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| Hockey Colts A Team 'Blog' |
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Match One Wednesday 20h January v Caldicott at 1500, Wellington College This match was cancelled due to a lack of practice sessions and inclement weather Match Two Wednesday 27th January V Parkside at 1415, Surbiton Hockey Club Eagle House 1 Parkside 1 It was good to start the season off with a hard fought draw against a tough and well organised opposition. Unfortunately Eagle House arrived late and so had very little time to warm up and to get used to the wonderful surface. Within minutes Parkside had taken a well deserved lead as the visitors were finding their hockey feet. The match could have easily ended in a big defeat for Eagle House. Yet within minutes a break into the opposition circle led to the award of a penalty corner from which Max Hammond scored. The rest of the first half was end to end as both sides tried to score their second goal. The second half began as the first had ended but Parkside's dominance was beginning to show as Eagle House were penned back inside their own half. Yet the defence proved strong and Parkside were unable to add to their score. Only a few times did Eagle House cross the half way line, and at such times with a bit more drive and determination it may have been them who scored the second, much against the run of play. Overall this was a good and encouraging performance but there is room for improvement. Each unit of the team must do their part to support the other units and some of the players need to play with 100% commitment throughout the game. Concentration, communication and determination are all required. This performance today augurs well for future matches, I trust. Match Three Wednesday 5th February V Hoe Bridge at 1400, Wellington College Eagle House 1 Hoe Bridge O Yet again for the second week running we saw another very tight and exciting game. Both sides played some excellent hockey with some strong passes and darting runs at the opposition. Both sides were equally balanced and on reflection a draw would have been a fairer result of this game. Eagle House were quicker to warm up in this game and after a few minutes started to dominate the first half. The only goal of this game came early, when one of the attacks resulted in a short corner from which came that one goal. The rest of the half was then spent trying desperately to find a second. Unfortunately the lack of real bit and determination up front resulted in Hoe Bridge being able to weather the storm. During the second half Hoe Bridge really got the bit between the teeth and started to exert some real pressure. Again and again they besieged the Eagle House goal. Only the strength and confidence of the back line, and some four fine saves from the goalkeeper, Henry Quinn, ensured that no goal was conceded. Hoe Bridge certainly dominated the second half and were the strong side. Nevertheless Eagle House did have their chances to score when they broke out of their half. Again that lack of real finish let us down. Yet the threat was always there that Eagle House may have scored their second. Towards the end of the game the constant pressure of being under siege was beginning to show on the Eagle House defence, as the attacks kept on coming. That final whistle could not have come any quicker. In the end much to the relief of the players, as was clear to see, that whistle went and a close fought game which so easier could have been drawn or lost was actually won. Well done to the team and in particular to the defence who had a busy day at the office.
Match Four Saturday 6th February V Cranleigh at 1415, away at Cranleigh Eagle House 0 Cranleigh 5 Please note that this is a seven a side fixture so we will be playing in two squads of eight players. After such a good start to the season, this match proved to be a disappointment. Unfortunately the journey down was fairly traumatic, and with no time to warm up and get use to the surface, the match began. In the first half we saw a great display of good hockey as again and again the Cranleigh team pressed forward, passing securely and made the most of their chances. Their speed and the construction of their attacks were clinical. There was little that Eagle House could do. By half time the damage was done with Cranleigh having scored five goals. The second half saw a much improved performance by Eagle House as they gradually came into the game. Though the traffic was still basically one way, Eagle House were able to cope. No more goals were conceded in the second. Great saves by the goalkeeper, Henry Quinn, ensured that the second half was a draw. Hopefully the team will learn from this experience and return to the style of play that has done us well so far this season. Unfortunately this was a seven a side match and the squad usually train as an 11 a side team. The mind set and the style of play vary slightly between the seven and eleven a side teams. Sometimes the switch between the two sizes can be difficult to cope with. Certainly on Monday at Tonbridge it took at least one match to cope with only seven players on the field. Nevertheless there are still a few basic skills that need improving, such as having the stick on the floor when tackling, ensuring that the pass gets to whom it was intended, too often we try a dramatic hard hit when a good strong push would suffice. Unfortunately there are not a lot of practice sessions between matches and tournaments, so it is very important that we make the most of those sessions and put into practice what we learn in those sessions into the matches. The best thing we can do now is to begin our next match firing on all cylinders, focused and fully committed to playing good hockey. We have the ability to do that! Colts A squad will include Henry Quinn, Lucas Bamber, Ben Barnard, Thomas Walton, Michael Gimson, Max Hammond, Brendan Parvess and Hassan Rubbani. Colts B squad will include Mark Erridge, Jack Surrall, Ben Howard and Alexander Tilmouth and members from the Colts B full 11 a side squad.This does not mean that those last four mentioned have been dropped from the full Colts A 11 a side squad. Match Five Wednesday 10th February V St Andrew's (Woking) at 1500, Goldsworth Park Woking. Eagle House 0 St Andrew's 1 After the defeat on the last weekend, the team put in an excellent performance in this match. For much of the match, Eagle house dominated the game which was played for most of the time in the opposition's half of the field. There was great passages of play as the ball was passed successfully from player to player. In the first half Jack Surrall came close to scoring with the ball just missing the goal by inches. Unfortunately Eagle House we not able to score from the many penalty corners which came our way. The second half began was the first had finished. Unfortunately on one of the rare incursions into our half, St Andrew's were able to score a soft goal. Despite this set back Eagle House continued the assault on the St Andrew's goal. Good defence by the goal keeper and the back line and a lack of a good finish unfortunately ensured that Eagle House were not able to score. This was one of those typical matches when everything went right except the scoring of a goal. The boys played with 100% commitment from the very first to the very last minute. The passing was secure and the tackling strong. Positional play and the covering of the field was good. It was a very enjoyable game in which many of the players were able to show off their very good stick skills. This was a great game but ever so frustrating. On another day the result could have easily gone the other way. Match Six Wednesday 24th February V Hall Grove at 1500, Bracknell Leisure Centre Eagle House 4 Hall Grove 0 Yet again the team put in an excellent performance in this match, playing with 100% commitment and with real drive and enthusiasm. Unfortunately Hall Grove came up against a well disciplined and well organized side. Eagle House dominated the game for most of the match and when the opposition made it into the other half of the field, their attack was moped up well by the strong defence. The first ten minutes saw a see-saw exchange as both sides tried to find that first goal and thereby some dominance in the game. Constant pressure by Eagle House finally broke the Hall Grove defence and by half time two goals had been scored. The first part of the second half was played totally in the Hall Grove half of the field with Eagle House containing any break outs and always looking for further goals. Two more were scored in an excellent passages of play as passes arrived at their destinations and the off the ball positional play ensured that players were in the correct positions. All credit to Hall Grove as they kept on battling to the end. As Eagle House tired towards the latter stages of the game, Hall Grove were able to break into the other half which led to quite a few chances. The opportunities were there to score and perhaps a less team with four goals to the good would not have put in such a sterling defence when the game was already won. It was a very impressive result which demonstrated the good skills and commitment that the team have. Henry back in goal, actually had a quiet day at the office. The back line of Mark, Lucas and Harry, on loan from the B squad were invaluable and were able to stop many attacks and quickly release the ball to the halves to construct an attack. The halves, the main powerhouse of the team worked extremely hard all afternoon supporting both the defence and the front line. Both Michael and Ben played pivotal roles in controlling the game. Max on the left was extemely strong when both tackling in defence and supporting his left winger. Brendan and Hassan on the right were a devastating unit as time and time again they acted as a unit looping around and supporting each other. Tom, as left winger, has the most difficult job on the field and was kept most busy throughout the game as we used the whole width of the pitch. The front strikers had a busy afternoon as they were fed many a good ball by the halves. Jack may have been one of the smallest players on the field but his positional play was very threatening. It was pleasing to see his name on the score sheet. The same applies to Alexander, though I will need to explain to him the difference between a hockey goal and a five a side football goal. A lovely hook by the way. Shame it went in the wrong goal. Ben Barnard had a new role in this match as either centre half or striker. Importing Harry from the B Squad made this possible. Though Ben himself did not score his role was very pivotal in helping the others to score and in controlling the game around him. Well done, Boys! This was an excellent result. Squad. Michael Gimson (captain), Henry Quinn, Lucas Bamber, Ben Barnard, Mark Erridge, Max Hammond, Thomas Walton, Ben Howard, Jack Surrall, Alexander Tilmouth, , Brendon Parvess, Hassan Rubbani.Also played Harry Rees. Tournaments Monday 1st February IAPS at Tonbridge League V Dulwich College Junior School lost 0-2 V Sutton Valence Prep school won 1-0 Semifinal V Newton prep lost 0-1 3rd/4th play off V Old Buckenham Hall won 4-0 Overall Result Eagle House 3rd. After a rather torturous journey with the gridlocked traffic and slight snow covering, the team finally arrived at a sunny and snow free Tonbridge School. Unfortunately there was not a lot of time for a decent warm up and so the first match saw a rather travelled and lacklustre performance by the team. In tournaments, it is important to play with 100% from the very first moment because there is no time to warm into a game Time is at a premium. The second game saw a much improved performance with the team pressing forward and closing down the opposition in any attack. It was a well deserved win, though the team had to wait to see the outcome of the other match in our league to see if they had qualified. After lunch we saw a hard and tough contest against the eventual winners. Both sides had their opportunities to score. Perhaps with a bit more bit, drive and determination, this could also have been won. Yet again the overall performance improved slightly. The team left the best to last as they outplayed their final opponents. The game began fairly balanced but in the end became a rout. The defence held their line and the passing out of defence to the attacker was very secure. If only they had played with such confidence and commitment in the first match. The skills are there and the knowledge on how to play should now be embedded. the substitute goalkeeper, Oscar Turton, did a fantastic job, helped in defence by Ben Barnard and Lucas Bamber. Ben pushing up using the self-pass and runs up the field created some great opportunities to score. Lucas was solid and secure at the back, despite taking an early injury during the day. the mid field players, Michael, max and Tom certainly ran them selves ragged by the end of the day and certainly deserved a good night's sleep that evening. Up front Hassan and Brendan gradually became more threatening during the day and in the least match we saw the fruition of their training and the potential that this team actually has. Overall this has been a successful day. The team has learnt a lot from the experience of today, which hopefully they will take into the future matches. Well done, Boys! You have performed very well today. Squad. Michael Gimson( captain)Lucas Bamber, Ben Barnard, Max Hammond, Thomas Walton , Brendon Parvess, Hassan Rubban and Oscar Turton. Monday 1st March at Cranleigh at 1300 Historically Eagle House has not done too well at this tournament for several reasons and in recent years we have been unable to attend. So it was with some in trepidation that we attended this tournament knowing full well that there was a chance that we would have to play against a Cranleigh team who had recently beaten Eagle House 5-0. The early pool games went very well as we defeated our first three opponents. The fourth pool game saw Eagle House come face to face with Cranleigh again. This time however we were prepared. Cranleigh are certainly a well motivated and well drilled team who dominated this match. Though they opened the scoring, a slight adjustment in our positions and players led to a positive respond as gaps appeared in the Cranleigh defence which led to them conceding a goal. Nevertheless Cranleigh responded well and besieged our goal for most of the final part of the match, during which we conceded penalty corner after penalty corner. Superb defending and sheer determination ensured that the match remained a draw. In the final pool game the opposition provided little in the way of threat as the pattern of the early pool matches returned. The semi-final proved to be a very close game and though Ardingly took the lead and lead by 2-0 at one stage we clawed our way back into the game, scored our first goal and always threatened to score an equaliser right up to the final whistle. Overall we played some excellent hockey at this tournament. Some of the passing was a joy to watch and the communication between players was spot on. The team created many opportunities to score, many of which resulted in goals being scored. To score three goals with a 15 minute game is some achievement. The tacking was strong as time after time with the stick flat on the floor, the tackle was made and the opposition lost the ball. The highlight of the day for the team was probably the draw against Cranleigh. Though Cranleigh opened the scoring, the team were determined that a repeat of their previous encounter would not be repeated. The team played with great commitment and focus. The sheer joy of the players after they scored the equaliser was tangible, let alone their relief and sense of achievement at the final whistle. Results Pool Games V Churcher’s College Won 3-0 V St Edmunds Won 3-0 V Holmewood House Won 3-1 V Cranleigh A Draw 1-1 V Ripley Court Won 3-0 Semifinal V Ardingly College Lost 1-2
Squad. Michael Gimson (Captain), Henry Quinn, Lucas Bamber, Ben Barnard, Max Hammond, Thomas Walton, Brendon Parvess, Jack Surrall and Hassan Rubbani. We will be leaving school at 1135 and return about 1700. Wednesday 3rd March at the Dragon School. at 1345 After the successful at the Cranleigh tournament, I was a little concerned that to face another such tournament in just over 48 hours may be a little too much to ask of this squad. Yet my concerns were unfounded as the squad applied themselves in an enthusiastic and committed fashion throughout this tournament. Where I had detected a little tiredness in the semi-final on Monday, there was not a signal at all of that at the Dragon. To be honest the squad played some ruthless hockey but with skill, good passing and some excellent positioning. The full backs were very solid and I think only once did an opposition actually have a penalty corner against Eagle House. For long periods of each match, the game was mainly played in the opposition’s half. Luckily Hal in goal did not have a busy afternoon. To be honest I do not think that he even touched the ball or was required to save a shot all afternoon. So secure was the defence, Max and Lucas. The midfield had a very busy time and the substituting for each of the different games made no impact on how we played. Brendan, Michael, Ben and Tom did a great job controlling the game and at times had and took their opportunities to score. I think the record for scoring the quickest goal all afternoon must go to Ben in the match against Magdalen College. I believe that we only had four touches from the start of the game before it ended up in the goal. Hassan and Jack as the strikers caused many a problem to the opposition’s defence. It was nice to see both players scoring some great goals. Some of the passing was very incisive and just cut thorough a defence like a hot knife through butter. Nevertheless one of the best passages of passing was in the match against the Dragon 1st team. Both sides were passing the ball securely around each other in a desperate attempt to find a gap in the opposition. The ball was literally ricocheting form player to player. It was a joy to watch. One of the most remarkable facts about this afternoon was how many goals where scored in each game. Each Game was only seven minutes long. Some of our matches saw a very high score rate per minute. I would not be surprised if some of our opponents were pleased that it was only seven minutes a game. Another remarkable fact is that we scored 19 goals with none against us at all! Overall this has been a great result and a great week for this team. They have come a long way since the beginning of the team. These two tournaments and the last full squad game have shown the strength and commitment of the boys. Well done, Gentlemen! You have deserved your commendations!
Results V New College won 2-0 V Winchester House 4th team won 5-0 V Dragon 5th team won 4-0 V Dragon 3rd team draw 0-0 V Dragon 1st team won 2-0 V Magdalen College 2nd team won 2-0 V Winchester House 2nd team won 4-0 Eagle House (1st team) therefore come 1st in our league but second overall yet again by one point 16 teams took part. New College 1st team had the same results as the Eagle House 1st team but as their draw was a score draw they gained that extra point. Squad. Michael Gimson (Captain), Henry Quinn, Lucas Bamber, Ben Barnard, Max Hammond, Thomas Walton, Brendon Parvess, Jack Surrall and Hassan Rubbani.
Section Competition Wednesday 17th March 1400 at Wellington College
Harriers O V 2 Kites
Merlins O V O Ospreys Kites 2 V O Merlins
Harriers O V 2 Ospreys Harriers O V 1 Merlins
Kites 1 V O Ospreys
Position Section Pl W D L F A PTS 1st Kites 3 3 0 0 5 0 9 2nd Ospreys 3 1 1 1 2 1 4 3rd Merlins 3 1 1 1 1 2 4 4th Harriers 3 0 0 3 0 5 0 On a nice and warmish Wednesday afternoon the season was concluded by the annual section competition spectated by a handful of loyal and dedicated parents. Some exciting and enjoyable hockey was played which clearly showed the great skills that many of the players have. It was good to see all the boys of all abilities working together with a common aim. Though Kites clearly dominated the competition the other sections certainly played their part. I am hopeful that the success of these colts teams this year will continue into the future!
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