for action.
Lois Metcalfe captained the 8’s and thrilled us all with our very own customised white board. It was not just a work of art though and we very quickly all agreed it was a highly beneficial aid to discuss and highlight tactics and players movement.

Ladies 7’s presented a strong side and with no substitutions on either team we all had to work very hard but it did stand out that the 8’s played with a vigorous team spirit and worked closely and constantly as a team. Working together in boosting team morale and showing a fighting spirit which rarely dwindled despite tired limbs.

Ladies 7’s had a strong set of forwards and confidently landed 4 goals in the net.
Esther and Emma North swapped at one point as goal keepers, effectively playing for both sides and both made some great saves and Esther in the first half was very busy and very brilliant.
Jess Lockwood did an amazing job in defence and could often be seen just getting her stick on the ball a nano second before the 7’s and clearing it away. Mouse also did a sterling job in defence. Fern, Izzy and Sadie playing in midfield showed an enviable vitality which did not seem to fade as they ran up and down the line chasing the ball. Johanne kept their defence on their toes with constant movement.

Our time came close to the end of the match when we were in the D at our end of the pitch, I (Emma Young) passed the ball to Lois at the P spot who then passed it to Karen on the post who neatly tucked it into the goal and as we all heard the reassuring klonk of the ball we all squealed with delight, shouting and cheering.
It was the first goal of the season for the 8’s! Well played Karen.
The final result was 4-1 to Ladies 7’s.

East League, Men’s 2N
Norwich Dragons Men’s 1s v Norwich City 3s:  5-0

Goalscoresr:  Rupert Snelling, Will Main, Sam Avery, Stu Leate, Jono Chaney-Baxter
MOM:  Will Main

This week saw the team come up against city which added extra incentive to turn our bad run of form around and after a rousing pre match team talk from captain Ollie Buck the dragons flew out the blocks with Rupert Snelling scoring a P flick after 10 mins (Sam Avery wants a mention for winning said P flick from a well worked corner routine). Jonathan Chaney Baxter, Sam Avery and Stu Leate added to the scoresheet putting the team 4-0 up at half time.
The second half was a quieter affair probably something to do with the fact someone forgot the half time refreshments! Despite this Will Main was able to add to the score with a reverse stick from the top of the D.
Man of the Match was awarded to Will Main for some great play and DOD was me… it’s a familiar occurrence.

East League, Men’s 3NE
Norwich Dragons Men’s 2s v IES 3s:  2-1

Goalscorers:  Jason Wolfe, Eddie Gould
MOM:  George Wright

East League, Men’s 3NE
Norwich Dragons Men’s 3s v North Norfolk 1s:  1-4

Goalscorers: Mitch Smith
MOM:

East League, Men’s 4NE
Norwich Dragons Men’s 4s v Ipswich 4s:  0-1

MOM:  Neil Shorten

Norwich Dragons started brightly against an experienced Ipswich side early in the first half. Once Ipswich midfield settled though Dragons found it hard to link play effectively within the final third of the pitch.  Most chances went Ipswich’s way but Dim Ives was up to the challenge and much appreciated by the Dragons defence. Ipswich though struck in the first half from a narrow angle taking a deflection into the goal. After half time the game opened up and chances at both ends where missed but Ipswich remained in control of midfield. Endless running and endeavour from Angus Blazer led to some of Dragons best chances to equalise linking well with Alex Brookes, Tommy Gale , Bobby Sheppard and Isaac Diver-Hall. It wasn’t enough for Dragons  and Ipswich closed out the good spirited game to take the slender victory.

East League, Men’s 5NE(N)
Norwich Dragons Men’s 5s v UEA 4s:  1-1

Goalscorer:  Will Bloom
MOM:  David Pentin

The 5s Remain undefeated so far this season. A bare 11 manage to hold off the very energetic 16 of the UEA. Its fair to say it was a mostly defensive game. With UEA doing most the attacking threw out the game. UEA broke the deadlock 15 min from the end by scoring from a there 6th short attempt. However going 1-0 down seemed to bring a new wave of energy to a very tired squad. Straight after the restart Dragons had their best bits of play of play and had their first couple of real shots of  the game.

With 10 mins left Dragons got their second short of the game, Will Bloom, put the ball in the left corner of the goal with real power taking it back to 1-1. From then on it was batten down the hatches.  UEA began grabbed the game by the horns but failed to score.

David Pentin was a complete rock at the back today and awarded MOM.

East League, Men’s 5NE(N)
Norwich Dragons Men’s 6s v Dereham 4s:  0-2

MOM:  Alex Wolfe

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