Ashford (Middlesex) Hockey Club

Wallingford 3’s 6 Ashford 4’s 0

I’m looking for positives and that was it - mild and sunny and, oh yes, glad I put my towels out on the line before going for game.

We were  a bit light for this game against the league leaders who are a good team and deserve their position on this performance. Don’t think we adults supported the younger players as well as we could have and 2 goals down early did not help (well it helped Wallingford but not us).

Ladies League Hockey 21/2/09
Middlesex Premier
ASHFORD 1st XI 0 v WEST HAMPSTEAD 2nd XI 2
In only their third game of 2009, Ashford ladies 1st XI entertained the team immediately below them in the league, West Hampstead 2nd XI at Short Lane on Saturday. Due to it being a rearranged fixture and half term, Ashford were missing six of their regular defenders and midfield, namely EMMA HYNES, SOPHIE SMART, Skipper STACEY KENWARD, ANNA PROTHEROE, KIM FRY and NICKY BENEDICT. However, three regular squad members, PHIL WORSFOLD (who was Skipper for the day), ANNIE NEYTON and LIV YOUNG, who weren’t available last week returned to action. In addition, Coach MANDY WAIN brought in regular 2nd XI defenders KAREN FOWLER and ELINE SIBIA into the squad, as well as veterans ALI DONELAN, TRACEY HOLLAND and SARAH SYMES. The game started fairly slowly with both teams sounding each other out initially, with youngster LIV YOUNG and sweeper JACKIE PARSONS being particularly effective for the Red & Blacks. After 12 minutes of play the visitors went close to opening the scoring, following a good free hit outside the circle which was nearly put in the net at the far post. Ashford continued to hold their own though, with everybody working hard together and the promoted 2nd XI players coping well with the faster pace of the Premier League. Midway through the first half, Ashford had their best attack of the game when a JACKIE PARSONS shot from the edge of the circle went narrowly past the upright. Another good Ashford team move between PHIL WORSFOLD, ANNIE NEYTON and youngster ELINE SIBIA set up an attack down the right, which was followed by a strong run from other Red & Black youngster KELLY TAYLOR, but unfortunately neither resulted in a shot on goal. With only five minutes left in the first half a crude/clumsy tackle by a West Hampstead defender saw her receive a yellow card and sidelined for ten minutes. Ashford then managed to force three short corners on the trot and although JACKIE PARSONS went close, especially with the third one, for the Red & Blacks the game remained scoreless at the end of the first half.

After the turn round, Coach MANDY WAIN rearranged the team and JACKIE PARSONS took up a more forward role, with an on form SARAH SYMES moving back into the sweeper position. West Hampstead started the stronger though and opened the scoring after five minutes when they attacked down the left and took advantage of the Ashford keeper being grounded and flicked the ball over her to the right where one of their forwards slotted it home. Not surprisingly the goal gave the visitors greater confidence and they mounted several attacks which the Ashford keeper SAM GRANT coped very well with. Ashford then came back into the game and good work by midfielder TRACEY HOLLAND amongst others saw JACKIE PARSONS going very narrowly wide with an excellent pile driver past the right hand post following another short corner. Red & Blacks striker SHARON McGLINLEY also went close to notching the equaliser shortly after. West Hampstead then scored an opportunist second goal down the right to take a 2-0 lead. Ashford continued to work hard though, with everyone fighting natural tiredness and combining well right until the last minute of the game and went close on a couple more occasions, but the score remained at 2-0 to the visitors, resulting in a narrow defeat for the Red & Blacks. Next Saturday Ashford are at home to Harrow 2nd XI, who are second from bottom in the League. Once again the Red & Blacks will have some regular players missing, but if they can keep playing with the tenacity and application they showed during today’s game, Coach MANDY WAIN is confident that they will be in with a good chance of gaining their first League points and victory of 2009.

Team; S Grant (GK), K Fowler, S Symes, T Holland, E.Sibia, J Bashford, S McGlinley, P. Worsfold (Skipper), J.Parsons, L Young, A Neyton, K Taylor, A Donelan

The winners in the Astro Draw for February 2009 are:

£100 Duncan Ritchie

£50 Katie Smith

£50 Alison Boxell

Congratulations to the winners and your cheques will be with you soon. Don’t forget that it is only £12 per year for a draw ticket and a draw is made every month throughout the season. Application forms are available on the website and Club Notice Board.

Click here for more details about the draw and an application form.

Crunch time coming up for the Boys Under-18’s - we have had a good season so far no doubt down to the tactical genius of the modest manager but possibly also down to the fact we have an excellent crop of youngsters, the majority of which have played together for several seasons.

That said, we have a very small squad with a maximum of 7 in the age group and it has been a challenge fielding sides and most games we have featured under 14’s. The standard of play is frighteningly high, quick, skillful and committed.

We have done well so far - we have won 2 and lost 2 in the top league - losing to Reading, beating Reading A 4-2 and Oxford Hawks 3-2, before a weakened team lost 2-1 to Maidenhead last month.This Sunday, we play Teddington  and a win should see us through to the playoffs.

Fair to say, though, our focus is on the National Plate cup where we lost somehow in the semi-finals last season. In the main cup, we had a fantastic game against one of the best hockey schools in the country, Langley Park. One of the best games I have had the pleasure to see with our boys just going down 4 goals to 3 against one of the faves for the cup (and who beat last years winners, Southgate, in the next round).

Into the plate and we have progressed to the last 16 and play one of the favourites again (but then so are we), Guildford. Game is at Home 2.15 on Sunday 1 Mar after the Mixed Cup game. Please come and watch if you possibly can - the boys are good players, the game is guaranteed to be fast and skillful and the boys will really appreciate the support.

Ashford 4’s 3 Oxford Hawks 4’s 0

Scorers: Rhino, Stewpot, Shaunie

An impressive team performance enabled the 4’s to see off 2nd bottom Oxford Hawks and post clear daylight between themselves and the bottom 2 - important given availability problems and the league leaders next week.

Ashford dominated the first half but either the last pass was lacking or the finishing was weak - Rhino scored the only goal of the half after 15 mins looping a Big Amit whack just under the crossbar from the top of the D. Hawks were direct and did make the defence work but Doggers had little to do bar one excellent save early on.

Second half we fired on all cylinders and pushed the Hawks into their half - the manner of the second goal sealed the win with the ball being out to Shaggy on the right on the halfway line, he ran 20 yards, squared the ball to Shaunie, playing his first game of the season, who laid the ball into Rhino’s path running into the D and his pass across was put into the net by a diving Stewpot - an excellent goal. Shaun finished off a Big Amit shortie for the 3rd and sealed the 3 points.

We move up to 7th this win but like all teams need availability to improve.

The winners in the Astro Draw for February 2009 are:

• £100 Duncan Ritchie
• £50 Katie Smith
• £50 Alison Boxell

Congratulations to the winners and your cheques will be with you soon. Don’t forget that it is only £12 per year for a draw ticket and a draw is made every month throughout the season. Application forms are also available on the Club Notice Board.

Click here for more details about the draw and an application form.

We now have an AHC/A(SL)S paperback exchange library. A box of paperback books is located in the bar/function room, where you can donate 50p or £1.00 and select a book to take home and hopefully enjoy. Once you have finished with it, you bring it back for someone else to read. You can also donate your unwanted paperbacks to the growing stock for others to enjoy. The money raised goes to improving the facilities at Short Lane. Why not take a look at the growing library this weekend.

Organiser: Tracey Holland

Ashford Under 18 Girls 6 v Yateley Under 18 Girls 2

Sunday 15th February. It’s 2pm and seven U18’s have turned up to play again Yateley. A bit apprehensive with the lack of players, due to it being half-term, they were pleased when the opposition announced they too, were lacking players. The game was to be 7 Reds vs 8 Pink. The atmosphere was lively from the Ashford side, despite all the moans and stiffness from playing the day before. The red’s were off to a good start as within 10 minutes skipper LIV YOUNG took a tremendous strike which the Goalie could do little about but watch it go over the line. Excited with how AHC was dominating play, deserted defender ELINE SIBIA was desperate to push up but was told to restrain herself as Yateley had some players hanging deep. Indeed, soon enough Yateley got a break. With the three defenders marking players and the midfielders unable to get back in time, Yateley had a spare man who was given way to drive all the way into the circle. SIBIA came off her marker to go for the tackle but the ball was pushed to the Penalty Spot where all havoc broke out as there were sticks, bodies and goalie all over the place. ANNA PROTHERO repeatedly put the ball upon the opposition’s foot but trainee umpire Freddie Cottrell failed to pick this up and so Yateley proceeded to score. The score 1-1, AHC managed to get numerous shots on goal but unfortunately they all went wide. At one point there were a lot of lifted shots on goal by KELLY TAYLOR, EMILY REED, LIV YOUNG and NIKKI CROXON within a small amount of time, but their GK was on top form and saved all the spectacular shots. Finally after a while, KELLY TAYLOR and NIKKI CROXON both managed to score goals. The score at half-time was 3-1.

At half-time, they were absolutely shattered from all the running, but the girls kept spirits up and refused to let the positive score make them lazy. Coach LAURA QUINN made some changes to the formation leaving only two defenders and adding another player to the midfield. Three more goals followed: skipper LIV YOUNG’s second one and KELLY TAYLOR scored two more meaning she’d scored a hat-trick! Seeing all this attacking play, defenders PROTHERO and SIBIA were absolutely itching to get up the pitch. YOUNG & TAYLOR generously offered to switch with them and so the dynamics changed with both defenders enjoying being up-pitch. However, Yateley got another break and this time natural forward, YOUNG, was unsure how to deal with it. A long corner was given and somehow they managed to get a token goal despite goalie BECKY HEWES great attempt to save it.

Overall I would say that U18s really worked well as a team, because we had to help each other, otherwise the pitch would be simply too big. Communication and support was really there today and it was a particularly fun, but tiring, game to play!

Written by Eline Sibia

New players of all ages and standards are needed for Ashford Mens Ladies, Mixed and Colts sides, so if you are interested or you know any one who might want to play or try playing, please contact Ashford Hockey Club on 01932 229785 for further information and contact details. All are very welcome as there are still over two months of the winter season and training sessions to go, followed by summer hockey, so why not give it a try!

Ladies League Hockey 14/2/09
Middlesex Premier

PHC CHISWICK 1st XI 5 v ASHFORD 1st XI 2
Ashford Ladies 1st XI returned to League action on Saturday after another week of inactivity due to the icy conditions, when they travelled to West London to face third placed side PHC Chiswick 1st XI. The Red & Blacks Coach MANDY WAIN was without regular squad member’s midfielders PHIL WORSFOLD and ANNIE NEYTON, along with striker LIV YOUNG. In addition, due to the shortage of players for the other Ashford teams a limited squad of eleven players only was selected and key midfielders NICKY BENEDICT and Skipper STACEY KENWARD played despite both carrying injuries. The depleted squad started the game very brightly though and played some excellent hockey in the opening stages of the game against a well organised home side. In fact it was Ashford who opened the scoring after ten minutes of play when JACQUI BASHFORD and NICKY BENEDICT ran in on the PHC Chiswick goal and got a good shot in, which the home team goalkeeper saved and the foraging Ashford forwards retrieved the ball and put it across to the far post where youngster ANNA PROTHEROE was on hand to tap it into the left hand corner of the net, to put the Red & Blacks 1- 0 up. In an even and open game, the home team then struck back with a goal that was put into the Ashford net rather spectacularly by their own stalwart defender EMMA HYNES to even the score at one each. The home team then followed up with another good goal near the end of the half to nudge ahead by two goals to one, but not to be outgunned Ashford kept up the high standard of team and work rate, and managed to secure an equaliser just before the half time break. A short corner precisely injected by ANNA PROTHEROE was controlled well by sweeper JACKIE PARSONS, who stroke it sweetly and as hard as normal and her accurate shot brushed JACQUI BASHFORD as it went into the net to make the score two all.

The second half started off fairly well for Ashford, but tiredness and injuries started to take their toll as the match progressed. The home team took advantage of Ashford’s dilemma by scoring with another fine strike to make the score 3-2 to the home team. They added a fourth with another thunderous shot from a well worked move not long after to go two goals ahead. Despite being behind, the Red & Blacks still worked hard with youngster KELLY TAYLOR in particular doing well. In the final ten minutes her injury got the better of the Red & Blacks skillful midfielder NICKY BENEDICT and she took no further part in the game reducing Ashford to ten players only. The home team took advantage and added their fifth and final goal, with another finely hit shot to make the final score a convincing 5-2 to PHC Chiswick. However, Ashford coach MANDY WAIN was not too disappointed to lose to the third placed side considering the reduced squad and she was pleased with the effort shown and hockey played in the first half. Thanks are once again due to 2nd XI player TRACEY HOLLAND who gave up her game at Ashford to umpire for the 1st XI, thus ensuring that they didn’t lose any points for not providing a suitably qualified umpire.

Next Saturday Ashford Ladies have a rearranged League game against West Hampstead 2nd XI ,who are just below Ashford in the League, at home at Short Lane at the late start time of 4.30pm. Once again it looks like the Red & Blacks will have a depleted squad as due to the half term holiday several of the regular squad will be away. However, if the Red & Blacks can keep playing as well as they did during most of today’s game they will be in with a good chance of gaining a point or three.

Team; S. Grant (GK), E Hynes, S.Smart, J Bashford, S McGlinley, S Kenward (Skipper), J.Parsons, N. Benedict, K. Fry, A Protheroe, K Taylor

Ashford Hockey Club Dinner Dance 2009. Is the date in your diaries? 25th April 2009 - http://tinyurl.com/ashdin09

Yes, Ashford is going Web 2.0.

For the uninitiated, Twitter is a very simple idea. You answer the question ‘what are you doing?’ in 140 letters or less, as often as you like. Other people can then sign up to ‘follow’ you and receive your updates. They can also reply to you, either in public by using their own update or in private via a Direct Message, a bit like an email.
BBC Internet Blog

The All Seeing Ashford Webmaster has setup a Twitter account which automatically updates posts from the website in a micro-format. Now you can keep up to date whilst on the go! If you haven’t setup a twitter account, its really quick and easy go to twitter.com.

Enjoy.

League: Ashford 4’s 1 Wycombe 4’s 4

Scorer: Big Amit

Although the Red-and-Blacks can look back on a typically whole-hearted performance, they can have few complaints about this defeat bar the size of it. One up until 20 minutes to go, they conceded four in the last quarter to succumb to a more-than-useful Wycombe team.

We were one-up at half time from a Big Amit Whack but were thankful to our keeper, Doggers, who was back to his best and at-times back-to-the-wall defence, Jon Hunt stood out with a performance that made Bubbles look like a mild-mannered Peter Parker. 

We had chances to get the second which I expect would have given us the second wind to hold on but once they equalised we got very tired and gave the goals and game up. 

The 4’s along with all other teams need availability to improve to make themselves safe in this league.

Middlesex Premier League
ASHFORD 1st XI 1 v WINCHMORE HILL & ENFIELD 1st XI 3
Ashford Ladies 1st XI finally returned to action on Saturday, after six weeks of inactivity due to the Christmas break and the postponement in January of three consecutive League games. Most of the regular first team squad were selected, with only striker HAYLEY EAMES, who has a long term injury, and midfielder ANNIE NEYTON unavailable to play; so coach MANDY WAIN added 2nd XI striker SHARON McGLINLEY to the squad. In dry, sunny but slightly chilly conditions, Ashford started well against their North London opposition Winchmore Hill & Enfield 1st XI, who before the game were one place below the Red & Blacks in the League. Unfortunately shortly after the start of the game, Ashford skipper STACEY KENWARD got a pain full blow on her left ear, which left her rather stunned for a short while. As the game progressed, Ashford played some steady hockey with everyone working well for each other and after only nine minutes of play they secured their first short corner of the game. Unfortunately JACKIE PARSONS clean strike was well saved by the visitors nimble goalkeeper. Further pressure from the Red & Blacks brought a couple more short corners, but their well practiced routines didn’t go as smoothly as normal and the score remained at 0-0. The visitors were meanwhile were finding some form and had a few forays on the Ashford goal, but keeper SAM GRANT, who was playing despite a slight leg injury, coped easily with them all. Ten minutes before half time, Ashford managed to open the scoring though. Some good play down the right set youngster LIV YOUNG free in the D and she took the ball to the back line almost and fired home from an acute angle to put the Red & Blacks deservedly 1-0 up. Unfortunately after recovering from her earlier blow on the ear, skipper STACEY KENWARD then suffered a nasty blow to her foot, which resulted in her big toe swelling up and her having to leave the pitch and miss the rest of the game. In addition, lively midfielder ANNA PROTHEROE also suffered an injury set back, when she pulled a ham string and had then to sit out most of the rest of the game. Thus the Red & Blacks squad was virtually reduced to only eleven fit players by half time.

Initially in the second half the Ashford continued to play some reasonably hockey with midfielder PHIL WORSFOLD and defenders JACKIE PARSONS and EMMA HYNES playing particularly well along with roving striker LIV YOUNG. However, after ten minutes of play, it was the visitors who scored next, when they fired home from the right after a good save by Ashford keeper SAM GRANT, to level the score at 1-1. The Red & Blacks seemed to tire after the equaliser and the visitors took the lead shortly afterwards as they scrambled home a goal from close in, despite their being three of four Ashford defenders around the goal. Not surprisingly the goal boosted the visitor’s confidence and their play improved as the Red & Blacks lost their rhythm and cohesion. Ashford did manage to mount some attacks and sweeper JACKIE PARSONS pushed up field in an attempt to secure the equaliser and midfielder NICKY BENEDICT went close on one occasion, but the visitors maintained dominance of most of the play. As the game came to a close, the visitors scored a third and somewhat undeserved goal, when they followed up well after another fine save from Ashford keeper SAM GRANT to secure a 3-1 away win. Next week Ashford have to travel to Paddington to play Hampstead & Westminster 2nd XI, who are currently top of the league, for what is bound to be a very tough game.

Team; S. Grant (GK), E Hynes, S.Smart, J Bashford, L Young, S Kenward (Skipper), J.Parsons, S McGlinley, N. Benedict, K. Fry, A Protheroe, K Taylor, P Worsfold,