Norwich Dragons Ladies 1s Vs St Neots Ladies 1s
Score: 0-2
Scorers: Sophie Farrow & Alice Whitmore
MOM: Sophie Farrow
Ladies 1s travelled away to St Neots Ladies 1s. After a slightly unsettled start, dragons found their play in the second half and managed to score from a short corner routine with Sophie Farrow finding the back board. Our second goal came from a lovely pattern of play running down the right with Georgia passing the ball to Alice Whitmore in front of goal who slid the ball into the goal! Score finished 2-0 to dragons despite a few cards and confused players along the way!
Norwich Dragons Ladies 2s Vs Norwich City Ladies 3s
Score: 4-0
Scorers: Jess Bennett x2, Alex Daplyn & Flori Smith
MOM: Flori Smith
Dragons started brightly after a good warm-up however found it difficult to break down a City team who were defending well and in numbers.
Eventually Dragons got the breakthrough following good work from Shelly Seaman the ball breaking to Flori Smith who fired home from the right. Other opportunities came and went, and the team had a goal disallowed after Birthday girl Maddy Reynolds was adjudged to have used back of stick.
Half time called for the team to stick to their shape, work a bit harder to close City down sooner, and to move the ball earlier rather than run into trouble. Dragons took note and started to dominate, having some good efforts on goal and numerous short corners.
Eventually the goals came too – another sharp brace from Sarah Jessica Bennett, one a great short corner strike from out wide. A fourth came near the end from Alex Daplyn, a fine reverse stick lifted effort into the roof of the net.
Credit to the team for working their way through their ‘slowish’ start and ending the game completely dominating possession. Man of the Match went to Flori Smith who is growing every week in this team, playing with great maturity and composure.
Norwich Dragons Ladies 3s Vs Norwich City Ladies 3s
Score: 7-3
Scorers: Harriet Marlee x2 & Mimi Rutherford
MOM: Harriet Marlee
The 3’s have played the best hockey together in a long time and we matched city as regards to their play. We were unfortunate to lose the first half 1-2 but came back strong in the second half and the score became 3-4. A couple of players took one for the team by using anything other than their stick to stop more goals but alas resulting in penalty flicks (worth a try I suppose – obviously all unintentional) – city won 7-3 in the end but then score did not reflect our play.
Norwich Dragons Ladies 4s Vs Yarmouth Ladies
Score: 0-3
MOM: Christina Murgatroyd
Ladies 4’s played a very strong Yarmouth today and lost 3-0. We had some lovely periods of play and when we moved the ball early really opened them up. Yarmouth gave us a good test of where we need to be in terms of be in terms of ball speed and being clinical. We can take heart that one goal was an amazing short and another a gift. Lots more to come from this team!
Norwich Dragons Ladies 5s Vs North Norfolk Ladies 2s
Score: 13-0
Scorers: Gemma Ballard x4, Liz McDonnell x5, Jane Wells x2, Anita Mancini & Lily McDonald
MOM: Maddie Gibbs
It took the 5s 5-10 minutes of play to suss out the opponents and get into the game, but after this we clicked and really found our game. First goal, scored by Gemma, came from a great piece of attacking play worked from the midfield and was soon followed by two more goals from Gemma, getting on the end of a cross from the right and working well with the other forwards to create confusion amongst the opposition defence.
A lack of real threat from the opponents forwards allowed our defence to push up at times and there was some lovely attacking play from the defence, with an exceptional run by Maddie on the right. Lizzie and Jane both scored cracking goals which came from some lovely teamwork, and a converted short corner made the score at half time 6-0.
Second half again showed an excellent level of passing, pace on and off the ball and great teamwork and this led to the goals going in regularly. Second half saw goals scored by Lizzie, Jane, Gemma, Anita and Lily from a mixture of attacking runs by the forward line, working the ball around the midfield and defence and some great crosses into the D.
Norwich Dragons Ladies 6s Vs Pelicans Ladies 2s
Score: 1-2
Scorers: Adelice Stanley
MOM: Mae Clark & Emma North
It wasn’t pouring with rain today when the Ladies 6s gathered to take on freshly demoted Pelicans 2s. In anticipation of a heavily defensive game we geared up and took on the challenge. Turns out, we were actually able to give them a jolly good run for their money. Lots of good play across the pitch and the occasional shot on goal at either end made for a very competitive game. An unfortunate break through the middle put Pellys in the lead just before the half time whistle.
Pat Chat and sweets later, we went out strong again and even scored an equaliser from a lovely triangle of Brittany, Hattie and Adelice Stanley tapping it in a bit unconventionally. The game heated up, as did the running commentary on every decision made, but it was just not meant to be for Dragons today. Pellys snuck another one in not long before the end, leading to a final score of 1:2. PoM was joint between Mae Clark for a cracking game at the bottom of the diamond and Emma North for keeping us in the game (quite literally…). Good game, girls, we could have had this one!!
Norwich Dragons Ladies 7s Vs Pelican Ladies 3s
Score: 3-3
Scorers: Lucy Courtier, Charlotte Carr & Alicia Fairweather
MOM: Sophie Rice & Charlotte Carr
The 7s played away at Pelicans this morning and managed to dodge the rain once again! We started the game positively with some good possession and were shortly awarded a penalty corner which was converted by Lucy Courtier. Another cat and mouse game and a lot of movement from both teams meant the first half finished 2-2 with a lovely worked goal by the whole team which Charlotte Carr slotted home. Much the same in the second half and a beautiful break and with great composure in front of goal from Alicia Fairweather we secured our third goal. By the end of the game (and I’m not sure when this happened as I was convinced we’d won) the score line was 3-3 so a great game by all!
Norwich Dragons Ladies 8s Vs Norwich City Ladies 7s
Score: 1-6
Scorers: Johanne Steward
MOM: Neha Shammy
Ladies 8’s were at home to City 7’s on what had promised to be a rain free morning!! But it wouldn’t be hockey 2020 if it didn’t rain! Despite a strong fight and without any noticeable superiority in play, City 7’s beat us 6-1.
Goal scorer and captain, Johanne Steward, had us all cheering both on and off the pitch as she scored after a short corner in the first half. Johanne injected the ball to Bridget who took a hit on goal, while Johanne raced to the post, deflecting the ball nicely into the net.
POM was Neha Shammy, (midfielder). Neha gave it 100% from start to finish, hunting down every ball with speed and determination. Nell Morrey, (bod) bravely went into tackles and winning the ball before moving it on swiftly.
Nola Mitchell (goalkeeper) did a fantastic job, and as City pummelled the ball into the D, relentless in their pursuit of another goal, Jess Lockwood, Bridget Le Good and Emma Young, (defenders) fought valiantly to clear the ball away.
Hettie McClean and Louise Crouch-Reed, (forwards) made some great pick ups of the ball on the wing which were passed to Karen Davidson, (tod) or moved quickly around the City players by Imogen Burke and Sadie Jacobs. While Ellie O’Kane (midfielder) intercepted some great balls resulting in a quick switch in direction of play. We left with our heads held high after a great match. Ohh yes I nearly forgot coach Sarah was umpiring and so could not offer any advice but she has already got plans for us on Wednesday night a training to tighten up any weaker areas of our game.
Norwich Dragons Men’s 1s vs Cambridge Nomad Men’s 1s
Score: 5-1
Scorers: Ben Watson
MOM: Alex Brookes & Ben Watson
Despite even possession, comparable chance creation, and a somewhat flattering score line…unfortunately today delivered a disappointing Dragons result.
Jack Hallworth’s former team took the lead in the game. In sharp reply, a Dragons return for Ben Watson was capped with a scrappy but well-taken equaliser!
Soon after, Alex Brookes made an unbelievable leaping aerial save on the line when scores were level! As the first half ticked on, both sides created good chances. Promising opportunities for the Dragons involved both Jono and Lewis James Wilkins finding the by-line, but in both instances the cut-back/final pass didn’t quite come.
Moments before the close of the half, a Nomads drag-flick from a short-corner found the net.
The second half began with consistent pressure from the Dragons. Popping the ball around in wide areas, and limiting the opposition to counters. Nomads scored around 10 minutes into the half, and while we pushed hard for a reply, the final 2 minutes of the game witnessed two quick fire Nomads goals. The second was an unfortunate foot race for Hallworth who almost prevented the goal as he diverted his run to the goal line (he might have actually knocked it in!)
In a role reversal, we are very much the nomads so far this season, drifting and looking for that rhythm to find ourselves, and afford us a string of form and results. It will come!
Norwich Dragons Men’s 2s vs Magpies Men’s 4s
Score: 3-4
Scorers: Kit Scott x2, Rupert Snelling
MOM: Ed Cross
Some things in life are hard to take and this was one of them. By law of averages the team that create almost double the amount of chances on the day should win, no? Unfortunately not every time.
Some fantastic hockey, and I mean that, was played today. If we can concentrate on the performance rather than then result then we can sleep easy tonight. Some young faces in the side today who constantly drove us forward and did us incredibly proud.
We did concede some goals (I will leave out my thoughts on 3/4 of these…) and gave the opposition a little bit too much respect when we were 3-2 up. Frustrating to leave the 100% record behind but maybe now we can take a deep breath and begin to enjoy these kinds of performances and post game beers!
Norwich Dragons Men’s 3s vs Magpies Men’s 3s
Score: 10-1
Scorers: Tommy Gale
MOM: Tommy Gale
Dragons 3s lost 10-1 away to Magpies 3s this afternoon. They were a sharp, clinical side and we gifted them some of their opportunities at times. We conceded within the first 2 minutes, but settled and managed to get the score to 3-1 in the first half, but we failed to retain possession well enough and that hurt us.
The final 10 minutes showed that we absolutely can play at this level when we finally got our act together and threatened their goal with several short corners and open play chances. In truth a tough day at the office, and something we’ll learn from. Certainly our young forwards looked threatening throughout (unlike the old forward). Goal was scored by Tommy Gale, who also claimed player of the match.
Norwich Dragons Men’s 4s vs Bury St Edmunds 2s
Score: 2-5
Scorers: Vithu Baskaran & Jake Hardesty
MOM: Rob Goodson
The game saw two teams who are new to this league: Bury came down from the league above and Dragons up from the lower end. Despite the supposed level gap, Dragons displayed great skills and presented a good fight, making Bury give their best until the final whistle.
Bury scored three goals in the first half but Vithu Baskaran managed to shorten distances finalising a great team combination, making 1-3 the score at half time. The second half saw Dragons pushing even harder and getting closer with another goal from Jake Hardesty but Bury still managed to sore two more.
Man of the Match went to and excellent Rob Goodson for his outstanding effort throughout the game, closely followed in votes by Vithu Baskaran, Owain Hall and Stu Kelly, who all worked at really high standards, making Bury fight really hard to earn the 3 points. Also worth mentioning young keeper Conor Kerrigan for his brilliant interventions and Jos Briggs, who was pushing really hard when he pulled his hamstring shortly after the start of the game.
Norwich Dragons Men’s 5s vs East Coast 2
Score: 0-0
MOM: Josh Bingham
Norwich Dragons Men’s 5s game abandoned after 30 mins at 0-0 due to player injury.
Norwich Dragons Men’s 6s vs North Norfolk Nomads 2s
Score: 4-0
Scorers: Mike Banham, Graham Cormack, Harry Fuller & Andrew Cross
MOM: Lee Beadman
M6’s got an early lead as skipper Mike Banham slotted a short corner. Plenty of pressure was rewarded as Graham Cormack found a way to squeeze the ball passed the keeper from a very narrow angle. 2-0 up at HT was increased by Harry Fuller – must work on the celebration Harry. As in the first half M6’s had to deal with Nomads finding more attacking options as the half went on, with Dim Leander Ives making some excellent saves & Lee Beadman putting most parts of his body on the line to repel the opposition (suit of armour next week for protection!).
The final goal was an Andrew Cross trademark effort. Mention of Phil York-Smith who sprayed the ball around the park, helped by Graham Cormack doing the running for him, which brought all the youngsters (Josh Cormack, Harry, Noah & Lee Beadman) into play & they showed real attacking prowess. The more senior players (Ray Hansell, Daryl Robinson & slightly younger Stephen Holland) all put in a solid shift especially when we were under some late pressure. This first league win needs to be built on away at Bury next week)
Norwich Dragons Men’s 7s vs North Norfolk Nomads 1s
Score: 0-1
MOM: Matthew Cooke
A well fought contest away to the Norfolk Nomads 1’s at the UEA. Overall a really good game and lots to be very positive about. Great use of width and lots of possession especially down the right from Matthew C, Elliot and Fin D. Nomads persistence paid off in the second half with a goal, however the 7’s continued with determination and positive play, especially when we were down to 9 men at one point. Special mention to David P and Tom C for their contribution to the game and for continuing to play whilst injured. MOM this week, as voted for the by the team, is Matthew Cooke for his great work in defence as well as attack.
Norwich Dragons Boys Development vs East Coast Boys Development
Score: 0-5
Scorers: Louis Bolton-Smith x3 & Hector McNeill x2
MOM: Hugh Baragwanath
Dragons Dev Boys played East Coast away in Lowestoft. The first quarter was tight with both teams creating chances. East Coast had an adult in defence who organised his team well. Dragons grew in confidence during the second quarter with Ayrton Rant and Hector McNeill pressing our midfield. We controlled the quarter for long periods, which resulted in a goal from a baseline run by Tommy Cahir who passed to Hector McNeill to score. This was quickly followed by another two goals through Louis Bolton-Smith. Dragons continued to get into good press formations which eventually lead to a fourth goal by Rhys Howard making a baseline pass for Louis Bolton-Smith to complete his hat-trick. East Coast threatened Dragons defence in the final quarter, however good saves from Patrick O’Rourke ensured Dragons achieved a clean sheet. Hector McNeill scored his second goal to finish the game 5-0 to Dragons. The team spirit was good throughout. Thank you to our coaches Andy Kelsall and Paul O’Rourke.
Norwich Dragons Girls Development A vs Watton Girls Development
Score: 4-0
Scorers: Saoirse Lowe-Davies & Ivy Hodds x3
MOM: Ivy Hodds
A positive start to the match saw a Saoirse Lowe-Davies goal quickly followed by a second by Ivy Hodds in the first period. Good moves were being created down the right and Josie Kell was unfortunate not to increase the lead. The defensive three rotated between Jamie, Meena, Rowan and Charlotte were preventing any Watton attacks and were confident enough to play the ball round the back.
In the second period a third goal was scored with Ivy scoring her second. Amy Forse and Brittany Hopkins helping as adults (Thanks) rotated at the bottom of midfield and were playing some great passes through to the forwards.
In the third period Watton breached the defence once but Arya in goal was alert and blocked the ball and the danger was alleviated. Further attacks were created but were stopped by Watton’s adult when the ball was taken too near her stick. The Watton keeper made several saves to stop more goals as well. In the third period the team used the left more where Elizabeth and Freya were working hard. In the final period the adults were rested and the team composed of all girls and a fourth goal was scored as Ivy Hodds completed her hat-trick.
Well played girls a good performance and win but we can get even better.
Norwich Dragons Girls Development B vs East Coast Girls Development
Score: 3-1
Scorers: Perdie Finch x2 & Amelie Finch
MOM: Perdie Finch
Girls B were away at East Coast. The Girls started really brightly with some great passing & running onto the ball. The first goal came via a super first time sweep by Perdie Finch. Not to be out done by her sister, the second goal came from Amelie Finch, who was in the right place to get the ball into the back of the net after a great shot from Mae Hollis had unfortunately ricocheted off the post.
East Coast then rallied in the 2nd quarter with some great passing, attacking play forcing some good saves from GK Anna Ong. This continued after the half time break and eventually resulted in East Coast pulling a goal back with a well taken shot. This caused Dragons to go on the attack again with Perdie Finch once more managing to put the ball away after some tireless work by Libby Ong to beat several players and make a great pass into the D. Despite further attacks by both teams, 3-1 to Dragons was how the match ended.
Thanks to Pete Thomas for stepping in to help with umpiring & his encouraging team talks (agreed to by both teams before the match start). It was great to see some super play and passing from all the girls & some good learning points to work on too. Player of the match was deservedly Perdie Finch, with both Libby Ong & Mae Hollis also worthy of ‘honourable mention!