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| Hockey Colts C Team 'Blog' |
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COLTS C HOCKEY TEAM Away on Wed (120308) This is our last game and despite my request that we play at home on the available astro at Wellington, we are playing away and on grass Boots would be a god ( or good although in the present climate perhaps it would be His idea)idea. We are travelling by coach to Highfield and we should be back by 1730. Because we are travelling away, we are only allowed one reserve. Goal Charles Saxby Back Ruari Hutchinson (Captain) Back Noah Walton Back Oscar Gaff Centre Half Charlie Waters Left Half Harry Baldock Right Half. Mohammed Rubbani Forward. Luke Orechoff, Right Wing Karl Akunwa Forward James Fowlie Left Wing Charlie Riddell reserves Ben Moore Charlie W
Colts C beat Highfield 6-1 Played won drawn lost Goals for goals against 7 5 2 rien/nada 27 4 Arriving slightly later than planned and falling off the bus onto the grass pitch with a cold wind blasting from top to bottom, Charlie was soon frozen in goal in the first half as both sides struggled to play constructive hockey and stuttered through the first ten minutes. Once the game started to flow, Charlie again defended his goal with heart and a skill that has increased as the term has progressed. I have said how the goalie's task is thankless: if he lets in a goal, he is not doing his job and if he saves the shot, he is just doing his job. Charlie has been a rock and for a rock he has shown great heart. The back three Noah, Oskar and Ruari with the new player Odise on his first outing were as solid as ever, outstanding on occasions, marshaled by Ruari, who has grown as captain this term, pushing short and wide out of defence. Our halves, Charlie W., Mohammed and Alex started a little weakly but soon controlled the midfield, releasing the ball wide to Karl, Ben and Charlie R on the wings. Charlie and Karl were most impressive throughout the game and as we took control of the game, they were joined by Oskar and Ruari driving up the flanks. Luke had a quiet game (comparatively speaking) but James was always a threat. It was a fair result, and again I must thank the opposing coach for umpiring so sensibly on a difficult and often dangerous pitch. He let the game flow as much as possible and made a good game better. 6-1 is perhaps a little unfair to Highfield, but our goals were well constructed and we tried to play hockey. Unlike when we first started the season. The transformation of this side and those who have been on the cusps, even those like Ben T who have contributed so positively in the practices, has been immense. Initially, I was talking to myself for most of the time ( or so I thought), but the players started to take on board the idea of a passing game short and wide rather than just blast it airily anywhere. The work rate of all the players has improved and each has accepted and acted upon the responsibility that each has had to undertake. Our defence and tackling improved with greater courage and we cut down the time available for opposing teams. Today we played some absolutely brilliant hockey and it was a very pleasing way to finish the season.The scores do not really matter (although we must play to win), but the commitment and improvement does and as I hate the idea of individuals there are no men of the match or season. It has been a team performance and recently a very enjoyable one. The little ones must build on this for the Colts sides next year and the bigger ones must aim for places in the senior sides. Thank you - the cold and wet practices have been worthwhile. Thank you to those parents who have supported us and to the opposition coaches who have umpired to cover up my ignorance and helped to make good games better. Colts C beat St Piran's C 11-0 It is never easy playing on grass, especially when the team has played many of their matches on astro. That being said on a glorious summer's day we did on occasions play some good team hockey, moving the ball wide and spending most of the match in their half, indeed in their D. Charlie ended up playing out of goal and we switched the backs with the halves so that everybody enjoyed some hockey. We scored eleven goals and it could have been more had not their goalkeeper not played with such great heart. We all need to remember what Mr Skepper said about moving your shoulder round when we wish to pass the ball wide, and we must be careful about all our players being drawn to the ball (bees and honey come to mind). But we all played some good hockey and it was pleasing Matthew contributed much when he was on the pitch. Man of the match? Not sure, we all made mistakes and we all did something good. Now for the next match. Colts C beat Hoe Bridge 3-0 There are times following a disastrous national team performance at Twickenham that it is so good to have something to cheer us up. The solace came as the result of some hard work over the last few days in the form of a really positive team effort on the delightful new astro at Wellington. We are not perfect but the improvement is most pleasing. Charlie S had a quieter game in goal this week, doing all that was asked of him, feeling much more confident behind Ruari, Oscar, Noah, Robin and then Alex. The back line kept better alignment and worked to support each other behind any missed tackles. Mohammed, Charlie and Harry controlled the midfield much more strongly, and although occasionally they were caught too far up, they generally kept a greater depth to support our breaks and to stop the opposition's breaks. Ben, James, Luke and Karl were very strong in attack and could have scored a few more goals with better foot work. The improvement individually is pleasing, but the improvement in the team play, led positively by Ruari is even more so. Well done to all of you, but don't think that there is not a great deal that we must continue to work on. Enjoy your cross country tomorrow and we will have another go on Friday.
Colts C drew with Dragon C 2-2 Saturday 1800 It's late and it was such a good game that I need to get home, have a beer and watch the rugby - I will finish this soon, but for now, it is enough to say that we all played our part in an exciting and enjoyable game. Well done and enjoy the weekend! Monday am Well, the beer was good, but the less said about the rugby, the better. Anyway back to the game at the Dragon. This was a game played by two balanced and equal sides, with perhaps the Dragon the team with the better stick skills and pitch awareness, mind you with pitches like that it is hardly surprising. However after a somewhat headless(brainless?) start when we conceded an easy goal and seemed to be more intent on passing the ball to the opposition rather than to a member of our own team, we began to believe more in our own ability with Karl A making some excellent drives down the right wing as Ben began to work harder with and for the ball on the left. Luke began to move to the ball, Charlie W controlled more in the middle, while Harry enjoyed the space out wide, and Ruari, Noah and Oscar became much more solid at the back. Both goalkeepers had great games, each saving a large number of shots with increasing confidence. It was a great game to watch and the forty minutes did not seem forty, and the result was fair as both sides worked very hard to create a fast-flowing and increasingly skilful match. Colts C drew with Parkside 0-0 It really was not that easy to play on the grass this afternoon, but both sides did actually show some skill in dealing with the conditions. Despite the comments about the lack of skill from the touchline, both sides, helped by some very sensible and sympathetic umpiring, provided the spectators with an exciting game, full of commitment and good intent. I am not sure if either team deserved to win or lose, but Charlie S's diving stop to drag the ball back inches away from the line after some sustained pressure deserved a clean sheet. As they say in football terms, this was a match of two halves. During the first we created many chances with Mohammed and Karl combining well down the right, Charlie W and Harry controlling the middle and Luke and James trying so hard to make the important score. The second half saw Parkside fight back and it was only on a few occasions that we managed to get into their D, and we could and perhaps should have scored even then. However Oscar, Noah and Ruari were solid at the back with everybody working hard to get behind the ball to defend. Once again everyone made at least one good tackle, and everybody contributed to the result. It was certainly a good game enjoyed, I hope, by the teams, by most of the spectators and by the coaches. For the next game we must not take so much time on the ball. Move your feet and get into a strong position much earlier so that you can move the ball WIDE and never across our own goal. Now for our Saturday tour to Oxford - seven a side only.
Colts C v Caldicott - won 2-1 We are beginning to find a settled side, and again occasionally we were beginning to play the width of hockey that our standards demand. This was especially so down the right hand side in the second half and led to an encouraging second goal. The backs were once again solid, but it was Ruari H and Karl A who showed the greatest determination, working hard as much off the ball as they did with it. Such an approach must be seen from everyone in the next practice. If we lose the ball, we have to try twice as hard to win it back, not just sit back and wit for somebody else to tidy up the mistakes. Everybody did something good as some stage, but much greater consistency is required from everyone. Still it was great to play on astro even if it was only in one half with a rotating 9 a side. Lots to practise and lots to improve.
Colts C v St Andrew's Woking - won 3-0 To be able to play at Wellington was a real treat and perhaps allowed both sides to try to play a hockey that would never have been able to be played on grass. The first ten minutes was played in their half and we worked hard to keep the ball there. We had several chances which we foolishly, casually, lazily did not take and we tended to try headlessly to hit the ball through the middle rather than pass it wide to the wings. Both Harry B and Karl A took the ball on well showing good skills and steady hits, when they received the ball wide and all three goals came about when the ball was moved wide. James, Luke, Charlie and Lewis all showed something promising with the ball, but like nearly all the team, they tended to wait for the ball to come to them rather than go to meet it. The halves were sound enough and Ruari and especially Noah were very solid in defence. Had Noah not been there the score would have been very different, although I must again thank Charlie C for standing in goal - a thankless and often unappreciated job. We do need to work on our tackling which was half-hearted on far too many occasions, we do need to work on our passing, hitting and pushing with more power and accuracy and we do need to work out that it is not possible to pass through people - go on to their weak side and go wide, wide, wide. Still the last goal was a hockey goal and for and with which I was very grateful and pleased. My thanks to St Andrew's who made it a good game on a cold afternoon.
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