Ashford (Middlesex) Hockey Club

A down and up weekend for the ‘Ford as they lost in the league to Wallingford on Saturday but recovered well to beat fellow regional leaguers Eastcote in the EHB Trophy 24 hours later.

Pride often comes before a fall and maybe the ‘Ford were a little too confident after winning their previous two league games. They probably had the better of the scoreless first half but as they went in search of all three points after the interval they lost their shape and Wallingford capitalised on defensive errors with two late goals.

A chastening experience and when Eastcote took an early lead on Sunday a bad weekend looked on the cards. The ‘Ford defence in which Phil Lewis was outstanding stood their ground and gradually the midfield took control. The composure on the ball and patience going forward which was missing a day earlier returned and Jas Nijhar, who always had a threatening look about him, netted the equaliser from close range.

Luke Cottrell, who had an excellent game in midfield, put the ‘Ford in front from the spot soon after the interval and though Eatcote managed to equalise, the ‘Ford went back in front through Phil Lewis. A second from the youngster 15 minutes from time put the ‘Ford well clear and set the seal on a fine team performance. On Saturday, there was only one real candidate for the team’s man of the match award and that was Darren Cole. but against Eastcote most of the team had legitimate claims for the accolade and it was Lewis who took it.

So, the ‘Ford players and their supporters, who were at eastcote in force, will be huddled around their transistors hoping for a home tie when the draw for the last 32 is made on 5Live.

Finally, thanks to Andy ‘Shaggy’ Sonden for providing cover from the bench for both matches and only getting ten minutes of pitch time on Saturday and none on Sunday. It requires a degree of selflessness that few hockey players seem to possess and is much appreciated, as were the efforts of Dave Eastbury who travelled to Eastcote direct from his Sunday football match for just two minutes of action.

Whilst the times against fixtures seem to have a bug, here’s the times for you as per the latests fixture sheet I have…but please, do check in with captains and let them know your availability…just in case there’s been another update!

SAT 22nd OCTOBER – also PLACE YOUR BETS SOCIAL from 7pm
ladies 1s vs Winchmore Hill HOME at 10.30
Men’s 1s vs Wallingford HOME at 12
ladies 3s vs PHC CHiswick HOME at 1.30
Men’s 5s vs Marlow HOME at 3
Men’s 2s vs Gerrards Cross AWAY at 12
Men’s 4s vs Oxford AWAY at 2.30
Ladies 2s vs Eastcote AWAY at 3

SAT OCT 29th
Ladies 3s vs Hendon & Mill Hill HOME at 12
Mens’s 2s vs Maidenhead HOME at 1.30
Men’s 4s vs Oxford Hawks HOME at 3
Men’s 1s vs Oxford AWAY at 1
Men’s 3s vs Phoenix & Ranlagh AWY at 2.30

Sat 15th October – PHC Chiswick 1 Ashford 1st XI 3

In terms of possession and territorial advantage, this was a game of two halves. The ‘Ford, one up after two minutes and three to the good after 20 were full value for their 3-1 half time but had to batten down the hatches after the break as PHCC adopted a far more robust approach to things. The scoreless second half was down to a what we have, we hold approach from the visitors based on disciplined defence from front to back and on the rare occasions PHCC did break through they found either Andy Barnes or Adam Smith barring their way.

Alex Betts scored from the ‘Ford’s first penalty corner and Jas Nijhar’s fifth in three games a few minutes later was given some help by the keeper. Andy Barnes calmly slotted his second of the season from the spot after a foul on Chris Bolton and although PHCC pulled one back they never really capitalised on having the lion’s share of the ball after that.
So, three points for the “Ford from what is always a difficult trip to the forbidding surroundings of the Linford Christie Stadium in the shadow of Wormwood Scrubs Prison. The experience was, however, brightened somewhat by PHCC’s warm welcome and convivial post match hospitality.

Sat 15th October – Ashford 5s away to Eastcote, won 7-1

A comfortable victory for Ashford 5th XI at Eastcote in an otherwise even match. Goals from young Sam Betts put Ashford two up at half time, with good work from Chris Taylor in the Ashford goal keeping the Eagles at bay. Ashford continued the good work in the 2nd half taking advantage of a fairly weak defence, with further goals from Joe Muldoon, Sam Betts(2), Jim Berressem and Kulvir Singh, with Eastcote finally netting a goal late in the game. The final score of 7 – 1 flattered Ashford, who for once converted every opportunity to come away with a satisfying victory

Please be aware that we are having issues with our fixtures calendar, and the times shown may not be accurate. Please refer to the details originally sent to your fixtures secretary for confirmation

The astro draw winners for October 2011 are:

£100 Anna Protheroe

£50 Ray Edwards

£50 Ian Jenkins (kindly donated back to AHC)

Congratulations to all the winners and your cheques should be with you soon. It is only £12 per year for a ticket and a draw is made every month throughout the season, with the extra big money prizes being drawn at the AHC Annual Dinner in April. Application forms are available on the website (see link on side bar) and on the Club Notice Board. Help support and give yourself a chance of winning some money at the same time.

Apologies to everyone…whilst coming and going on my holidays, I got the dates mixed up for Place your Bets…its actually on SATURDAY 22nd OCTOBER. Lucy, Hannah and the team are devising pesky challenges for us to anticipate or bet who will win…are there any sneaky cracker eaters to take the eating tasks by storm (ie me…think it might be the only time I beat Digger in an eating competition!)…who do you think could spin the most times and still score a goal…these may be the challenges, but then again, they might not!

Come down on Saturday 22nd October for another fun filled night! look out for emails from ahcsocial@hotmail.co.uk

What a successful hunter needs above all else is patience. Patience and a big gun. Sadly, in the modern-day world of Astroturf hockey the use of the big gun has been outlawed, and so as Ashford 2s went for their first scalp of the big game season, coolness and poise were the watchwords.

Starting downwind of the scarlet-clad Eastcote team, Ashford began stalking their prey with quiet intent, and spent the first five minutes of the game in almost constant possession. With both Robbie Grant and James Maitland bursting with attacking verve on the flanks, the red and blacks were able to move the ball around at will, and seemed to have taken little time to judge the lie of the land. Gradually however Eastcote began to find their way into the game with some sharp counter-attacking hockey; some excellent tackling from Andy ‘flaps’ Tunna and Dom Hillman keeping them at bay.

With 15 minutes gone Ashford seemed certain to bag their first goal of the game: An excellent through ball from Shaggy Sonden saw David ‘Crabhands’ Eastbury clean through on goal, but his pistol shot ricocheted of the post. Further chances came and went with Crabhands firing two more rounds just past the right-hand upright and Jack Hayes trigger jamming after a fizzing cross-field ball.

With their prey now clearly aware of their attacking intent, Ashford regrouped from the second half with a changed back line, Graham Smart taking a well earned break from central defence. It was a mistake from stand-in left half Shaggy 5 minutes later that saw Eastcote break the deadlock however: Unable to clear the loose ball after making the first tackle, Eastcote’s left wing skipped gazelle-like into the circle, and fired across for their forward to sweep in.

The hunter had now firmly become the hunted and despite some tireless midfield play from Ben Degazon, things went from bad to worse 5 minutes later. Having stepped back into the fray, Smartie clumsily bundled into Eastcote’s centre-mid – a 10 minute trip to the sidelines his reward. By the time he’d returned to the pitch Ashford were 2-0 down, and things were only going to get worse. Despite some incisive distribution from sentinel full-back Amit Bhamra, Ashford could not hold onto the ball in midfield, and they were punished by a penalty corner struck firmly down the middle, and another lightning counter attack that this time they were helpless to defend against.

In a thoroughly disappointing second half, the one highlight was seeing keeper Ryan Croxon winning a top-circle dance-off with the Eastcote left wing, but Ashford will need to improve their moves overall before their home game next weekend.

Ashford IIIs  1 – 8  Marlow IIIs
(1^st October, 2011)

Ashford’s 3^rd eleven started their season with a resounding defeat against Marlow; however the underwhelming final score was the result of a second half capitulation. For the first half at least, Ashford contested a relatively even game and perhaps should have been 2 – 1 up at the interval; slick passing in midfield was complimented by a tireless and resolute performance in defence, particularly from Ashford’s half-backs. As it was they went in 2 – 1 down with Marlow scoring just before the break after Smith had equalised clinically from a sweeping counter attack.

Yet the second half was an entirely different story. With Ashford carrying a couple of niggling injuries exacerbated by raucous 29-degree heat, their performance started to lag. Repeated substitutions – an attempt to gain some little respite for fatigued players – only succeeded in confusing the midfield. Ashford’s play throughout had seen the ball regularly played into space as they looked to utilise their pace and stretch the opposition; in contrast Marlow played increasingly to stick. The home team’s tactic backfired in the intense heat and led to deadened legs and exhausted minds. Ultimately, Ashford stopped tracking runners from midfield leaving the defence consistently and horrendously exposed to wave after wave of Marlow attacks. Dead on their feet, Ashford shipped 4 goals in the last 10 minutes despite the dogged and admirable efforts of their keeper and beleaguered defenders.

A result to consign to history and here’s hoping that next week’s game, with plenty of passing to stick, heralds an improved team performance.

Saturday Ashford 4 OMTs 1, Sunday EH

Two wins from two home games kick-started the 2011/12 season for the “Ford. Newly promoted Old Merchant Taylors arrived at the Lane brimming with confidence after an opening day victory but were left to rue failing to make the most of their domination of first half possession. Well marshalled by Andy Barnes and Ben Washer, the “Ford allowed the visitors few clear cut  chances and made the most of their only real opportunity when Jas Nijhar opened the scoring seconds before the interval.

Middlesex Hockey Umpires Association have planned to hold two Level I umpires courses shortly. The first is at West Hampstead HC on Tuesday 1st November (coaching session start 7.30pm – finish 10pm) and Wednesday 9th November (written test start 8pm – finish 9.15pm). The venue is the Cumberland Clubhouse in Alvanley Gardens, NW6 1JD, upstairs room over the squash courts, parking is in the road outside. This venue is not where the hockey players usually go to in Lymington Road but further up the hill.

The second Level 1 umpires course is being held at Teddington HC, Broom Road, on Tuesdays 8th & 15th November 2011 with the same start and finishing times. It is essential that all candidates are there for each start time and not be late please.

Maximum number of places available on each course is 30.
Four have already booked in for the West Hampstead course and one for Teddington.

Places are ONLY secured on our receipt of the course fee.

For those intending to attend, it is recommended that payment be made as soon as possible to be sure of a place.
Course fee is £40 and entry for the courses closes latest 3 days before the start date or earlier if all 30 places have been taken up..
Payments may be made either by -
- posting a cheque payable to MHUA to me at the address below
- or paid, quoting candidates name, directly into our account at Lloyds Bank sort code 30-98-79 account MHUA 01993753, with an email advice to me please.
Of the £40,

£25 is used to pay for the resources pack we obtain from England Hockey

£5 to cover our travel costs to the course and the subsequent practical assessment

£10 deposit which will be refunded on successful completion of the course OR may be used towards purchasing a set of 3 coloured umpire’s shirts which would then reduce the net cost to £15 for the entire set.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email or give me a call and I will provide further details.

Luvvy/Tracey Holland c/o president@ashfordhockeyclub.co.uk

All members of the men’s section are invited to an urgent meeting tonight at the Clubhouse at 7.30pm to discuss which of the way forward for the coming season as regards to the lower teams. Please be there if you can.

Preseason Friendly: Bracknell 1s (6) vs. Ashford 2s (1)

With Captain Elliott ‘Podge’ Smith sidelined due to work commitments it fell to Vice Captain Adam Husband to try and nullify the threat of a Bracknell 1s side playing at their home pitch just beside the eponymous leisure centre.

Ashford started with the wind in their sails, and fired off an early broadside, with Mark Bell just unable to fashion an outcome from the right-hand side of the circle. The tide quickly turned in Bracknell’s favour however, and as they warmed to their slick passing game the Ashford work rate dropped, with only Matt Samouel in central midfield providing any sort of attacking outlet for the embattled red and blacks. A series superbly timed tackles from centre backs Graham Smart and Paul ‘Shah’ Neyton were keeping Ashford in the game at this point, but despite weathering the storm of a series of short corners – owing much to the lightning reflexes of John ‘The Cat’ Hunt in goal – they were soon behind; a swift Bracknell switch leaving the Ashford rearguard marooned.

Rather than a wake-up call, the first goal heralded a disastrous period of play for the away team; Bracknell’s right midfield in particular appeared to be able to maraud with impunity down the flank, and by half-time they were five goals to the good.

The second half threatened to see a deluge turn into a flood, but an Ashford side showing more grit that the first 35 minutes battened down the hatches and finally began to catch the current, partly due to a half-time reshuffle that saw David ‘Crabhands’ Eastbury move back into the centre of midfield. The incise running of youngster Adesh Aulakh in the forward free role was causing the Bracknell rearguard some real problems, and as Ashford put all hands to the wheel, they saw a number of chances go begging, Andy ‘Shaggy’ Sonden just unable to put the ball away on the reverse after nicking it from a prostrate ‘keeper.

Just desserts were finally served with 20 minutes to play however; some fine movement from James Maitland – playing his first game after three years adrift at university – helped win a penalty corner which Billy Bassett duly cannoned onto the backboard, and even though a brilliant individual effort from Bracknell’s left half saw them plunder one final goal, Ashford’s second-half performance against a team who play their hockey a league higher will offer a real confidence boost as they set sail into the 2011-12 season proper against Banbury on Saturday.

MENS 1st XI. Thursday 22nd Home vs Amersham & Chalfont, won 2-1. Saturday 24th away to Barnes, 1-1

After a heavy defeat the previous weekend, the ‘Ford recovered well and ended their five match pre-season programme with a home win and an away draw.

They had beaten midweek visitors to the Lane, Amersham & Chalfont 5-0 in their opening practice fixture and when Chris Bolton opened the scoring after ten minutes and Ryan Holland won a penalty stroke shortly afterwards a similar score looked on the cards. However, Holland after put the stroke high, wide and not very handsome. A & C broke away and were contentiously awarded a similar award which was converted to give the visitors and equaliser they did not deserve. Instead of holding the comfortable lead that their slick hockey merited, the’ Ford changed ends level. More flowing hockey followed in the second half and eventually Bolton netted his second for a morale boosting 2-1 win.

On Saturday, the ‘Ford travelled to meet Barnes, also relegated from South Premier 2 last season and welcomed back Andy Barnes, Jas Nijhar, Matt Emmerton, Elliott Symes and new recruit from the north west, Andy Tunna and for once fielded something approaching a full strength side. Alex Betts set the tone with a fine penetrating run down the left and the ‘Ford dominated the early exchanges with some neat, patient hockey. So, the away fans must have thought it was deja-vu all over again when Barnes capitalised on a slack pass into midfield and scored with a shot that really should have been saved. However, unlike so often in the past couple of seasons the floodgates did not open and the ‘Ford defence held firm.

They actually dominated the second half, scored a fine equlaiser through Jas Nijhar and went close on several more occasions.

The league season starts next week and after an encouraging pre-season and several new players, things do not look quite so bleak for the men in black. Current fitness level need to be improved but for once the light at the end of a tunnel may not be an oncoming locomotive.